Sushin Shyam

Kerala-born composer, producer and singer Sushin Shyam has expanded the spectrum of south Indian film soundtracks, adding an important sonic dimension to boundary-pushing Malayalam films such as Kumbalangi Nights and Aavesham. Born in Thalassery, Shyam began learning to play keyboard at a young age after being encouraged by his father, who was also a guitarist. After playing at school concerts, jamming with college bands and a spell with Kannur-origin folk metal band The Down Troddence, Shyam began taking music even more seriously once he joined composer Deepak Dev in the studio, assisting him on film music as programmer. In 2013, Shyam sang on “Thaazhvaram” for composer Rex Vijayan on the soundtrack to Neelakasham Pachakadal Chuvanna Bhoomi. It set him on the path of performing and composing for films such as Villain and Maradona, with a breakthrough coming after he created an evocative score and set of songs for 2019 family drama Kumbalangi Nights. Inspired by a visit to Venice and roaming the backwater locations that feature in the film, Shyam penned tender songs inspired by classical, ambient and electronic music. It won him the Kerala State Film Award for Best Music Director. More recently, in 2024, Shyam led the music for acclaimed Malayalam films such as Manjummel Boys and Aavesham, with the latter blending hip-hop, electronic, rock and metal.