Ajay Arasada, a music director known for his compositions, shared his journey and experiences in a recent conversation. He was deeply influenced by the veena performances of his aunts and sisters from a young age. Observing them closely sparked his interest in music, which eventually led to him learning music through focused observation.
Initially, Ajay began with the guitar, learning the basics under an accomplished master before teaching himself independently. During his time at GITAM University, he found more time for music, even skipping college to immerse himself in it. His passion deepened as he joined music bands, refining his skills further.
Ajay, originally from Visakhapatnam, pursued engineering at GITAM University and worked as a software engineer at TCS from 2011 to 2018. However, his love for music eventually led him to quit his job and enter the film industry, with immense support from his family. During his software career, he worked on short films, which helped him hone his music skills.
His break into the film industry came when Pradeep Advaith introduced him to director Pradeep of Jagannatakam, who offered him an opportunity to compose music after hearing a 30-second music piece he had created. Ajay then began working independently, contributing to films like Ksheera Sagara Mathanam, Nede Vidudala, Missing, Sriranganeethulu, and web series like Save the Tigers (Season 1 & 2 streaming on Disney Plus Hotstar).
Ajay's work on the recently-released AAY came about when producer Bunny Vas heard a background music piece Ajay had composed for a less-known film titled Missing. Impressed with the composition, they met, and Bunny Vas invited him to collaborate on the film. Initially, Ajay was asked to compose music for two songs, Ammalalo Ram Bhajan and an item song. Both were well received, and soon, he was entrusted with composing the rest of the songs and the background score for the movie. Despite the challenge of composing for a comedy film, the movie's success made all the hard work worthwhile.
Ajay’s recent project, the periodical web series Vikkatakavi (streaming on ZEE5), offered a unique musical challenge. The series required music that resonated with the essence of a bygone era. He worked closely with director Pradeep Maddali, who had a clear vision for the series, making the collaboration smooth. Ajay balanced working on Vikkatakavi with his commitments to AAY, completing the music for three episodes of the series before finishing the remaining episodes after the film's release. Throughout his career, Ajay has remained adaptable, always prioritizing the director's vision, whether working on films or web series.
Ajay draws great inspiration from Devi Sri Prasad, whom he admires deeply. Currently, he is working on Three Roses Season 2, along with two other web series for Aha, and is in discussions for several upcoming movie projects. He looks forward to sharing more details about these projects in the near future.
