10 New-age South Indian composers making waves across India

It’s an exciting time for Indian music, with artists across the country experimenting and creating some of the best sounds we've ever heard. While we continue to cherish songs from the past, today’s new-age musicians are just as eager to create melodies that stand the test of time. In this article, we spotlight some of the best South Indian music composers of our generation, artists who not only impress with their incredible body of work but also keep us eagerly anticipating what’s next.

1) Sushin Shyam

Where do we even start about this terrific composer? Sushin ventured into music composing with Kismath in 2016. Ever since, he has catapulted to become one of the most sought-after musicians in Malayalam cinema. Sushin's signature lies in how he tweaks his music to become a character of its own in the film. Take, for instance, Malik, Manjummel Boys or our all-time favourite Kumbalangi Nights. It's impossible to think about these films without remembering Sushin's BGM and songs in them.

2) Anirudh Ravichander

Anirudh Ravichander broke into mainstream music with the album for Dhanush's 3. The soup song 'Why this Kolaveri Di' from the movie became a Nationwide rage, back when 'pan-India' was not even coined as a word. Since then, Anirudh has gone on to deliver chartbusters-after-chartbusters, collaborating with the biggest superstars of the country. Vaathi Coming, Arabic Kuthu, Naa Ready, Hukum, Zinda Banda, and more recently, Monica are a few songs by Anirudh that refuse to leave our playlists.


3) Sai Abhyankkar

Just like Anirudh, Sai Abhyankkar became an overnight sensation with his debut Indie track Katchi Sera. But Sai ensured that he is not just a one-song-wonder and went on to deliver back-to-back hits with Aasa Kooda, Sithira Puthiri and Vizhi Veekura. Interestingly, he has an enviable line-up of around 8 films in his kitty, including Allu Arjun and Atlee's "AA22xA6," a feat which very few composers can boast of.


4) Hesham Abdul Wahab

Hesham Abdul Wahab is a composer whose music has the ability to transport us into safe spaces of love, warmth and nostalgia. After capturing hearts with the soulful Darshana from Hridayam, the singer-composer has steadily made his mark in Telugu and Tamil with movies like Hi Nanna, Kushi, Maaman, and Once More. With his Kannada debut on the horizon, we can’t wait to see what magic Hesham brings next.


5) Sumedh K

The Kannada film Su From So turned out to be a sleeper hit this year, and one of its standout contributors is Sumedh K, who composed six beautifully rooted tracks for the film. Known for his indie releases like Prabhata, Meghave, and Karma, Sumedh is undoubtedly one of the Kannada voices we’d love to hear more from.

6) Sam C.S

A new-age composer who is known to constantly experiment with his music and deliver fresh tunes, Sam C.S. has possibly created many of your go-to songs. May it be the viral Neela Nilave from RDX, Kannamma from Ispade Rajavum Idhaya Raniyum or the more recent Kondal, Sam C.S. is undoubtedly, creatively shaping the South Indian music scene.


7) Sean Roldan

Sean Roldan rose to fame after gaining acclaim for the Tamil-Malayalam bilingual Vaayai Moodi Pesavum / Samsaaram Aarogyathinu Haanikaram starring Dulquer Salmaan and Nazriya. Ever since, he has given us some kickass music, including for films like Pa Paandi, Jai Bhim, Good Night, Lubber Pandhu, amongst others.

8) B. Ajaneesh Loknath

Kantara! Do we need to say more? Though Ajaneesh Loknath has been in the Kannada music scene for a while now, it was the songs for Kantara that earned him national recognition. With their haunting folk-inspired soundscapes and soul-stirring instrumentation, the soundtrack became a cultural phenomenon, cementing Ajaneesh’s place as the most exciting voice in South Indian music.

9) Vijai Bulganin

Vijai Bulganin is one of those composers who consistently delivers. His background scores and songs for films like Baby and Court – State vs a Nobody are still some of our absolute favourites

10) Bheems Ceciroleo

Bheems Ceciroleo has a flair for crafting high-energy, massy tracks that instantly click with the audience. His work in films like Balagam and DJ Tillu showcases his range and crowd-pleasing instincts. Bheems continues to be a go-to composer in Telugu cinema for those unforgettable chartbusters with a local flavour. With his scores for recent films like Mad Square and Sankranthiki Vasthunam, he is a composer whom we wish to hear more of.

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