Composing a melody is easier: Mani Sharma

Mani Sharma talks about his latest film and tells why he is not often seen in Kollywood
He began his Kollywood innings with a hit (Shahjahan) but composer Mani Sharma seems to believe that he hasn���������t gone on to higher things in the Tamil film industry. The composer, whose Maapillai released recently, opens up to TOI in a frank interview.
Talking about Maapillai, he says that its director, Suraaj, is a pucca commercial filmmaker.���������He���������s someone who wants to entertain the audiences. That is why you will find a lot of peppy numbers in the film,��������� starts off the composer.
Mani Sharma says that he agreed to do a remix because it was a request he couldn���������t refuse. ���������Any composer will not completely enjoy the process of creating a remix. Even if one adds their own elements, the song ultimately belongs to the original composer,��������� he feels.
Mani Sharma is often branded as a ���������mass��������� number specialist, but the composer insists that he has given an equal number of melodious hits as well. ���������Even in Telugu, I initially had this image of a ���������mass��������� composer,��������� he says and adds that he doesn���������t resent such categorisation. ���������Composing a melody or a western song is easier than composing a commercial number. You will have to deliver something fresh and catchy within a particular format.���������
Point out to him that he is often accused of reusing his own Telugu tunes in Tamil and Mani Sharma shoots back, ���������That isn���������t always so. In fact, when R B Choudhary, the producer of my first Tamil film, wanted my Telugu numbers for his film, I told him that not all songs could be reused. There is a very thin line that differentiates and gives a song its distinct flavour. While it cannot be described in words, a composer will know what will work in both the languages even at the time of composing.���������
If there is one thing that baffles him, it is the fact that he doesn���������t get many major projects in Tamil despite his commercial record. ���������My films like Shahjahan, Youth and Pokkiri were major commercial hits. Even my songs in the recent Sura had the potential to become big hits,��������� he says and also offers a few plausible reasons for his predicament. ���������Today, I find that almost every director in Kollywood has established his own team of technicians. Unfortunately, I don���������t belong to one. Perhaps, it might be because they relate me with Telugu films,��������� he says.
He adds, ���������But I���������m born and brought up in this city. Composers like Harris Jayaraj, Devi Sri Prasad and Thaman have worked for me. I myself have worked here, along with A R Rahman, for my biggest inspiration, Ilaiyaraaja.���������