Reality shows have gifted many brilliant singers and musicians to the Malayalam movie industry. Some have even made their mark in other industries. Arun Gopan was one such discovery. The long-haired, talented singer, who was one of the finalists of the show, is now donning the role of a music director, after successful stints as a playback singer and an independent musician. Arun will debut as music director in the Tamil movie Amutha, which is directed by P.S. Arjun and produced by Plumeria Movies.
Amutha is a psychological thriller. This is also the debut movie of Arjun, who was a film critic. Arjun has also directed some short films and won many accolades in short film festivals.
The movie features many newcomers in cast and crew. Some movies are the result of good friendship and so is this one. The film is shot without much compromise on the technical side. It’s a great start with a fine team and an even finer movie. I love out-of-the-box concepts.
I believe this film will be relished by the audience,” says Arun. He was always active in the music industry even after the reality show got over. He started his playback career through Major Ravi’s Kurukshetra, in which he had two songs.
Then he worked with senior musicians like Mohan Sithara in several films and also went on to stamp his signature in Tamil and Telugu movie industries. He had two songs in the Telugu movie Ninnu Kori, under the music direction of Gopi Sunder. The songs were well-received and he got a lot of applause too. “I have always supported independent music. I wanted to be connected with music all through my life. But turning into a music director was unanticipated. My wife Nimmy’s colleague told her about the project and that’s how it happened. Arjun was so supportive and explained every scene and situation to me properly. So I was easily able to get into the rhythm of the movie. I believe if the director shares a great rapport with the music director, we can do wonders together,” he says.
The film has three songs: Kannadi Malai sung by P. Jayachandran, Kanna Enthan Thaye by K.S. Chithra and Koncham Sirikkirien by Vineeth Sreenivasan. He loved working with these three great singers. “The experience with Jayachandran sir was totally amazing. I knew the result would be gratifying, but he delivered 10 times greater than what I wished. Chithra chechi’s song is a soothing one and Vineeth’s has a folk element to it”.
The support of family is every artiste’s desire. Arun’s parents have always been very encouraging of all his endeavours. “I always believed music would be my bread and butter. My parents have been supportive and now I have Nimmy, who is also a pillar of support. She loves what I do and encourages me to stride forward,” he adds.
There are other facets to him too. Arun is an Ayurveda doctor by education. Cricket is what keeps him engaged, after music. He also reveals that some projects are in the pipeline. “I want to know more about music. Music has so much depth and I’m still a novice,” he wraps up.
