Rahulraj
Encyclopedia
Rahul Raj is a South India
n composer, who composes mainly soundtrack
s for Malayalam
movies.
During this period, he had undergone training in Electronic Sound Production. He helped Pradeep Menon remix a Tamil Ayappa record that was originally produced, composed and sung by Pradeep Menon and Shashi Kumar in 1985. The devotional album produced in the UK, Canada and India is titled Sabari Beats. It was released in November 2002 by Super recording in Tamil Nadu. Noted musicians like Pravin Mani, Saroja, and Kamalakar were featured. This launched Rahul Raj's career. He also arranged another song for Pradeep Menon called "Krishna Krishna" with percussionist Sivamani
and James Asher
from UK. Pradeep Menon sponsored and employed Rahul Raj in London from 2002 to 2003. After the production of the CD, Pradeep Menon employed him as a network specialist for his London based company Oxbridge Networks. He is married to Miriam, a German national after a couple of years of their love.
In 2003, he composed the Lokaha song for Amrithavarsam 50 which later on was taken as the theme song for Amrita TV. He also composed Malayalam albums during the period, which include En Jeevene, was shot completely in United States by the producer–director Tom George.
He was given the prestigious opportunity to compose the logo theme music for the show 50 Years of Malayam Film Music with Padma Bhusan Dr. K. J. Yesudas.
His first feature film soundtrack was Chotta Mumbai, directed by Anwar Rasheed
with Mohanlal
in the lead. His second release was Suresh Gopi's Time directed by Shaji Kailas.
Shankar Mahadevan
, one of India's most high profile playback singers, has sung for him, in his debut work, Chotta Mumbai.
In 2008, he replaced the trio Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy
as the composer of the Malayalam feature Film, Maya Bazar , in which he worked with the famous Tamil Film Production company Ayngaran International
. In the same year, he became the first music director in Malayalam filmdom to have a registered fans' association called RRFA (Rahul Raj Fans Association), based in Thiruvananthapuram.
After so many soundtracks, he was able to capture the imagination of modern western music enthusiasts as well as old school musicians and listeners in Kerala. In 2009, he won the Vayalar
Award
; which was given by a jury of old school musicians including K.P. Udayabhanu. He introduced techniques like the counterpoint
to Malayalam film music, through his soundtrack for the motion picture Ritu
.
In 2010, he won the Kerala State Award
for Best Background Score for the film Ritu
. He has made his debut in Telugu film industry
by scoring music for the Siddharth
- Shruti Haasan
starrer Oh My Friend.. The audio of the film opened to overwhelming responses and rave reviews, climbing to the No.1 position in Telugu music charts; with the song Maa Daddy Pockets in particular becoming a rage among the youth. The audio went on to mark record sales of 3 lakh CDs within 9 days of release.
in his songs.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n composer, who composes mainly soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
s for Malayalam
Malayalam language
Malayalam , is one of the four major Dravidian languages of southern India. It is one of the 22 scheduled languages of India with official language status in the state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry. It is spoken by 35.9 million people...
movies.
Early life
Rahul Raj was born on March 17 in Cochin to Advocate E. Thankappan and N. S. Kunjoonjamma. His schooling was in Bhavans Vidya Mandir, Elamakkara, Cochin. He has one sister, Rehna Raj. From the age of 6, he was trained in Mridangam (South Indian Percussion instrument) and Karnatic Music. He graduated as an IT Engineer from CUSAT, Cochin and later on pursued courses such as CCNP and CCIE in Bangalore ILloka networks.During this period, he had undergone training in Electronic Sound Production. He helped Pradeep Menon remix a Tamil Ayappa record that was originally produced, composed and sung by Pradeep Menon and Shashi Kumar in 1985. The devotional album produced in the UK, Canada and India is titled Sabari Beats. It was released in November 2002 by Super recording in Tamil Nadu. Noted musicians like Pravin Mani, Saroja, and Kamalakar were featured. This launched Rahul Raj's career. He also arranged another song for Pradeep Menon called "Krishna Krishna" with percussionist Sivamani
Sivamani
Anandan Sivamani , popularly known as Sivamani, is a percussionist based in India. He plays many instruments including drums, Octoban, Darbuka, Udukai, and Kanjira, as well as many more. He performed drumming during the IPL Championships in 2008 & 2010. He is affiliated to the Chennai Super Kings...
and James Asher
James Asher
James Asher is an English multi-instrumentalist, composer and record producer, focusing on world music, trance music and New Age music.-Biography:Born in a suburb of London in the early 1950s, Asher began to study the violin at the age of seven...
from UK. Pradeep Menon sponsored and employed Rahul Raj in London from 2002 to 2003. After the production of the CD, Pradeep Menon employed him as a network specialist for his London based company Oxbridge Networks. He is married to Miriam, a German national after a couple of years of their love.
Career
On returning to India, he composed more than 100 jingles for commercials in Malayalam, Tamil, Hindi and Telugu. Apart from composing jingles for ads, he composed original themes for many TV productions. This included major shows for Asianet and Amrita TV.In 2003, he composed the Lokaha song for Amrithavarsam 50 which later on was taken as the theme song for Amrita TV. He also composed Malayalam albums during the period, which include En Jeevene, was shot completely in United States by the producer–director Tom George.
He was given the prestigious opportunity to compose the logo theme music for the show 50 Years of Malayam Film Music with Padma Bhusan Dr. K. J. Yesudas.
His first feature film soundtrack was Chotta Mumbai, directed by Anwar Rasheed
Anwar Rasheed
Anwar Rasheed is a Malayali Indian film director notable for his debut film Rajamanikyam starring Mammootty. His second feature film was Chotta Mumbai , which had Mohanlal in the lead role...
with Mohanlal
Mohanlal
Mohanlal Vishwanathan Nair , known mononymously as Mohanlal , is a National Award-winning Indian actor, producer, singer and writer who is well known for his versatile and natural acting in Indian cinema & hence widely known as the Universal Star...
in the lead. His second release was Suresh Gopi's Time directed by Shaji Kailas.
Shankar Mahadevan
Shankar Mahadevan
Shankar Mahadevan is an Indian music composer and singer. He is a part of the Shankar Ehsaan Loy trio team that composes for Indian films and a playback singer.-Early life:...
, one of India's most high profile playback singers, has sung for him, in his debut work, Chotta Mumbai.
In 2008, he replaced the trio Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy
Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy
Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy are an Indian musical trio consisting of Shankar Mahadevan, Ehsaan Noorani and Loy Mendonsa. Record producers, musicians and multi-instrumentalists, they have composed music for over fifty soundtrack across four languages...
as the composer of the Malayalam feature Film, Maya Bazar , in which he worked with the famous Tamil Film Production company Ayngaran International
Ayngaran International
Ayngaran is a film distribution and production company of Tamil films, based in the United Kingdom. The company has distributed various Indian-produced Tamil films in Europe and North America. It is also responsible for the production of Tamil films into home media, such as VHS, DVD, and blu-ray...
. In the same year, he became the first music director in Malayalam filmdom to have a registered fans' association called RRFA (Rahul Raj Fans Association), based in Thiruvananthapuram.
After so many soundtracks, he was able to capture the imagination of modern western music enthusiasts as well as old school musicians and listeners in Kerala. In 2009, he won the Vayalar
Vayalar
This article is about a place. For the poet, go to Vayalar RamavarmaVayalar is a village in Cherthala taluk, Alapuzha district, Kerala state, India.- Overview :...
Award
Award
An award is something given to a person or a group of people to recognize excellence in a certain field; a certificate of excellence. Awards are often signifiedby trophies, titles, certificates, commemorative plaques, medals, badges, pins, or ribbons...
; which was given by a jury of old school musicians including K.P. Udayabhanu. He introduced techniques like the counterpoint
Counterpoint
In music, counterpoint is the relationship between two or more voices that are independent in contour and rhythm and are harmonically interdependent . It has been most commonly identified in classical music, developing strongly during the Renaissance and in much of the common practice period,...
to Malayalam film music, through his soundtrack for the motion picture Ritu
Ritu the movie
Ritu is a 2009 Malayalam film directed by Shyamaprasad, whose previous film Ore Kadal was highly acclaimed. The film's original screenplay is written by Joshua Newtonn. This is the first time Shyamaprasad has chosen to film an original screenplay. All of his previous films were adaptations of...
.
In 2010, he won the Kerala State Award
Kerala State Film Award for Best Background Music
The Kerala State Film Award for Best Background Music Director winners:-References:***...
for Best Background Score for the film Ritu
Ritu the movie
Ritu is a 2009 Malayalam film directed by Shyamaprasad, whose previous film Ore Kadal was highly acclaimed. The film's original screenplay is written by Joshua Newtonn. This is the first time Shyamaprasad has chosen to film an original screenplay. All of his previous films were adaptations of...
. He has made his debut in Telugu film industry
Telugu cinema
The Cinema of Andhra Pradesh, also referred to as Telugu Cinema or Tollywood, is the Telugu film industry in India. The Telugu language film industry is known for being one of the three largest in terms of no.of films produced yearly in India. The Prasads IMAX theatre in Hyderabad is one of the...
by scoring music for the Siddharth
Siddharth Narayan
Siddharth Suryanaraynan , popularly known and credited as Siddharth, is an Indian film actor, playback singer and screenplay writer. After his business management studies, Siddharth chose to work in film making and worked as an assistant director before making his acting debut in the 2003 Tamil...
- Shruti Haasan
Shruti Haasan
Shruti Haasan is an Indian actress, singer and music composer who has worked in Hindi, Telugu and Tamil films. Her parents are noted actors, Kamal Haasan and Sarika. As a child artiste, she sang in films and appeared in a guest role, before making her adult acting debut in the 2009 action drama,...
starrer Oh My Friend.. The audio of the film opened to overwhelming responses and rave reviews, climbing to the No.1 position in Telugu music charts; with the song Maa Daddy Pockets in particular becoming a rage among the youth. The audio went on to mark record sales of 3 lakh CDs within 9 days of release.
Orchestration
Rahul Raj is known for giving ultra-modern orchestration in his songs. He uses international elements to program the BGMsBackground music
Although background music was by the end of the 20th century generally identified with Muzak or elevator music, there are several stages in the development of this concept.-Antecedents:...
in his songs.
Film discography
| Year | Malayalam Malayalam language Malayalam , is one of the four major Dravidian languages of southern India. It is one of the 22 scheduled languages of India with official language status in the state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry. It is spoken by 35.9 million people... |
Tamil Tamil language Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore... |
Telugu Telugu language Telugu is a Central Dravidian language primarily spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, where it is an official language. It is also spoken in the neighbouring states of Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil Nadu... |
Hindi | Other Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Chotta Mumbai Chotta Mumbai Chotta Mumbai is a 2007 Malayalam film directed by Anwar Rasheed, written by Benny P. Nayarambalam, and produced by Maniyanpilla Raju. The film stars Mohanlal, Siddique, Saikumar, Bhavana, Jagathy Sreekumar, Indrajith, Manikuttan, Bijukuttan, Kalabhavan Mani, and Rajan P. Dev... • |
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| 2007 | Time Time (2007 film) Time is a 2007 Malayalam film directed by Shaji Kailas. The movie features Suresh Gopi in a double role together with Vimala Raman, Padmapriya Janakiraman in the lead roles. The music and background score were composed by Rahulraj... • |
Police Ante Veedera | JayCee Foundation Award for Best Music Direction | ||
| 2008 | Annan Thambi Annan Thambi Annan Thambi is a 2008 Malayalam film by Anwar Rasheed, starring Mammootty, Lakshmi Rai and Gopika. Mammootty did a double role in the film by playing twin brothers. Rahulraj composed the music of this movie.-Plot:... • |
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| 2008 | Malabar Wedding Malabar Wedding Malabar Wedding is a 2008 Malayalam film, made in India, and directed by the Rajesh-Faisal duo, who are Priyadarshan's associates. The film had Indrajith and Gopika in lead roles.... • |
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| 2008 | One Way Ticket One Way Ticket (2008 film) One Way Ticket is a 2008 Malayalam film by Bipin Prabhakar starring Prithviraj Sukumaran and Bhama in lead roles and Mammootty in a cameo appearance.- Plot :... • |
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| 2008 | Maya Bazar Mayabazar (2008 film) Mayabazar is a 2008 Malayalam film by Thomas Sebastian with Megastar Mammootty in the lead role. Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy were initially named as the Music Directors, but was later replaced by Rahulraj , whose folkish score from Annan Thambi impressed the director... • |
Maya Bazar | Nenunnanu | ||
| 2008 | Crazy Gopalan Crazy gopalan Crazy Gopalan is a Malayalam film released in 2008. The film is directed by Deepu Karunakaran. Crazy Gopalan Stars Dileep, Radha Varma, Salim Kumar, Harisree Asokan, and Manoj K. Jayan.-Plot:... • |
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| 2009 | Ritu Ritu the movie Ritu is a 2009 Malayalam film directed by Shyamaprasad, whose previous film Ore Kadal was highly acclaimed. The film's original screenplay is written by Joshua Newtonn. This is the first time Shyamaprasad has chosen to film an original screenplay. All of his previous films were adaptations of... • |
New (Under Bhargava Pictures Banner) | Ritu | Winner - Kerala State Film Award Kerala State Film Award for Best Background Music The Kerala State Film Award for Best Background Music Director winners:-References:***... - Best Background Score Winner - Vayalar Movie Award Vayalar This article is about a place. For the poet, go to Vayalar RamavarmaVayalar is a village in Cherthala taluk, Alapuzha district, Kerala state, India.- Overview :... - Best Music Direction |
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| 2010 | Chekavar Chekavar (film) -Production:The Pooja of the film was held in February 2010 and the shooting began in Kerala at the end of February 2010.-External links:*... • |
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| 2010 | 24 Hours • | ||||
| 2011 | Oh My Friend • | Telugu Telugu language Telugu is a Central Dravidian language primarily spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, where it is an official language. It is also spoken in the neighbouring states of Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil Nadu... Debut. |
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| 2011 | Bachelor Party Bachelor Party (2012 film) Bachelor Party is an upcoming Malayalam film co-written and directed by Amal Neerad, starring Indrajith, Nithya Menen, Asif Ali, Ashish Vidyarthi, Rahman, Remya Nambeesan etc. The music and background score of the film are composed by Rahulraj.... • |
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| 2012 | Untitled Dil Raju Dil Raju Dil Raju |Dil]], Arya,Bhadra, Bommarillu,Kotha Bangaru Lokam and Brindavanam . His recent film Mr.Perfect.-Biography:... production • |
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| 2012 | Untitled film • | ||||
| 2012 | Untitled film • | ||||
| 2012 | Untitled film • | ||||
| 2012 | Untitled film • | Bollywood Bollywood Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing... Debut. |
Awards
- Kerala State Film AwardKerala State Film Award for Best Background MusicThe Kerala State Film Award for Best Background Music Director winners:-References:***...
- Best Background Score - RituRitu the movieRitu is a 2009 Malayalam film directed by Shyamaprasad, whose previous film Ore Kadal was highly acclaimed. The film's original screenplay is written by Joshua Newtonn. This is the first time Shyamaprasad has chosen to film an original screenplay. All of his previous films were adaptations of...
(2009) - Vayalar Movie AwardVayalarThis article is about a place. For the poet, go to Vayalar RamavarmaVayalar is a village in Cherthala taluk, Alapuzha district, Kerala state, India.- Overview :...
- Best Music Direction - RituRitu the movieRitu is a 2009 Malayalam film directed by Shyamaprasad, whose previous film Ore Kadal was highly acclaimed. The film's original screenplay is written by Joshua Newtonn. This is the first time Shyamaprasad has chosen to film an original screenplay. All of his previous films were adaptations of...
(2009)