Santhosh Narayanan

Career overview

Santhosh Narayanan is an Indian film composer, music producer, and singer primarily active in the Tamil film industry, while also having composed for notable Telugu and Malayalam films. Born on May 15, 1983, in Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India, he is known for his work as a composer and actor, with known credits including Kalki 2898 AD, Vada Chennai, and Irudhi Suttru. He is married to Meenakshi Iyer.

Santhosh Narayanan made his debut as an independent music director and film composer in the 2012 Tamil film Attakathi, which was directed by Pa. Ranjith. For this film, he composed a song in the gaana genre titled Aadi Pona Aavani and gave a then-unknown Gana Bala, who had previously sung gaana songs at funerals, the opportunity to sing it. Along with Aadi Pona Aavani, a second gaana song titled Nadukadalula Kappala, which was Bala's own composition, was also recorded for the film.

Following his debut, his works in later films such as Pizza, Soodhu Kavvum, Cuckoo, and Jigarthanda received critical acclaim. Throughout his career in South Indian cinema, he has become celebrated for his innovative fusion of Tamil gaana, folk, and electronic music, and is recognized for his collaborations with directors Pa. Ranjith and Karthik Subbaraj. His extensive filmography includes well-known titles such as Kabali, Sarpatta Parambarai, and Pariyerum Perumal.