Fiddler on the stars

At 21, he’s already worked with the famous names in Tollywood. The lead violinist for many songs, including the recently released Laage Laage from Pawan Kalyan-starrer Katamarayudu, Sandilya Pisapati talks about his journey.  

He’s been learning to play violin since he was six. “My late father wanted me to learn Hindustani music and my family also wanted me to learn an instrument. That’s how I took up violin and was trained under Ashok Gurjala,” says the final year student at CVSR College of Engineering.

But it was Josyabhatla Sarma, a music director, who taught him the basics of recording and how it works. “I started off by working with Sri Charan for a devotional album, after which my brother, Manohar, who is a cameraman in TFI, started introducing me to the right contacts. That’s how I bagged my first Tollywood project, Dil Deewana,” says Sandilya, who later got offers to play for short films. He then worked with Vamsi Krishna, Sai Karthik, and with singer Anudeep for his covers. It was then that he was noticed by Anup Rubens. There has been no looking back for him since. Sandilya went on to work with Anup in Pilla Nuvvu Leni Jeevitam, Manam, Gopala Gopala and Katamarayudu, among others. “I was pursuing my engineering first year when I stepped into Tollywood. I would schedule my recordings after college hours, so I don’t skip classes. At times, I’d record all night,” says Sandilya, who has also worked with M.M. Keeravani in Om Namo Vankatesaya and with S.S. Thaman.”

Sandilya won Telangana Got Talent, a show where over 150 colleges participated. He’s also the lead violinist in the band Denique Grooves, who play fusion music.

“My guru and my mother have been encouraging me,” he says, adding, “Right now, I want to become an independent violin player, but later in life, I would want to become a music director. I also create my own music and I’m waiting for the right time to release it.”