The first ever music conclave in Pune took place last weekend as a part of the Baajaa Gaajaa music festival. One of the speakers at the conclave was Shantanu Moitra, one of the best composers Bollywood has ever seen. You might remember him for being the one responsible for the delightful scores in films like Parineeta , Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi, Lage Raho Munnabhai and 3 Idiots. He managed to spare a few minutes for a little chat about his music:
The Tossed Salad: There used to be a time when people idolized great composers and singers like Kishore Kumar, Mohammed Rafi, and Madan Mohan and tried to bring in their sound into the film music. In recent times, their quality of music has been replaced by young, independent music which is quite fresh and appealing to audiences. Is that a bad sign?
Shantanu Moitra: The last person who was idol worshipped was Rahman. Things are changing in every avenue. I think what’s happening is fantastic. There need to be more Amit Trivedis and Nikhil D’Souzas because what’s going to happen is that there’ll be a variety of songs in films. It’s going to get new sensibilities and the usual cliche-driven genres will be broken.
TTS: You mentioned that you are against the trend of commercialization of art forms like music. And yet, you still compose music for that same industry. How do you work around the problem?
SM: I do very less films. I do films with people I know. I do stories which I believe in and work with people who will believe in me.
TTS: How was your experience collaborating for a non-film song with Zeb and Haniya in Dewarists?
SM: I started my career doing non-film with Ab Ke Sawaan and Mann ke Manjeere. I’ve always enjoyed that. Dewarists was something where I had a gut feeling and I knew that it was going to work. There was hardly any money in it but there was just a creative urge to express. It was the right show and you can see what happened!
TTS: For a lot of people, a song is remembered by the voice i.e. the singer, while the composer is pretty much left in the dark. Does this bother you?
SM: That’s true. But that’s how it is. And I have no problem. There are certain people who are supposed to be in front of the camera and certain people who are supposed to be behind it. If that balance is upturned, then there’s a revolution.
TTS: Does the song come first or the visuals?
SM: I make the song first. They always shoot the song after that.
TTS: For a layman’s understanding, what is the difference between a composer and music director?
SM: A composer could be just someone who comes up with a melody. And a music director is the one who takes that tune forward. These are words that are not very well defined. A music producer also does that. These are just synonyms.
Shantanu Moitra during the conclave:
- “We’re dumbing down art so that everyone can understand it.”
- “Do all our great musicians have to die for us to hear their music?”
- “I have to appeal to a person in 10 seconds as a ringtone.”
- “Film music is a khichdi art. Sab kuch chalta hai!”
- “At the point of creation, the creator is very vulnerable. He’s looking for trust. Any hostility in that room will break it.” (on what a composer goes through while working on a song)
