There was a time in the late 90s and early 2000s when no big star in Tollywood would release films without this music composer’s songs. From Chiranjeevi and Pawan Kalyan to Mahesh Babu and Jr NTR, he delivered hit and memorable songs for them all. However, at a recent event, this composer ruefully noted that he’s now ‘swatting flies’ and is out of work.
Once popular music composer says he’s now swatting flies
At the song launch of Gurthunda from Chennai Love Story, music composer Mani Sharma spoke about how he was out of work when Sai Rajesh approached him to work on the film. He emotionally said, “Usually, I wake up every morning and am swatting flies. But, he (Sai Rajesh) came to me one day and said he was the one who directed Baby (2023). I wondered what work he must have had with me.”
The composer added, “He asked me to create music again, and I said, I don’t even know where my harmonium is. He searched for it, brought it out, dusted it and asked me to start working. After I created one tune, I felt like something had revived in me again.” Fans of the composer became emotional when his speech began circulating on social media. They also remarked about how he once ruled Tollywood.
Fans get emotional for Mani Sharma
After an Instagram page posted Mani’s speech, writing, “Sad to see Mani Sharma garu in that situation,” numerous fans reacted. “Once up on a time he ruled entire tollywood,” wrote one, while another commented, “Still nenu manishrma songs pettukuni vintu vunta (I still listen to Mani Sharma’s songs).” “Once a legend always the same,” a fan wrote and another agreed, “Sir meru legend (you’re a legend) we love u sir.” “Rule chesaru sir Tollywood ni okanoka time lo (He ruled Tollywood once upon a time). We all love you sir,” commented an Instagram-user.
Mani Sharma’s career
Mani Sharma worked with composers like Satyam, Saluri Rajeswara Rao, Ramesh Naidu and MM Keeravaani, before branching out on his own. His career took off when Ram Gopal Varma roped him in for his 1992 films Raathri and Antham. He soon began composing for Chiranjeevi and gave him hits, with actors like Mahesh, Ram Charan and Jr NTR also working with him. Mani also composed Tamil hits, including for Vijay. The composer garnered the moniker ‘Melody Brahma’ and was much sought after at one point in his career.
He composed a few projects in Hindi and Kannada too, including the background score for Shah Rukh Khan and Karisma Kapoor’s Shakti: The Power. However, work with stars soon petered out after the 2012 Pawan-starrer Cameraman Gangatho Rambabu. He was soon replaced with then-new composers like Devi Sri Prasad or Thaman S. Despite Puri Jagannadh roping him in for his 2019 hit iSmart Shankar and Gunasekhar for his 2023 Samantha Ruth Prabhu-starrer Shaakunthalam, the composer rued in a 2024 interview that the bigger stars no longer work with him.
“Mahesh is like my little brother, but we don’t even meet to drink two pegs together, let alone work. I feel ignored now, despite giving him hit songs, like in Murari. I used to share an extraordinary bond with PK. He would sleep on the carpet and read a novel while I composed at the studio for his films, Kushi or Gudumba Shankar. He had good inputs to give back then, but it’s been years since I met him, too,” he told Rajesh Manne.
