# Ram Sampath

Ram Sampath (born 25 July 1977) is an Indian composer, music producer and musician, who started his career composing advertising jingles for Mumbai-based advertising industry, subsequently he started composing for pop albums like Tanha Dil (2000) by Shaan, before composing for films like Khakee, Delhi Belly (2011), Talaash (2012), Raees etc.
He has composed music for advertising jingles for brands like Airtel, Docomo, Thums Up, Pepsi and the Times of India.

## Early life and background

Born to a Tamilian father and Kannadiga mother, Sampath grew up in Chembur, Mumbai where he did his schooling from OLPS High School. Both his parents were musically inclined, while his grandfather TV Ramanujam, was one of the founders of Shanmukhananda Hall, a cultural centre in Sion, Mumbai, established in 1952. Thus his ancestral house, was frequented by leading musicians and singers of Carnatic music. Later on, he too learnt Carnatic music for eight years. After his schooling he studied commerce at Podar College, Mumbai, where he played keyboard in a rock band.

## Career
### Non-film music

Over the years, he has composed advertising jingles for brands like Airtel, Docomo, Thums Up, Pepsi and the Times of India, for which he composed the theme song for the "I Lead India" campaign in 2013.
In 2008, he collaborated with the Australian rock band INXS to record Indian version of their songs, God's Top Ten, Devil's Party, and Afterglow. Also in 2008, the Bombay High Court ruled that two songs from the film, Krazzy 4, including the title track "Krazzy4" and "Break-free" plagiarised the "hook-phrase" from an advertisement previously composed by Sampath for Sony Ericsson. The court ordered a stay on film's release with the two songs. Subsequently, the case was settled out-of-court after producers paid Sampath ₹20 million (US$230,000), and film was released along with the songs. However the judgment was seen by "landmark decision" by legal commentators, as it set a new precedent in the Indian film industry, often plagued with plagiarism. In 2012, he composed the highly popular title track "Tera Rang Aisa" of the debut talkshow Satyamev Jayate hosted by Aamir Khan, it had lyrics by Prasoon Joshi.
He was also part of the 2013 season of the popular television music series Coke Studio.

### Film music

Sampath got his first break as a film score composer with Let's Talk (2002) directed by Ram Madhvani. Thereafter, he composed for several films like Khakee (2004) and Family (2006) by Rajkumar Santoshi, besides Jumbo (2008), Aagey Se Right (2009) and Luv Ka The End (2011). However, he first received popular acclaim with Delhi Belly (2011) produced by Aamir Khan. Most notably hit track "Bhaag DK Bose Aandhi Aayi" with -rock beat, became an internet sensation ahead of the release of the film. Later he received a Filmfare Award nomination for the film. His next film, Talaash (2012) was a joint production between Farhan Akhtar's Excel Entertainment and Aamir Khan Productions also starring Aamir Khan as the lead. The music received positive reviews, including Indiaglitz, which noted, "Once again Ram Sampath has an unmatched compilation of tracks here. Along with Javed Akhtar's fantastic lyrics they have created a masterpiece here." Thereafter, Akhtar signed him again for his next production, Fukrey, directed by Mrigdeep Singh Lamba. Fukrey was a sleeper hit and opened to good music reviews, especially for the song "Ambarsariya", an adaptation of a traditional Punjabi folk song, performed by Sona Mohapatra, his wife and regular collaborator.

### Television

In 2009, he appeared as a judge of singing reality series, MTV Rock On (Season 1) on MTV India, along with singer Kailash Kher and MTV VJ Nikhil Chinapa.

## Personal life

Ram Sampath is married to Sona Mohapatra, a singer, who is his frequent collaborator and business partner in their music production house OmGrown Music. The couple resides in Mumbai. The couple met in 2002, while she was still working as a brand manager with Marico. They were introduced by director Ram Madhvani, with whom Sampath was working for Let's Talk (2002); they married in 2005.

## Discography
### Films

| Year | Film | Director | Notes |
| 2002 | Let's Talk | Ram Madhvani | English-language film. |
| 2004 | Khakee | Rajkumar Santoshi | |
| 2005 | Chehraa | Saurabh Shukla | One song |
| 2006 | Family | Rajkumar Santoshi | |
| 2007 | Positive | Farhan Akhtar | Short film |
| 2008 | Jumbo | Kompin Kemgumnird | Animation film |
| 2009 | Aagey Se Right | Indrajit Nattoji | Along with Amartya Bobo Rahut |
| 2010 | Peepli Live | Anusha Rizvi | One song |
| 2010 | Phillum City | Deven Khote | |
| 2011 | Luv Ka The End | Bumpy | |
| 2011 | Game | Abhinay Deo | Background Score only |
| 2011 | Delhi Belly | Abhinay Deo | Filmfare Award Nomination for Best Music Screen Award Nomination for Best Music |
| 2012 | Talaash | Reema Kagti | |
| 2013 | Fukrey | Mrighdeep Singh Lamba | |
| 2013 | Aurangzeb | Atul Shabarwal | Sang the song "Barbadiyan" Composed by Amartya Bobo Rahut |
| 2014 | Bhoothnath Returns | Nitesh Tiwari | Three songs |
| 2014 | Purani Jeans | Tanushri Chattrji Bassu | |
| 2014 | Ekkees Toppon Ki Salaami | Ravindra Gautam | |
| 2015 | Bangistan | Karan Anshuman | |
| 2016 | Raman Raghav 2.0 | Anurag Kashyap | |
| 2016 | Tere Bin Laden: Dead or Alive | Abhishek Sharma | One song |
| 2017 | Raees | Rahul Dholakia | Five songs |
| 2023 | Kathal | Yashowardhan Mishra | Netflix film |
| 2024 | Laapataa Ladies | Kiran Rao | |

### Albums

| Year | Album | Singer |
| 1996 | Loveology | Shaan |
| 1997 | Mohabbat Kar Le | Shiamak Davar |
| 1998 | Colourblind | Ram Sampath |
| 2000 | Tanha Dil | Shaan |
| 2006 | Sona | Sona Mohapatra |

### Television

| Year | Programme | Notes |
| 2009 | MTV Rock On (Season 1) | Judge (Reality singing competition) |
| 1998 | Baat Ban Jaaye | Title Song |
| 2012 | Satyamev Jayate | 14 Songs: title track and 13 theme based songs played at the end of each episode. |
| 2013 | MTV Coke Studio season 3 | 6 songs |
| 2015 | MTV Coke Studio season 4 | 4 songs |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Category | Nominated work | Result |
| Filmfare Awards |||||
| 2012 | Best Music Director | Delhi Belly | Nominated |
| Mirchi Music Awards |||||
| 2011 | Best Background Score of the Year | Delhi Belly | Won |
| 2012 | Indie Pop Song of the Year | "Satyamev Jayate" | Won |
| 2012 | Programmer & Arranger of the Year | "Jiya Laage Na" from Talaash | Nominated |