Santhosh Narayanan

Santhosh Narayanan is a celebrated Indian music composer and playback singer primarily known for his work in the Tamil film industry. Renowned for his genre-defying compositions, innovative soundscapes, and deep-rooted cultural influences, he has carved a unique space in contemporary Indian music. He made his debut as a composer with the critically acclaimed film Attakathi (2012), and quickly gained recognition for his fresh approach to film music. Since then, he has delivered a string of successful and musically rich soundtracks for films such as Pizza (2012), Soodhu Kavvum (2013), Madras (2014), Kabali (2016), and Jigarthanda (2014). His collaborations with directors like Pa. Ranjith and Karthik Subbaraj have resulted in some of the most iconic soundtracks of the last decade. Blending folk, classical, electronic, and experimental elements, his music often features a social and political conscience. He is also known for bringing lesser-known voices and folk artists into the limelight, thereby enriching mainstream cinema with grassroots musical traditions. In addition to composing, he has lent his voice as a playback singer in several films, often for tracks that require an unconventional or emotionally intense vocal performance. In 2025, he wound up in the Indian charts with "Kanimaa," composed for the Tamil-language film Retro.