At just 21, Sai Abhyankkar is already scoring for some of Indian cinema's biggest titles — Suriya's Karuppu, Rajkumar Periasamy's Dhanush–Mammootty magnum opus, and Atlee's Allu Arjun-starrer Raaka — while his independent tracks Katchi Sera, Aasa Kooda, Sithira Puthiri, Vizhi Veekura and Pavazha Malli continue to rack up hundreds of millions of views. In this conversation with Anupama Chopra for InFocus, the young composer opens up about the "tunnel vision" that drives him, why he swapped his smartphone for a Nokia dumb phone, and how prayer and a grounded family keep him from getting lost in the noise of overnight stardom. Sai also reflects on replacing A.R. Rahman on Karuppu, his formative years programming for Rahman on Pathu Thala, the lessons in patience he carries from that time, and how he builds mass elevation for stars like Suriya and Allu Arjun. He talks about his songwriting process, a personal bank of over a thousand unreleased tracks he's saving for after 60, the criticism that came with Oorum Blood from Dude, why he doesn't believe heartbreak is a prerequisite for great music, and the Bollywood film that may be next on his horizon.