'Coolie' Exclusive | Anirudh Ravichander: 'My Favourite Rajinikanth Songs are Composed By Deva Sir'

Anirudh Ravichander is absolutely shocked that Italian star Monica Bellucci has listened to his song from Coolie. 

“I never imagined this would happen! Honestly, Lokesh and I were just coincidentally watching some clips of her (Belluci) on YouTube once, and then while we were making the song — we usually come up with some random words — and I used her name. At first, I didn’t even think too many people here (in Tamil Nadu) would know who she is, but then after the song was released, I started getting screenshots of everyone going to her social media accounts and tagging her, asking her to check out the video,” he laughs.

“If it’s actually reached her attention and she’s liked it, then maybe we have done something right!”

Just three days before the release of one of his biggest-ever films, the composer is in Mumbai to promote the album of Coolie; his fourth collaboration with director Lokesh Kanagaraj, and fifth album for Rajinikanth. He gushes when asked why the Superstar called him the “most eligible bachelor in South Asia” at the film’s audio launch in Chennai, and also politely refuses to divulge the identity of the mysterious Heisenberg who has been writing lyrics for him. 

But in an exclusive interview with The Hollywood Reporter India, the 34-year-old is more than happy to discuss his almost-symbiotic equation with Lokesh, how legendary Tamil music director Deva has inspired his (Anirudh's) compositions for Rajinikanth, and how he looks at AI as a tool to work with and not fear.

Excerpts from a conversation:

Tamil cinema has always boasted of iconic director-composer duos, from Bharathiraja-Ilaiyaraaja to Mani Ratnam-A.R. Rahman. Though you have also done multiple projects with other filmmakers, fans seem to associate your best work with Lokesh’s films. Why do you think that is?

I think it’s definitely got a lot to do with the type of films he makes. Lokesh writes while listening to music, and after a quick discussion on what we can do with the film, he leaves it to me entirely. Like he’s mentioned in so many interviews, he trusts me blindly. His type of filmmaking inspires me and the boys at the studio to constantly push the bar, and the moment we get any kind of footage from his team, we are immediately excited.

His films have that international quality to them, giving us a very different kind of space to play with; I love his style and edit pattern, and most of all, the fact that they are so OST-heavy. Most of the other films that we take on don’t really have that much scope to be driven by the background score.

Anirudh Ravichander with Lokesh Kanagaraj and Shruti Haasan

The release of Coolie will mark 50 years of Rajinikanth at the movies, with his debut Apoorva Raagangal releasing on August 15, 1975. Do you remember your first Rajinikanth theatrical experience?

I remember it perfectly; I was around two years old when I was taken to watch Annaamalai (1992) at Albert theatre in Chennai. Being a Rajinikanth fort, naturally, the entire experience was incredible with the fans going crazy. That began my journey — as is the case with most people from my generation — of growing up with the Superstar’s films. 

What is your favourite Rajinikanth album of all-time?

I’m still the biggest fan of all his albums from the 90s, and have fond memories of fighting all the other kids to buy music cassettes from the store on the first day. His combination with Deva sir and A.R Rahman sir are my favourites, and I still listen to those songs very often.

For me, Deva sir’s albums for him are the ultimate — Annamalai (1992), Baashha (1995), and Arunachalam (1997) — and if you have noticed, I have tried to incorporate a lot of the same elements from those soundtracks in all my films for Thalaivar. From Petta to Coolie now, all the many heys and shoutouts in the songs are inspired from those 90s albums. 

Coolie is your fifth soundtrack for the Superstar after Petta, Darbar, Jailer and Vettaiyan. Has he ever given you feedback for your songs? Does he have a favourite from your compositions?

The funny part is, he never listens to any of the songs or music before he goes on set to actually shoot the video. He never gives any inputs on how the soundtrack should be and leaves it to us totally. However, whenever he does listen to the songs eventually — be it his film or not — he sends me a text back telling me what he liked. 

But just one time, before we released the song itself, I sent him the Hukum track – and he absolutely loved it, so it’s probably that!

Anirudh Ravichander with Rajinikanth

What does composing for a Rajinikanth film mean to you?

Just last weekend, when we finished the final mix and took a picture to post on Instagram, Lokesh and I were discussing how the kind of satisfaction we get when we work on a Rajinikanth or Kamal Haasan sir film is so… different from everything else. The happiness is surreal because we have grown up watching their films. 

You recently spoke about using ChatGPT to finish writing the lyrics for a song you were composing. At a time when those in creative fields fear artificial intelligence, you have actually advocated it. Do you use it regularly?

I 100 percent stand by what I said. We all need to learn how to start working with AI since it is the future. 

Recently, while making a song for an upcoming project, both the lyricist and I were stuck and needed a few ideas to complete a song. So I entered in what was already written, and asked for a few options, and the AI gave me some very interesting lines which went with the mood and theme of the track. The more information I filled in, the more help it offered. I genuinely don’t think that there’s anything wrong in admitting this, which is why I spoke about it in the first place. 

Nowadays, I can even hum a tune, and use the tech to change it to an instrumental version. If we don’t have that particular instrument around to use live, then I don’t see any harm in AI helping musicians out this way.

You have a stacked few months coming up; Madharaasi, LIK, Jana Nayagan, Jailer 2 and Toxic are just some of the massive projects you have taken on. Will you continue touring?

The Hukum Tour was our most successful one, and we wanted to end it in our home base of Chennai. We initially had planned to begin our next series only next year, but we had an existing commitment to perform in Germany. So we decided to kickstart the Powerhouse tour there, at the Rudolf Weber Arena in Oberhausen. But after that, I’m taking a six month sabbatical from touring. But I will get back to it very soon though — it’s such an integral part of my life.