At just 20 years old, composer Sai Abhyankkar has become one of the most talked-about new names in South Indian cinema. His viral tracks and indie hits have already made waves online, and now he is stepping into Malayalam with Balti, Unni Sivalingam’s bilingual sports action drama headlined by Shane Nigam.
Producer Santhosh T Kuruvilla, who is backing the film along with Binu George Alexander, disclosed in a recent interview with Club FM that Sai was paid the highest sum ever given to a music director in Malayalam. Recalling how the young composer came on board, Santhosh said, “My director told me about this brilliant singer whose albums were already big hits. Since we signed him, he has gone on to sign 11 Tamil films and 2 Telugu films.” When asked directly about Sai’s remuneration, the producer revealed: “Sai’s remuneration for Balti is above ₹2 crores, the highest that Malayalam cinema has ever paid a music director.”
When asked why he would place such a huge bet on a debutant in the film industry, Santhosh pointed to Sai’s proven reach. “I’d say it’s all about instinct. You get a sense of whether someone can deliver. Seeing two or three crore views for his music albums convinced me,” adding, "For example, ‘Jaalakkari’ (first single from Balti) has gone viral in Tamil Nadu, especially on reels."
Sai, who first shot to fame with the viral independent single 'Katchi Sera', has quickly built an enviable lineup of projects across languages, including films led by Allu Arju, Suriya, Karthi, Simbu and Pradeep Ranganathan, among others.
Balti, which marks Shane’s 25th film, will hit theatres on September 26. In Kerala, the original version will screen with a mix of 60% Malayalam and 40% Tamil, according to Santhosh, while in Tamil Nadu it will release entirely in Tamil. The Telugu and Kannada dubbed versions arrive on October 9, one week after Kantara Chapter 1, with a Hindi release also being planned.
