Bharadwaj (music director)
Ramani Bharadwaj known professionally as Bharadwaj is an Indian music director, composer, singer-songwriter, and music producer, predominantly known for his work in the Indian Film Industry including Kollywood, Tollywood & Mollywood. Bharadwaj is one of the top music composers of the Indian music Industry having scored music for more than 75 feature films, produced by big production houses including AVM Productions, Gemini Studios, Kavithalayaa Productions, AGS Entertainment, Sivaji Productions featuring top artistes like Kamal Haasan, Vijayakanth, Karthik, Ajith Kumar, Vikram, R. Madhavan and technicians like Saran, Cheran, Thangar Bachan, Hari. He is trained in Hindustani, Western and Carnatic music and is a recipient of the prestigious Kalaimamani Award for the year 2008 from the Tamil Nadu State Government. Bharadwaj has also worked on several international projects including Hollywood films.
Bharadwaj | |
|---|---|
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Ramani Ramaswamy |
| Born | 3 July 1960[1] Ravanasamudram, Tirunelveli, India |
| Genres | Film score, Background Score |
| Occupation(s) | Composer, music director, singer |
| Instruments | Keyboard, guitar |
| Years active | 1994–present |
Bharadwaj is known for contributing to the drama of the movie with his soulful Back Ground Scores. He is also widely appreciated for his melodious music, with proper show casing of lyrics, feel and musical wizardry. He is often credited as Bharathwaj, Bharadwaj or Ramani Bharadwaj in films.
Early life and family
Bharadwaj was born in Ravanasamudram, Tirunelveli District, Tamil Nadu, but spent his entire childhood in Delhi. He did his schooling in DTEA, Mandir Marg & became a qualified Chartered Accountant. He had passion for music from the time he was a kid & pursued Carnatic music at the Faculty of Fine Arts, Delhi University, Hindustani Music at Shriram Bharatiya Kalakendra, New Delhi and Western Music at Delhi School of Music with the intent of specializing in Music.[2]
When he was 17 years old, he got an opportunity to compose music for All India Radio and Doordarshan. The overwhelming response & support he received for his Music Compositions, made him decide to take Music Composition as his career. He decided to pause his Chartered Accountant career & relocated to Chennai in 1986 to become a full-time Music Director in feature films. He is married to Jayashree Sankaran, a Doctorate PhD in Hindi Literature & has a daughter Janani Bharadwaj who is a Software Professional & a play back singer in Feature Films.[3]
Career
After shifting base to Chennai from Delhi, Bharadwaj went through the process of composing music for albums, short films, documentaries, TV serials, Radio and TV advertisements numbering more than 100 in each category. After an 8-year struggle, in 1994, he got a break in the Telugu feature film Sogasu Chuda Taramaa? & composed all 6 songs in the film including its background score. The film was a hit & won the Nandi Award for Best Feature Film. Bharadwaj composed music & background score for 6 more Telugu films before getting a break on Tamil films, with Saran's Kadhal Mannan in 1998. The songs of this film became a chartbuster, with the song Unnai Paartha Pinbu Naan turning out to be a Classical hit which was celebrated by the audience for many years to come.
Kadhal Mannan, announced the arrival of Bharadwaj to Kollywood loud & strong. This film was also the first of the Ajith – Saran – Bharadwaj trio, which went on to become a legendary combination in delivering hit films along with musical chartbusters until 2009. Post Kadhal Mannan, Bharadwaj was on a roll for the next several years charting out several chartbusters like "Satham Illatha Thanimai Kaeten" (Amarkalam), "Avaravar Vazhkayil" (Pandavar Bhoomi), "O Podu" (Gemini), "Apple Penney" (Roja Koottam), "Unai Naan Unai Naan" (Jay Jay), "Gnabagam Varuthey"(Autograph), "Kaadu Thirandey, "Siruchi Siruchi Vanthan" (Vasool Raja MBBS), "Oru Vaarthai Ketka" (Ayya), "Thaiyatha Thaiyatha" (Thiruttu Payale), "Meendum Palliku Pogalam" (Pallikoodam), "Margazhiyil Kuluchiparu" (Onbadhu Roobai Nottu), "Hey Dushyantha", "Totadoing" (Asal), "Azhagazhagey" (Kalavaadiya Pozhuthugal).
Incidentally, his 1st Tamil film Kaadhal Mannan, 25th Tamil film Attahasam and 50th Tamil film Aasal are all with the Ajith – Saran combination.
International projects
Bharadwaj has composed music for the international animation movie The Legend of Buddha. The United States dub of the movie was released by Walt Disney Pictures and stars the voices of Dwayne Tan and Bridgit Mendler. The film was also presented for nomination to the 77th Annual Academy Awards (Oscar), for the year 2004.
In 2009, he composed music for the American Short Film Lucky Ducks.
Bharadwaj is also the first music director to conduct a unique concert called The Movie Musical where he composed the back ground score for the silent movie Shiraz {made in 1928}, and the same was performed live by the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, in Singapore.
Thirukkural Isai: Oru Kurall – Oru Kural
This social project, Thirukkurall Isai, Oru Kurall – Oru Kural is Thirukkurall – The Tamil Veda, in musical form. Bharadwaj has composed all the 1330 Kuralls in light music form, that includes 38 chapters of Arathupal, 70 chapters of Porutpal and 25 chapters of Inbathupal. Each song begins with an introduction by an eminent scholar followed by rendition of the Kuralls by the singers and the meaning by a Tamil academician. This project has many firsts to its credit. All the top professional musicians of Tamil Nadu and talented Tamil singers across the world were a part of this global project. Each kural has been rendered by a singer chosen from across the globe. Musicians from various districts of Tamil Nadu, various states of India and countries like the United States, Canada, UK, South Africa, Dubai, Australia, Singapore, France, Sri Lanka and more, have rendered a Kurall each. This project features the highest number of participants in a single album & is a world record. About 500 singers representing various categories of music like classical music, film/ playback, dance music and instrumental music have participated in this project.
This album proudly claims to be one of the longest running album running for almost 13 hours – Arathu Paal 3 Hours, Purat Paal 7 Hours and Inbathu Paal 3 Hours).
Thirukkural in musical form enables easy learning and memorizing by students. It is a known fact that anything set to music is easily recollected. By memorizing the Kuralls the students can apply the principles reflected in the Kuralls to their lives and have a strong foundation for a meaningful life.
Concerts and non-film work
Bharadwaj has traveled extensively all over the world and India to perform Live Concerts & Stage Shows. He conducted a Multinational Symphony Orchestra called the Symphony of Unity and Love with musicians from 23 countries performing under his direction, at Prashanthi Nilayam, Puttaparthi. He had the privilege of composing music and directing a cross cultural fusion programme called Panbattu Sangamam for the Department of Tourism, Government of Tamil Nadu, show casing the music, dance and the traditional rural sports of Tamil Nadu. Bharadwaj has also composed thematic songs for Government of Tamil Nadu, and many social organizations. He composed a Theme Song for the Thamarabarani Mahapushkaram 2018 festival for the Thamirabarani River. In his spare time, he gives lectures, demonstrations on Film music in various Institutions, Film Festivals and Universities.
He has also been a Judge on Realty Music Shows on popular Television Channels like Jaya Tv, Zee Tamil & Shakthi TV (Sri Lanka) in addition to conducting / performing at live concerts & stage shows across the world, in countries like Singapore, Malaysia, the United States, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, France, Sri Lanka to name a few.
Awards and international recognition
Bharadwaj was awarded the Filmfare Award twice, for his work on the films Gemini & Autograph. Apart from this, he has received the ITFA Award, Cinema Express Award and many more such recognitions. He is also a recipient of the prestigious Kalaimamani Award for the year 2008 from the Tamil Nadu State Government.
His composition "Ovvavaru Pookalume" in the Tamil Film Autograph won the National Award for Best Singer and Best Lyric writer in the year 2004. Many Films for which he scored music has won the State Awards for the Singers and the Lyricists.
Bharadwaj Foundation, Bharadwaj School of Music
Bharadwaj is a very socially conscious person and through his non-profit foundation for Social Welfare, Bharadwaj Foundation, has built a Community Centre, Children's Park and facilitated building of 150 Toilets in his home-town, Ravanasamudram. He has also performed numerous Concerts to raise funds and to create awareness for Social causes. Bharadwaj is also the Founder – Director of Bharadwaj School of Music, a School in India dedicated to teaching Light Music.
Filmography
- Films
Over his illustrious career that spans over 2 decades, Bharadwaj has composed music & background score for 75 commercial films in English, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam & Kannada spanning across Hollywood, Kollywood, Tollywood & Mollywood.
- Television
- Gopuram
- Irandaam Chanakyan
- Panam
- Agni Pravesam
- Paasam
- Naanayam
- Nimmadhi
- Anandham
- Thavam
References
External links
- Bharathwaj on IMDb