Hesham Abdul Wahab shot to fame with Kushi and Hi Nanna. Two years hence, he is one of the most sought-after composers in Telugu. Originally from Mollywood, Hesham has been preferred for romantic dramas, but he says he has lately been offered other genres as well. In this interview ahead of the theatrical arrival of The Girlfriend (November 7th release), the talented music director talks about the movie and his tunes. "Composing a good song doesn't adhere to a clock; I let inspiration guide me rather than setting aside a specific time," he observes.
The Girlfriend came my way before Kushi and Hi Nanna happened to me. I must say this is the most intense movie I have done in Telugu. I have composed only the songs, while Prashanth Vihari took care of the background score. He did a fantastic job of it. I couldn't give my time to BGM because the project was getting deferred.
The album, comprising four songs in total, infuses influences from both Indian and Western music. Director Rahul insisted that I opt for traditional Indian ragas along with Western instruments. Needhey, the fourth song to be released, was hard to compose. It was conceived as an anthem for Rashmika's character, Bhooma. Her thinking and her conflicts with her boyfriend Vikram (Dheekshith Shetty) informed the music.
The Girlfriend is the kind of movie everyone should watch. It will persuade the audience to do self-reflection. Thanks to the script and the director, I could get inspired to compose the right set of tunes.
I readily grab offers from noted banners like Mythri Movie Makers, Sithara Entertainments and Geetha Arts. I am choosy otherwise and don't want to be repetitive.
Lately, I have been offered singing opportunities by other music directors. I have sung songs in films like Mass Jathara, Kannappa (and 12A Railway Colony). They want me to sing because I come from a singing background primarily.
My deep admiration for AR Rahman began early; I would often sing along to tracks from films like Dil Se while studying his compositions. A career highlight, without a doubt, was performing my own music from Hi Nanna right in front of him at the IIFA awards. I also have great respect for the work of top Telugu composers, including Keeravani, Thaman, Devi Sri Prasad, and Bheems Ceciroleo.
I am fond of composing the BGM. I have done it for Manamey and 8 Vasantalu, both of which received appreciation. Besides BGM, I am inclined to compose peppy, mass beats.
I am currently working on Anand Deverakonda's movie directed by Aditya Hassan in Telugu. I have assignments in Kollywood and Sandalwood as well. I will be debuting in Hindi soon.
