Anoop Seelin on making Puneet Rajkumar sing to his tunes

Sidlingu, the Kannada film, has generated a lot of hype and a fair share of credit for this must go to Anoop Seelin’s music. Tune in to any TV or radio station and one song that pops up regularly is Ellelo Oduva Manase... Anoop recalls how the mesmerising number, sung by Avinash Chebbi, was composed. “This was the first song that I composed for the film. The track voice was mine and the entire team wanted me to sing the final version as well. But I felt that the song required more emotions and zeroed in on Avinash to render it.”

Actor Puneet Rajkumar has lent voice to his other popular composition Barbad building… “The song has been sung in a fun manner. Yogish, the lead hero of Sidlingu, requested Puneet to croon and he obliged,” says Anoop.

The music director has high hopes pinned on this film. “While music in each of my films (Preethse Preethse, Yedellu Manjunatha, Yaksha and I am Sorry Mathe Banni Preethsona…to name a few) has been appreciated, I don’t have a 100-day film to my credit. I feel with Sidlingu I will achieve this.” And what makes him think so? “There is newness in the script and I believe that the more unique the script, the more different will the music sound. If people have found my music to be different, they surely will like the film too. It was the same with director Guruprasad’s Yedellu Manjunatha. The story was different; so people found my music also to be refreshing.”

Anoop has teamed up with Guruprasad again for Director’s  Special (DSP). Buzz has it that he has even acted in the film. “I was coaxed into playing a small role, but I did not want to go ahead with the shoot. That scene may not even be there in the film,” he says, shying away from the topic.

But talk about his comfort zone, music, and he gets back to being chatty. “I am waiting to see how Sidlingu will be received. DSP is due for a mid year release as well.” But why has he not considered giving other language industries a try? “I am content with the Kannada industry. My only grouse is that we lag behind in film making. Only when we make hit films will our music cross boundaries. Kannada music is seeing a high, it is our film making that needs to catch up!” he concludes.

Anoop started out as a chorus singer in music composer Hamsalekha’s team. Today he has seven films to his credit as music director.