Oct 05, 2026 5:05pm IST
‘Raaka’ Director Atlee Says Sai Abhyankkar Impressed International Musicians In London: ‘He Is Going To Bring Pride To Tamil People’
Atlee has shared a behind-the-scenes account of Sai Abhyankkar’s work on "Raaka", claiming the young composer received applause and hugs from musicians during a London composition session for the upcoming Allu Arjun-starrer. Speaking at the "Baththa" event, where Abhyankkar makes his feature debut as a composer, Atlee also pushed back against the perception that the musician’s rise is solely built on the success of "Katchi Sera" and "Aasa Kooda".
“You are God’s kid, da. You are not a nepo kid, like others are saying,” Atlee said while addressing Abhyankkar. “Let me tell you an exclusive news from ‘Raaka’. We went to London for the composition of ‘Raaka’, where big music directors Hans Zimmer and Ludwig do composition.”
According to Atlee, he and Abhyankkar were not recognised when they arrived for the session and were asked to wait outside. He said the situation changed once Abhyankkar presented his musical ideas.
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“They didn’t recognise me or Sai and asked us to wait outside. Sai gave his musical notes book for composition. After composing, there was full applause and everyone hugged Sai Abhyankkar,” Atlee said.
Atlee’s comments come as Abhyankkar makes the transition from his breakout independent singles into feature-film composition. "Katchi Sera" and "Aasa Kooda" established him as one of the most talked-about young names in Tamil music, while "Baththa" marks his first feature as a composer. He is also scoring Atlee’s "Raaka", the upcoming film starring Allu Arjun and Deepika Padukone.
Atlee was emphatic that Abhyankkar’s journey should not be reduced to his viral hits. “He is not an OP person who came with just ‘Katchi Sera’ and ‘Aasa Kooda’,” he said. “He is going to bring pride to Tamil people.”
The filmmaker’s faith in Abhyankkar has been evident since he chose the young composer for "Raaka". At the "Baththa" event, Atlee also spoke about the musical legacy Abhyankkar is stepping into, invoking names including Ilaiyaraaja, Harris Jayaraj, Yuvan Shankar Raja, A.R. Rahman and Anirudh. He said he believes Abhyankkar, too, can leave his mark on his generation.
"Raaka" marks Atlee’s next directorial after "Jawan" and stars Allu Arjun and Deepika Padukone. Abhyankkar is composing the music for the project, making the film a significant step up from his early independent work.
For Abhyankkar, the timing is notable. His first feature soundtrack, "Baththa", has now arrived in theatres, while his next major assignment is a much larger-scale collaboration with Atlee and Allu Arjun. Atlee’s account of the London session is therefore less about simply celebrating a breakout composer and more about underlining where he believes Abhyankkar’s music could be headed next.
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