Thaman S was born into a family of musicians; his father Ghantasala Siva Kumar was a drummer who worked on over 700 films, while his mother Savitri, sister Yamini Ghantasala, and aunt B. Vasantha are playback singers. His grandfather, Ghantasala Balaramayya, was a noted director and producer. Growing up in Chennai, Thaman was trained in percussion and rhythm instruments from a young age, performing in stage shows worldwide and working with over 64 music directors before becoming a composer.
He made his debut as a music director with Kick (2009) in Telugu and Sindhanai Sei (2009) in Tamil. Since then, he has delivered blockbuster albums such as Dookudu (2011), Businessman (2012), Race Gurram (2014), Sarrainodu (2016), Tholi Prema (2018), Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo (2020), Akhanda (2021), Sarkaru Vaari Paata (2022), and Varisu (2023). His energetic background scores and catchy songs have made him one of the most in‑demand composers in South Indian cinema. He also serves as a judge on Telugu Indian Idol.