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Imagine watching Jaws (1975) without any music in the backdrop with no sense of eeriness creeping into your spine or perhaps starting a Star Wars (1977) film with the introductory Star Wars logo flashing on the screen but without that familiar distinct and larger than life sound that accompanies the ‘In a galaxy far far away.’ Something feels amiss? Doesn’t it? It’s like watching the movie without its soul.
There is just something about the language of sound in a film that adds to the movie experience. In fact, original musical compositions can be dated back to the time of silent cinema and since the advent of sound in cinema, the almighty film score has not only been an integral part of the movie experience but has also, at times, outlived the film they soundtracked.
Closer home, a Netflix original series was not only able to captivate our attention with its storytelling but the score even managed to etch a place in our minds almost instinctively – so much so that even musical genius A.R. Rahman couldn’t help but tweet “welcome to the scoring club and congratulations on a very interesting score & mix for #Sacredgames.” Perhaps that was the moment that film composer and music director Alokananda Dasgupta truly arrived. Rightly so, because almost anyone who I’ve ever talked to about the series has always mentioned how much they love the opening theme as well as the background score.
Since then, Dasgupta has also gone on to work on other interesting projects, the most recent being AK vs AK (2020). Prior to her workshop on ‘The Art Of Storytelling Through The Medium Of Music’ for the HG Music Launch, we had an in-depth conversation with her on what get her into film compositions, her idea of success, how she deals with the imposter syndrome and what’s got her attention on the music front.
On AK vs AK
“It was a film within a film and I knew it was going to be really challenging.”
Diving straight into her latest project AK vs AK (2020) she tells me about the one thing that instantly set that project apart for her, “What instantly set the project apart for me was the film director Vikram (Vikramaditya Motwane). I absolutely adore his craft, I adore his taste in music, I adore the way he directs. He is a composer’s director he is ideal for a composer because he just takes background scoring to a very serious level, just really gives it that kind of time, importance and energy. Also we gel really well on the topic of film images and music fused together so that was one.”
It wasn’t just the director but the story as well that got her excited about the project, “Secondly I really liked the story and how it was a film within a film and I knew it was going to be really challenging (and it was!). It was tough for me to understand how the plot unfolds vis-à-vis the music because it’s really intricate with a film like that (which is a film within a film) and there was a very important role that natural sound and music played. Then as the plot thickens, things change– the music changed, the pace changed.”
To get a composer’s perspective on the film, I ask her about some of the scenes she loved scoring in the film. She tells me, “I think quite naturally, my favourite part to score was when the plot really thickened towards the end – Anurag Kashyap was starting to realise that he was the butt of the ridicule or he was the joke. At the beginning of that, I think the music started to turn really dark up until the end. Then again, there was a caricature with a montage of flashbacks, so those at the end were my favourite parts because I’m more drawn towards the grey sort of gravity and darkness in general. Also, when he was shot (spoilers!!), those orchestrated scenes where I could really express through one of my favourite instruments (i.e., the cello), were things I could identify with as a composer.”
On Relationship With Vikramaditya Motwane
“There are no ‘his likes’. He really is one of a kind, as cliché as it sounds.”
Since Dasgupta has collaborated with Motwane on almost 4 projects and she instantaneously mentioned him while talking about AK vs AK, I was curious to know how a creative partnership like that functions and how the dynamics with the likes of him in the industry play out. She checked me and said, “there are no ‘his likes,’ number one, he is really one of a kind. I don’t know why and how I got really lucky because I actually got the ideal person to work with.”
She tells me that what sets him apart is his school of thought and how he takes his craft seriously, “I burst into the scene where even now, to an extent, there is a sort of convoluted area when it comes to background score and music. Scoring is still regarded by some as only a technical aspect and not really a part of the narrative and the craft, it is not regarded as important as the songs. He is a director who thinks otherwise so, naturally, it was a sort of fit because that’s the school of thought that I come from as well. He is also that kind of a nerd, if I may say so, who looks up scores of movies and listens to them. So, we have similar tastes in music and we throw ideas at each other, references at each other so its a joy, it really goes in-depth. Quite naturally, a person who takes your craft that seriously is great to work with. With him, it worked out that way because he has an acute sense of music. He’s got great taste, he’s got quite a sound knowledge of the technical aspect of how themes should be used, and how the score should take the narrative and the plot forward, how leitmotif should be used in music, so, all of these things are a boon for a person like me who takes background scoring very seriously along with songs of course. It’s really good to work with somebody who realises that school of thought and understands the importance of that music. He’s the kind who really understands that it should not overpower the scene but it should carry it forward. ”
Being A Film Composer in Bollywood
“I never came into the industry thinking I’ll be a Bollywood composer or I’ll do songs and be popular.”
For someone as serious about their craft as her, I was intrigued to find out how she found her way into Bollywood: “I never came into the industry thinking I’ll be a Bollywood composer or I’ll do songs and be popular. I always wanted to score, to create music, whether it was commercial art or whatever it is.” She started by assisting composer Amit Trivedi and then went out to carve a niche for herself. About being in a male-dominated industry, she tells me, “I haven’t really faced anything that other people don’t face in other fields as well. There isn’t anything specific maybe because of the way I was brought up or maybe because of this singular-goal like mentality that I had. Gender issues were never going to stop me – there were obviously people who would say that this woman is rude when you’re trying to be firm. In a male-dominated area, whatever you say comes across as rude, then there was always the chance of not being taken seriously. But I’m very organic in my approach, I admire learning new things and new tricks but I don’t talk shop. A lot of these boys are always talking shop but I never really let it pull me down. I never thought I was a female breaking into this male-dominated industry. It was never like that, it was always like – I want to do this and I’m going to do what it takes to have it done.”
“Score is not something that should make up for what the film isn’t. It should just be a great marriage.”
Scoring is always a balancing act, it is an integral part of the storytelling process. It drives the narrative forward but you also have to ensure it doesn’t overpower the storyline. So, how do you strike that balance, especially, with a dark and twisted show like Sacred Games? The answer, Dasgupta says, lies in the understanding of the plot as well as all other key aspects – it isn’t an isolated task, “Well, the story helps in striking that balance. The images help, the writing helps. Sacred Games was such a project where all of these aspects fit. It doesn’t happen magically just like that – it worked because everything fit. The writing was done really well. The story was up my alley, the darkness was up my alley, the intricate subplots, the side characters (it’s not just about the hero, there are multiple characters involved that have with their own stories and backstories) and layering of all of it, it’s just a very rare occasion when something like that comes your way.
But she warns me that not every project is alike: “I cannot boast that every project I’ve done has been like that but Sacred Games was one such project that was just up my alley and it was my kind of a playing field where I could experiment, I could be technical, I had the freedom to try and express myself through various forms, and to understand when to show off and when to exercise restraint. I was rebuked and I learnt to hold back and learnt how it should just be right not too much, not too little. But it’s because a lot of factors played in – the editing, the sounds among other things that helped me understand the balance.”
On Imposter Syndrome & Self-Doubt
“Keep self-doubt in your pocket as a tool because it helps you to keep going. Keep pushing yourself but stop and don’t let the romanticism of it get to you.”
Since she mentioned having self-doubt, it was evident that like other creatives, she also sometimes gives in to the Imposter syndrome and the feeling of not being good enough. But for someone like her, who has been in the business for a while, there must be some valuable advice for those trying to make a mark in the field. In all honesty, she says, “See, the advice for self-confidence would be very fake, to be honest with you. I can give all sorts of advice other than self-confidence because I don’t have much myself. It’s not something that I’m just saying for the sake of it. I literally doubt every single thing that I’m doing, I always feel like it could be better and there’s something I could do and I think it’s very personal. I didn’t know that everyone feels like that but as a third person, I’ll just advice that it’s probably just a form of anxiety and you must detach yourself from that self-doubt and see your work in an unbiased manner. Check for what it is that you are unhappy with and how you can make it better. Is it just unhappiness with your work for the sake of it or is there truly something that you’re trying to reach, trying to better? So, think about all of these things and keep at it.”
“The biggest advice is this – keep at it, whether you feel naturally inclined to wallow and stop. Don’t stop. If you want to create, continue, its the only way and the only option. Keep your ears and eyes open, just listen and learn. You don’t have to go to music school and learn theory. Just constantly working at it and constantly listening to it is in itself huge. It’s a trick, it’s a giant trick.”
The Creative Process
“It is a balance of both (creative and intuitive), I would like it to be all intuitive but it is not as romantic.”
As much as Dasgupta would like for her creative process to be intuitive, she says with certainty that there is a certain mundane technicality to her tasks, “It is a balance of both. I would like it to be all intuitive but is not as romantic. There is a mechanical aspect to it, there are days with 4 o’clock in the morning, having a coffee and starting with certain frames first, starting in a linear manner first or reel wise. There are those techniques and spotting the music and separating the themes and the variations from the new elements so all of these technical aspects are really important.”
At the end of the day though, she swears by her gut feeling. She says “But you cannot neglect intuition. The technique is the backbone, the backdrop, the skeleton but intuition is what you build on. So, of course, for me, firstly it’s intuitive to answer your question – it is the identification with the story, identification with the genre, with the zone, with the thoughts, with the characters, with the atmosphere that you are working in most importantly.”
Quick Questions:
Q. You said a lot of your journey was about self-discovery so, if you had to define your musical sensibility, how would you do it?
Stick to your original personal space, it always works. It starts and finishes with you. You cannot take yourself out of the career, it starts and finishes with how you were brought up, where you are in life, what you think of, whatever it is, no matter how many influences you have, no matter how many genres and workspaces you have to juggle and deal with at the end of the day stick to the core. Keep questioning yourself on why you started and why you’re doing what you’re doing. Go back to the origin, the originality even if it is questioned a lot if you stick to what you are and the direction is a reflection of what you are then the product is always genuine so that’s been a huge learning experience for me that’s how I would define it.
Q. Among the intensive work that you’ve done, what piece of work is your personal favourite?
Sacred Games! (me: that was quick)
Yeah (laughs), it’s just like I said it was just up my alley – that zone was up to my alley. (Exploring dark) it’s not just a one-dimensional dark, there are various kinds of intricacies and intrigues in the dark as well so that is one of the examples of that.
There is also a Bengali film, Tope directed by Buddhadeb Dasgupta that is one of my favourite scores. Fandry has also been very close to me because I loved the story ... it’s a Marathi film directed by Nagraj Manjule. But Sacred Games gave me the ability to go back to the self, basically, to make sure my work has myself in it so that project allowed me to be myself really.
Q. What’s one thing you want to explore next, a genre you haven’t had the chance to explore yet?
I would love to do a horror film and by horror, I don’t mean like a horror- horror (I don’t know if that makes any sense) but I’m very obsessed with the horror genre but not in the way you know it. It’s not just any horror, I’m very particular about my choice of horror. So, that kind of a zone, some movies that come to my mind are It Follows which has a very very unique score, The Vickerman – the old one has a very unique score so, these films, when I watched them, I immediately got very very attracted to that playground and I would love to score something like that.
The musical landscape is ever-evolving. Among your contemporaries or among emerging composers, who are some of your favourites?
I love Sneha Khanwalkar’s work, Amit Trivedi, of course, and Rehman, is well not a contemporary, but I’ve been listening to his music since I was a girl and it’s universal, it’s omnipresent, it is your go-to thing if you want to really know about composition. That man is a genius, he really is and there is no other say in the matter. I think it will always be like that.
Q. What is one change you wish to see in the coming years?
I would like to see this obsession with popularity and not giving people enough credit change. By that, I mean the thinking that popular music is only one-dimensional and something different will not work. This “nahi chalega” “yeh ganna nahi chalega, hit nahi hoga” mentality needs to change. If you could realise there are many like us, many nerds who listen to many things and who will trip on many things. Not just cool beats and popular Bollywood songs but be open to various kinds of things so, that too should be considered as a hit song. Even now, the credits of films read – music by and background score by, as if background score is not music and music is only a person who does songs. I think, once this idiotic credit system goes away, when that demarcation changes ,and people realise there are many who stay up till 3 am looking at who scored that movie and listen to scores of that scene, they will just give it a chance, give experimentation a chance.
Q. As a composer and music director, what constitutes success for you?
I’m stumped (laughs)!
I think it would be when I’m sort of in a comfortable space in life where I would feel very satisfied with the self versus appreciation from the public or the world versus my own life. Basically, if and when, I could reach a space where I don’t have to depend completely on other people for my happiness. Because when you give the entire control of your happiness to everyone else, which is what all artists have to do, then only when other people appreciate your craft you feel acknowledged. But if ever I was the only person living in the world, maybe an apocalypse and I’m the lone survivor and I feel like making music or playing the piano for no one but myself without any insecurity or hurt or expectations, I think that would constitute success for me, personally.
Q. What’s on your playlist at the moment?
At the moment I’ve been listening to a song from a band called Unkle, Mark Lanegan’s Looking For The Rain on loop.
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