Ram Sampath draws on his experience as a former adman to craft the hummable hooks and unexpected instrumental mashups that make his film songs and soundtracks so fresh and surprising. Hard-slamming electric guitar chords and seductive trance beats nestle next to strains of Punjabi folk—while singers such as Sonu Nigam and Sona Mohapatra dig deep to deliver inspired vocals, skirting the edges of Bollywood, folk and Sufi styles. Whether scoring thrillers like Raman Raghav 2.0, crafting a blazing item song from Khakee or composing the stirring theme to Aamir Khan's empowering TV show Satyamev Jayate, Sampath weaves together myriad musical influences in a completely original way.