Growing up in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Hesham Abdul Wahab was drawn to his Indian heritage as a burgeoning singer. He undertook classical training in India and soon pivoted into a career as a composer—just like his idol, A.R. Rahman. Like much of Rahman’s work, there’s a simplicity and wholesomeness flowing through Wahab’s Malayalam film soundtrack tunes. He’s become a go-to for directors who want pure-hearted love songs in their flicks.