Hope has been an overarching thematic element in Amrit Ramnath's discography even before his big debut with Vineeth Sreenivasan's Varshangalkku Shesham last year. From his endearing independent single 'Kaadhal Alaipayuthey' to the soulful 'Kanavellam' in his Tamil debut 3BHK, the theme is a central part of all his songs. Elated by the response to his work on 3BHK, he says, "Working on this project is unbelievably special for me as it allowed me to expand my horizons musically. While it is about the struggle of a family to buy a house, according to me, it is a superhero film where all the characters are superheroes. The film's dream is monumental and there was a lot of scope for me to capture it."  

Amrit's working style involves him composing tunes in his mind as a scene is narrated to him. "I try to capture the first idea of the music. And developing the instinct is what I am excited to work on. Sometimes, Sri (Ganesh) would be with me, sometimes it would be Arun Viswa, the producer, or Siddharth to help me capture the emotion. But credit goes to them for giving me all the freedom to explore music in 3BHK. I couldn't have asked for more," he elaborates. But for a film, which has several rousing moments and scenes to reflect upon, how does he take a measured approach for his music? "It's all a collaborative process which involves the director's and my vision. Take the example of when Meetha (Raghunath) as Aarthi comes home with her 12th result, should I compliment that emotion? Or should I contrast the victorious moment? These are questions that I have to answer before deciding to add music," he says. More than music, it is the human voice that Amrit is fascinated by. That's his favourite instrument. "No medium conveys emotion more deeply than the human voice. I've always had music in my mind. When I make a song, I think about how to use that voice. That's the first thing that comes to mind," he notes, underlining that it is through composing music that he expresses what he wants to say.

In one year, Amrit has achieved his "incredible dream" of having worked with veteran singers like KS Chithra, Shreya Ghoshal, Chinmayi, and Pradeep Kumar. "I used to listen to Chithra amma and Shreya Ghoshal ma’am even before I truly understood what music meant to me. Their voices became a part of my growing up. At every stage of my musical journey, these singers have played a significant role. I’ve learnt so much from Chinmayi ma’am’s songs—her voice has been a guide in many ways. Pradeep Kumar’s journey as an artist deeply inspires me. I see a lot of parallels between his path and mine," he shares.  

But the seed for this journey started way early at home, where he listened to the voice of his own mother and musical legend Bombay Jayashri every day. "Growing up, apart from Carnatic music, I also learnt Western classical music, Qawwali, Bhavageethe from Maharashtra and many more cultural forms of music. My dad grew up in Calcutta, so Bengali music has a lot of influence on me. I didn't pursue college after school. I used to practise singing. There was always a musical voice in my mind. And the only way I could let it out was through my music," explains Amrit on his journey to become a composer. Despite coming from a rich legacy, he admits that he has never felt the pressure to fill his mother's shoes. "I truly love what I do. And the fact that people trust me with it means a lot. My mother is my best friend, so there’s never been any pressure. What I’m doing is very different from her path. The only pressure I really feel is the one I put on myself—to keep getting better," he says.

However, one incident—his mother's hospitalisation due to brain haemorrhage—truly changed Amrit's perspective in his life and career. The composer released his album 100,000 Dreams, one of his deeply personal works, during this time. And at the centre of it was 'Nila', a song that his mother wrote when she was still in the ICU. "I recorded the final version of 'Nila' in my mom’s neuro-ICU room. The beeping you hear is real—I brought in a mic and a garage sale guitar and recorded it early in the morning. You can hear birds, hospital sounds, even the detuned strings. I wanted it to feel raw and honest, just like that moment," he explains. For Amrit, music is like a time capsule, and with 100,000 Dreams, he wanted to cement the moment that happened in his life forever.

The composer, who is well aware of his advantages, mentions that he has had the privilege of performing along with his mother on the world's most prestigious stages. "I got to perform in the Sydney Opera House, Lincoln Center, and the Russian Cultural Center. We performed in a few cathedrals where nobody is allowed to enter. One time I performed on top of a hill in an open space, and another time, I performed in the middle of a lake. These are opportunities that happened not through my merit," he confesses. He goes on to add, "It taught me a lot about performing. Ever since I started releasing independent music, my goal has been to bring people into a room and sing for them, no matter the size of the audience, even if it’s just three people."