Musician Sharreth on completing 35 years in the industry: Whether it's ‘Kshanakkathu’ or my ongoing work, I approach each project as if it were my first

If you ever ask a Malayali about their favorite Malayalam songs, no matter what, at least one among "Sreeragamo," "Maleyam Marodalinju," "Maayamanjalil," or "Pranathosmi Guruvayupuresham" would make it to that list! All credit to music director Sharreth, who has been enchanting music lovers for over three decades, starting with his first movie, 'Kshanakkathu'. In a fun chat with ETimes, he shared his excitement about hitting the 35-year mark in the industry!
“Oh wow! Is it really 35 years?” he exclaimed, genuinely surprised by our question. “It just feels like a number to me. Whether it's ‘Kshanakkathu’ or my ongoing work, I approach each project as if it were my first. The tension, the confusion, the drive for perfection—everything feels the same!” he shared.
Starting off as the favourite programmer of legendary musicians like Raveendran Master, and even dreaming of having A.R. Rahman program for his first movie, Sharreth's journey is filled with untold stories that the industry has yet to discover. It is a lesser known fact that he is the man who programmed iconic Raveendran Master hits like 'Akashathamara Pole', 'Maane' and 'Santhatham Sumasharan'.
""I’m the only one aware that there are some missing tracks in 'Akashathamara Pole.' During the final mix, a few of the tracks I programmed went mute, but still the song is an all-time favourite of many. I even had to hide in the washroom to avoid singing ‘Devasabhathalam’ in front of Dasettan (K.J. Yesudas)! The stories keep coming. Over the years, I’ve been fortunate to work with many incredible talents, and that pushes me to create even better music,” he added.
When asked about his favorite composition, Sharreth revealed that his biggest wish is to create one perfect song before he leaves this world.
"Whenever I listen to my compositions, all I can hear are the flaws. I take note of them to improve with each new project. My biggest wish is to never be accused of 'stealing' music. Even after I’m gone, I hope my songs will continue to be enjoyed by people. I’ve been lucky to experiment with some unique styles over the years. Maybe one day, people will say, 'Wow! This guy made songs in 11:8, 13:8, and even 9:8 rhythms.' "I’m happy that I had the opportunity to explore the possibilities of Graha Bhedam in my song 'Bhavayaami,' which also earned me the State Award. Singer Unni Krishnan continues to praise our song 'Sudhamanthram,' calling it one of the most challenging pieces he’s ever sung. I truly enjoyed composing it, its was an experiment of changing the tonic notes which offered a distinctive musical experience. Another successful experiment of mine is "Varmathiye," beautifully sung by KL Sreeram. All I want is to keep doing something different and make unforgettable contributions to music," the musician shared.
When discussing the changes in the music industry over the years, Sharreth acknowledges the tremendous advancements in technology. However, he expresses a longing for the true soul of music that he feels is sometimes missing in today’s landscape.
“Technology has done wonders for the industry, and I fully support it. But honestly, I feel that musicians are relying too much on technology these days. While it can enhance music, it shouldn’t be used to fix fundamental issues like pitch or flaws. Yes, singers will make mistakes, but those imperfections have their charm. Not every piece of music needs auto-tune. Just look at how Yesudas, S. Janaki, SPB and P Susheela sang beautifully without any of these tools. Current singers are equally talented, but it seems like many are thinking, ‘Let auto-tune handle it.’ A good singer should ensure they’ve given 95% to the song, with software handling just the remaining 5%, not the other way around,” he explained.
Sharreth is currently busy with a variety of projects in both Tamil and Malayalam. He expresses his excitement about the upcoming film directed by T.K. Rajeev Kumar, featuring Mohanlal. With hints that it’s a musical, we can’t help but hope it will capture the same magic that this team created with Pavithram three decades ago.