In a recent insightful interview, the 21-year-old musical sensation Sai Abhyankkar opened up about the monumental task of stepping in for A.R. Rahman for Suriya’s ‘Karuppu’.
The young composer described the experience as both a “blessing and a responsibility.”
He credited director RJ Balaji for having “tunnel vision” and unwavering faith in his ability to deliver a massive, grounded sound for a big actor like Suriya.
Sai revealed that while he initially felt the weight of replacing his mentor, he focused on building “mass elevation” tracks like God Mode and Verappa to match the film’s gritty energy.
Despite his overnight stardom with viral hits like Katchi Sera, the composer shared that he stays grounded by using a “Nokia dumb phone” to avoid the noise of social media and stay focused on his craft.