Since making a successful debut with the Ravi Teja-starring smash Kick in 2009, S. Thaman has become one of the busiest music directors in South India. Shuttling between Tamil, Telugu and Kannada projects, the composer takes an uncompromising approach to crafting a song by hanging the instrumentation and vocals on a solid rhythmic foundation—a method that enables his compositions to capture the power and appeal of his films' everyman heroes. See what makes his songs special in this hand-picked playlist.