Lydian Nadhaswaram, the 13-year-old pianist who won the American television talent show The World’s Best in March 2019, will compose the music for Mohanlal’s directorial debut Barroz-Guardian Of D’Gama’s Treasure. Though Lydian’s name was being bandied about for some months now, the news was officially announced by Mohanlal at an event organised by his production house, Aashirvad Cinemas, in Kochi, on Sunday, where Lydian shared the stage with the former.
Lydian, son of Varshan Sathish, a Chennai-based music director who works in the Tamil film industry, started playing drums at the age of two. A gifted and self-taught pianist, he honed his skills under the guidance of Augustine Paul, veteran music educator and music director of the 125-year-old Madras Musical Association. At the age of 10, Lydian passed the Grade 8 piano examination conducted by Trinity College, London.
At the CBS show, he stunned the audience by playing 325 beats per minute. In March, he had appeared on the popular Ellen DeGeneres show where he played the piano blindfolded. Lydian, who studied under Surojeet Chatterji for four years on a full-scholarship, at the Russian Piano School in AR Rahman’s KM Music Conservatory, plays the mridangam and guitar, among other instruments. In a The Hindu interview dated March 14, 2019, he had said that he wanted to compose music for an animation film.
Barroz, based on a story by Jijo Punnoose, the director of My Dear Kuttichathan and Padayottam, is a fantasy-drama. The story revolves around the protector of a 400-year-old treasure of Portuguese trader Vasco Da Gama, who is waiting for its true heir. One of the two pivotal characters, a little girl, will be played by a non-Indian actor, said Mohanlal at the event.
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In July, the 59-year-old had revealed that Spanish actor-dancer Rafael Amargo will portray Gama, while actress Paz Vega will play his wife. Mohanlal will play the titular character Barroz. Cinematographer KU Mohanan is a part of the project, which will be primarily shot in Goa. The film, which might be one of the most expensive films to come out of the Malayalam film industry, is co-produced by Antony Perumbavoor.
At the event, director Priyadarshan showed the audience footage from his upcoming big-budget period drama Marakkar: Ababikkadalinte Simham, which is the post-production stage. The team of Mohanlal’s recently released Ittymaani: Made In China, and Odiyan also attended the event.