KOCHI: The music director with accomplished vocals has an unmusical way of dealing with victuals. Sharreth, who is known to devote hours for his compositions, is a puzzling contradiction when it comes to the food spread before him. The intake is voluble, the munching is bit inharmonious and the relish on his face is clearly visible. As he chews, it seems as though it would never end. “This is as important to me as music is,’’ he says pointing to a plate of half-eaten bread sandwich, his long, blue shirt snugly holding his globular tummy.The warmth and the feel-good air in the room do not waft out though. Two weeks back Sharreth saw and heard something, which he never thought he would ever get to experience in his life. The crowd went mad over his compositions in the latest Tamil release ‘180’ starring Sidharth and Nithya. They shouted, clapped, cheered and even danced in the theatres. “It did not happen in just one theatre alone. On the day the film was released, I went to five theatres. The excitement was the same everywhere,” says Sharreth with an unfitting gravity.Sharreth even came close to crying. But he did not, not even when Karthik who sang the song ‘Nee korinaa...’ in the movie rang him up to say that he could not even listen to the song because of the cheers in the theatre. “As always, I have given my best in this film. I was asked to compose in tune with the slow-paced visuals in the movie. The director of the film Jayendra had always loved my music and he trusted me. Now I am extremely glad to see the way people appreciate my work in ‘180’.”The reaction should not be surprising, especially when it comes from a man who disappears into obscurity consistently, like a magician addling his audience with his presence and absence during a performance. This is a music director who prefers gaps only on producing children, not on generating music. ‘‘I have never wished for gaps in my career. It is ok when we do that in family planning. But in music it is tough to stay away especially when you have proved yourself so many times.”Even his debut in the film ‘Kshanakathu’ was a pack of hits. Still Sharreth had to disappear for a while till he came back with hits in ‘Pavithram’ and ‘Ottayal Pattalam’. Again he went missing. Suddenly there was that short-statured, gum-chewing music director turning up to judge new talents in a reality show. “Not many knew that I was alive till I started appearing on ‘Star Singer’. For them, I was dead and buried long ago. Some had even thought about building memorials for me.” He says how he laughed and laughed after Ranjith had fired a spoof at him in the film ‘Rock n Roll’. “It was my manager who told me that I had been ground to dust in that film. I was so curious to watch that film and when I did I could not help but laugh at how Suraj played the role of a music director that resembled me in every way.’’Sharreth was not snubbed. He called Ranjith and told him in typical Suraj slang “Anna, ningalu enne angu eduthu uduthalllee. Enthayalum enikathangu sukhichu’’. The reply Sharreth got was a sort of apology. “He asked me not to take it to heart. The following week he called me to ask if I could compose for his film ‘Thirakatha’. It was a beautiful film to work in and I am grateful to Ranjith that he gave me an opportunity to be a part of ‘Thirakatha’.Music does not bore him and hence he still loves ‘Star Singer’. “This is one way new people could come up. But it would be nice if the kids stop feigning Yesudas or Janaki after having sung two-three songs. It won’t do them any good. The fame reality shows gives does not last. Ultimately it is the talent and the effort that will make a good singer’’.Even while delighted at the spectacular sight he saw two weeks back, Sharreth says that he is ready for more gaps. “I haven’t forgotten the days when I was left with a fifty rupee note and an Ambassador car with an empty fuel tank in Chennai. It was just few months after I did my debut and my songs became hits in Kerala. My father had to come all the way to make sure that his son did not die of hunger. These are some things which make us what we are and I can say that I won’t be surprised if I am forced to disappear again though I don’t like it personally”.
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