On a warm morning at Ramanaidu Studios, Hyderabad, when composer Hesham Abdul Wahab settles down for this interview, he remarks that he has been at work for 50 hours, taking short breaks of an hour or two to catch up on sleep. He is finalising the background score for director Aditya Haasan’s Telugu film Epic – First Semester, starring Anand Deverakonda and Vaishnavi Chaitanya, releasing on September 11.
Asked whether better planning from film teams can help ease the frenzied rush to meet the deadline for post-production and background music, Hesham says with a laugh, “I’ve composed for 25 films in the last 10 years; it has always been a war zone prior to the release date.”
In the last four months, he has moved from one finish line to another, composing for the Malayalam film Madhuvidhu, Tamil film Once More, and after Epic, he will finalise the score for his Kannada debut, Brindavihaari.
Method to madness
Hesham likens the situation to New Year resolutions. “When beginning a film, each director, producer and composer wants to ensure that we aren’t chasing a tough deadline towards the end. But it never happens. Just like our fitness and diet regimens go for a toss days after New Year’s, each film has a different journey. I have discussed this with senior composers, and they say they have also not found a solution. We just adapt to working under pressure because we love what we do.”
Hesham Abdul Wahab
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
There have been occasions when he composed some of the background score soon after a film’s initial schedules, as he did for the recent Tamil film Once More. “But once the final edit was done, I had to redo the score for some portions.”
The chartbusters for the Malayalam hit Hridayam had paved the way for Hesham’s Telugu debut with director Shiva Nirvana’s Kushi. Musical hits such as Hi Nanna, The Girlfriendand 8 Vasantalu followed. At the moment, he is pleased with the reception to Once More, which boasts 13 songs, and is confident that Epic will win hearts post-release. Elaborating on Once More, Hesham reveals that he and director Vignesh Srikanth were keen to use motifs inspired by the ‘Vaa Kannamma’ song at different points in the film. “Some directors prefer not to use such motifs, while others do. It worked in the case of Once More.”
Aspirations and relationships
Epic marks his first collaboration with Aditya Haasan. The key characters in the film are an extension of Aditya’s debut directorial web series 90’s: A Middle Class Biopic, which was inspired by his family. Anand plays Aditya, a character inspired by the director’s experiences while studying in the UK. “I have not worked on a film in which some characters are an extension of those from a web series,” says Hesham. He was clear that, unlike the nostalgic 90s, Epic’s music will be contemporary, while staying true to the roots that define the characters.
Vaishnavi Chaitanya and Anand Deverakonda in ‘Epic’
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Special Arrangement
Hesham explains, “In Epic, Aditya has a serious take on the lives of students who go abroad to study. He explores Anand and Vaishnavi’s relationship, aspirations, what defined them in their teens, their friends, lifestyle, and so on. The music is aligned to this narrative.”
The first track to be released from the film, ‘Sancharame’, sung by Hesham, is already a hit. What comes as a surprise, though, is the semi-classical ‘Manasa Vacha’ sung by K.S. Chitra and S.P. Charan. “A lot of people wonder if a song like this would fit into a youthful romance drama. Wait till the film is out; this song will be appreciated. This film also has one of my best scores.”
Talking about his choice of singers for each album, which ranges from emerging voices to experienced names like Chinmayi Sripaada, Hesham says some songs find their voices at the time of composing, while others may be changed even after a song has been filmed. “For the ‘Priyasakhi’ song in Epic, it was Aditya who suggested K.S Harishankar, having listened to his Malayalam hits. That brought in something fresh to the album.”
Hesham tends to sing rough tracks for some of the songs he composes, and a few are retained if the director and producer like them. “‘Samayama’ in Hi Nanna was initially recorded in my voice, but we replaced it with Anurag Kulkarni’s. For the Kushi title song, though we recorded with someone else, the producers wanted my voice to be retained. It’s a different approach for each film.” Hesham adds that he was surprised when Shiva Nirvana and composer G.V. Prakash Kumar asked him to sing ‘Yaalalo yaalalo’ for Irumudi. “It’s a song rooted in Telugu culture, and I’m happy it has been received well.”
Feel-good music
A still from ‘Once More’
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Special Arrangement
Reflecting on his decade-long journey in film music, Hesham is glad that he is among the go-to composers for filmmakers who seek melodies. “Our listening history shapes who we are. I have observed that when my wife (Ayshath Safa) and I teach music production to young music enthusiasts. The listening history of 18- and 20-year-olds is very different from mine. I grew up listening to composers such as Ilaiyaraaja, A.R. Rahman, Shankar Ehshaan Loy and Vidyasagar, and I enjoy feel-good music.” Hesham also mentions how he and his wife have been conducting music therapy sessions for children with autism. “We had to pause for a year, but we want to resume this soon.”
His lineup of films includes Hi Nanna director Shouryuv’s next with Vijay Deverakonda, Sailesh Kolanu’s romance drama Emo Emo Idi, a Malayalam film with Vineeth Srinivasan, and the Tamil film Superhero. “I am in a blessed space, composing for Malayalam, Telugu, Tamil and entering Kannada. This is a good phase to be in.”
Published – September 10, 2026 07:00 am IST
