Jassie Gift

Director Jayaraj guided Jassie Gift into films, and Saphalam was his first as composer. Before that he had sung and played keyboards in local bands, Moby Dick among them, and composed for Malayalam albums such as the popular Soona Soona. He hails from Vithura and was drawn to music as a child, learning Western piano early and growing up an admirer of both Ilaiyaraaja and Freddie Mercury. He also holds a master's degree and a PhD in philosophy. As composer and singer he has worked in four South Indian film industries: Malayalam, Kannada, Tamil and Telugu. "Lajjavathiye" changed things. His songs for 4 The People, that one above all, became huge hits in Kerala and helped make it the biggest Malayalam film of 2004, and the song succeeded again in the film's Tamil and Telugu remakes. He is credited with bringing rap, hip hop and reggae fusion influences into Malayalam film music. In Kannada he blended Indian and Western styles for Hudugaata and the album Rain Rain Come Again, and he composed for Sanju Weds Geetha (2011), with vocals by Shreya Ghoshal and Sonu Nigam. Anniyan and Myna are among his known works, and he scored the Malayalam film Pokkiri Raja (2010). The Bangalore Times Film Awards 2011 named him Best Music Director.