Sai Abhyankkar is Pushing the Boundaries of Tamil Pop

There are a few explanations for how Sai Abhyankkar became Tamil pop’s biggest hitmaker, even though he’s just three songs old. The obvious one is the massive support from a label like Think Indie, owned by global music giant Believe, who have released all three of his songs — “Katchi Sera,” “Aasa Kooda” and “Sithira Puthiri.”  

Then, there’s the innovative quality he brings as a composer, producer, singer and keyboardist. “Katchi Sera” (with playful lyrics by Adesh Krishna) has all the makings of a club banger with pop hooks but also features intricate production flourishes—like whispered vocal melodies and layers of nostalgic Tamil music. “Aasa Kooda,” for its part, builds generously, drifting into cinematic pop as Abhyankkar’s affable voice waxes poetic about love and duets with vocalist Sai Smriti (his sister). It’s grandiose and groovy and, most importantly, unhurried where other songs rush to the hook.  

Those were Abhyankkar’s 2024 songs, so when he kicked off 2025 with the brass-laden “Sithira Puthiri,” it was a stomping indication that he’s only aiming higher and higher. What was even more commendable was that he made the scratch track in 20 minutes sometime in mid-2024. Beyond sonics, he was thinking visually for the song.   

Stepping up: One of the ways he’s pushing himself with his songs outside of films is trying out new things, like dancing more prominently in the “Sithira Puthiri” video. “I was a little [more] prepared this time, because I wanted to prove something with the dance stuff. It was about me saying, ‘I’m not a bad dancer, let me show [everyone] what I can do.’ That was my brain space before during the choreography,” he adds.  

“I wanted [the video] to be very aesthetically rich, and little ethnic, with traditional values… exploring the old roots of India,” he says, adding that he told director Akshay Sundher he wanted a “proper, outdoor and grand-scale location” for the video. 

Shot in Jaipur and Mumbai, “Sithira Puthiri” (which refers to a lady in a portrait), has mystique, VFX worthy of a Marvel movie and of course, infectious dance moves. Abhyankkar says he even sent a Coldplay video as a reference. “I don’t know the name of the song,” he hesitates. After suggesting it’s one where they’re in India, it narrows it down to “Hymn for the Weekend.”  

Tuning out the noise: Abhyankkar is aware how, during the song-composing process, tracks can “quickly turn into a very commercial song” because of lyrics and production. He adds, “I felt that it [lyrics and production] should be handled a little carefully.” The artist acknowledges the “immense responsibility” in trying to keep up with people’s expectations after delivering hit after hit, but he’s not too bogged down by whether his next song will work or not. He adds, “I just think that, ‘Let me put my 100 percent and let god give me whatever this deserves.’” As something that’s a daily practice, Abhyankkar drowns out the noise by being in the studio with tunnel vision. “I just like detaching myself, staying away from the phone also keeps a lot of pressure away from me,” he says.  

Speaking the language of love: One of the key reasons Abhyankkar’s songs have become hits is that he sticks to matters of the heart. “Love songs are immediately inspirational,” he says. He doesn’t think about a genre for a song, pushing ahead with experiments. “I would like to experiment with different topics, but my songs have just always turned out to be love songs so far,” Abhyankkar says with a laugh.  

Kollywood calling: It’s going to be a whole different ball-game when he makes his debut soundtrack as a composer, though. Abhyankkar —the son of South Indian film music singers Tippu and Harini—has assisted on a few soundtracks in the past as arranger or keyboardist. Now, he steps up as a composer for upcoming films like action-thriller Benz (one song, “Benz In The Universe” is out so far), actor Pradeep Ramanathan-starrer PR04, Tamil star Suriya’s future release, tentatively titled Suriya 45 and actor Silambarasan T.R.’s STR49 film project. 

Abhyankkar says with a laugh that compared to the romantic track she’s put out so far, the film music you hear from him will have “no love songs at all.” He adds, “It should be a very trippy space for me to score [songs].” It’s been “very challenging,” but Abhyankkar chalks it up to his own workhorse ethic. “When it comes to presenting it to another person [working on the film], I’m now getting the song to a stage where it is presentable in a very quick amount of time. I love to give the directors what they want, very quickly,” he says. Abhyankkar gives each project his full focus and says even “pressurizes” himself to turn around songs within two days.  

All in: We’ll likely hear a lot more of Abhyankkar’s music paired with some of South India’s biggest stars this year, but it’s still his artistic voice coming through. He carries the same conviction now that he did when preparing to put out “Sithira Puthiri,” confident that his vision as an artist will take centre stage. “I want to take the ownership, even if it’s good or even if it’s bad, because I’ve tried to stay 100 percent true to what I want to do,” he adds.  

The future of music: Abhyankkar, who has spent a few years behind the scenes in the music industry before becoming a pop star, isn’t too hassled about whether artificial intelligence poses a threat to artists. “As AI advances at breakneck speed, our hunger for genuine emotional connection through music will only grow stronger. I believe this surge will inspire artists and labels alike to craft ever more melodious, soul‑stirring experiences that speak to the heart,” he says.