Keeping excellent score: Background music of desi cinema
Editor’s note: We are all familiar with background scores of Hollywood films—many of which are instantly recognisable—be it the rousing music in ‘Dune’, or the sexy soundtrack of ‘Challengers’. Scores in Indian films are no less compelling—but rarely celebrated. Aakriti has put together a wonderful list that does exactly that.
Written by: Aakriti Anand, News editor
Over to Aakriti…
Raised on a healthy diet of Indian (primarily Hindi) films—where songs as part of the narrative—I rarely paid much attention to the music in the background. It was either an instrumental version of the songs—or was just sound effects—to indicate humour, pathos or joy. Over time, I learned to listen closely. The result is this rewarding list of scores in Indian films that sweep me away—instantly evoking not just the movie—but a place or feeling.
Neelakasham Pachakadal Chuvanna Bhoomi by Rex Vijayan: For a film that’s primarily a road movie, background music is everything, in terms of setting the scene. And ‘Neelakasham Pachakadal Chuvanna Bhoomi’ or ‘NPCB’ has some of the most evocative guitar riffs interspersed with folk beats and instruments, reflective of the locations they visit, from Puri to Kolkata, all the way up to the state of Nagaland. One of my favourites? Outside of the title track, which also serves as BGM in parts, the ‘Puri Song’ is a lovely piece of transition music. See it below:
Yuva (Aayutha Ezhuthu) by AR Rahman: There are three story tracks running through ‘Yuva’ in Hindi and ‘Aayutha Ezhuthu’ in Tamil—films that were made and released in parallel. Each of the three story tracks has its own mood and tonality. Sure, they do eventually converge—but until that happens—AR Rahman’s mastery ensures that you know just by sound when you’re with Michael through erratic guitar tones—or with Lallan through folk beat—or with Arjun through the modern, jazz inspired sounds. And, not to forget, the music is universal enough to work across two languages. My personal favourite of the lot? Michael’s ‘Love Theme’. Stream the joint score of both the films below:
Paa by Ilaiyaraaja: The great Ilaiyaraaja hardly ever worked on Hindi films—but when he did—it was nothing short of magic. One of the most recent examples was for R Balki’s film ‘Paa’—which needed a blend of gravitas and play throughout the score—given that it was for a film about a progeric boy living a life far less ordinary. One of the standouts is the ‘Piano Theme’ that runs through a wedding ritual sequence, which has a hopeful quality to it, while capturing the rhythm of chants during a wedding. Stream Ilaiyaraaja’s score below:
War by Sanchit Balhara: Action movies come with their own language of music, that needs to bring urgency and adrenaline to the forefront, without eclipsing what’s happening on screen. And Sanchit Balhara pulled it off for one of the most successful action movies of the last few years, ‘War’. The grungy electric guitar notes, the heavy drums, and even some playful riffs during chase sequences, made it quite a masterful score. My favourite is the rousing sound of ‘Kabir’s Theme’—stream below. I’d recognise that anywhere (bonus: it instantly brings back the visual memory of Hrithik Roshan’s spectacular entry).
Kaala by Santhosh Narayanan: ‘Kaala’ was a film with the David versus Goliath narrative—set against themes of caste, power, crime, and possession—and filled with moments of terror, violence, and revolt. The score by Santhosh Narayanan keeps pace with Tamil filmmaker Pa. Ranjith’s evocative film—and keeps you hooked to the action on screen. One of my favourites is the theme for ‘Hari Dada’, which gives you the clearest indication that this is a man to be feared, and an instant feeling of dread creeps in every time you hear the reed instruments abounding in this piece of music. Listen to the whole score below:
Haider by Vishal Bhardwaj: What’s great about Vishal Bhardwaj is that he scores and soundtracks his own films, making it a cohesive representation of vision across visuals and sound. The score for ‘Haider’, which also blends seamlessly with the original soundtrack for the film (unforgettably haunting), is one of the best examples of how he used music to lift the atmosphere off the page, and beyond the screen. My favourite has got to be the track called ‘Election’, which perfectly captures the tense political climate in Kashmir—which is as much a character in the film—and Haider’s own predicament at this point in the film. Give the film’s whole score a listen below:
Sairat by Ajay-Atul: ‘Sairat’ was one of those films that draws you in with a fraught romance, and goes straight for the jugular in that horrifying climax, which is completely devoid of sound. So the colourful background score (listen to the whole album below) is all the more significant—in the journey to that point—especially in the way we feel Archi and Parshya’s love bloom—their struggles, and finally—their tragedy. A track I particularly love is ‘Phone Calls’, which is the sound of innocent love, filled with moments of lightness, teasing, and tenderness.
Jubilee by Alokananda Dasgupta: The only OTT soundtrack on this list is the one for ‘Jubilee’ by Alokananda Dasgupta—because of the cinematic scale of the visual project—as well as the music itself. While the show has lovely music to accompany its filmy moments, it’s the background music that keeps the tensions alive in the darker, murkier parts of this story. The use of string instruments as the primary vehicle for most of it brings this old worldly charm to the score. My personal favourite is the track ‘Independence Day’ which captures the country in transition – there’s hope, there’s a bit of trepidation, there are decisive percussive beats, and a lamenting violin. What’s not to like? Listen to the OTT show’s score below:
Detective Byomkesh Bakshy! by Sneha Khanwalkar: Okay, this one might be a borderline call, because most of ‘Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!’ was treated like a musical. But the whimsy and mystery of the story comes through in Sneha Khanwalkar’s music and score, which blend into one unit. The one that’s a standout is ‘Chase in Chinatown’ that captures the hectic and frantic sequence, and is also used in the trailer. It starts with a rock flair—and moves into smooth beats that draw from techno and house music—and subtle tones of hip hop. It’s a unique piece, all on its own. Stream the whole score below:
Veer-Zaara by Madan Mohan (Recreated by Sanjiv Kohli): And finally, the music of ‘Veer-Zaara’. This one is unique because the music was originally created by the late composer Madan Mohan—whose son Sanjeev Kohli recreated some of his father’s old and unheard pieces of music—more than fifty years since they were first composed. Because it’s a story that spans generations, the music also retains its old-world charm—of a romance that simply couldn’t be real for the times we live in—but is one for the ages. My favourite is ‘Veer-Zaara Part Again’, which is a track filled with the pain of separation, but the hope to meet again, knowing that borders and circumstances could keep them apart for longer than they like. It also uses vocalisations beautifully to convey Veer’s determination, with Zaara’s pain. Listen to the movie’s score below:
