Video Games, Film Scores, & More: 4 Pathbreaking Indian Music Composers On Our Radar

For many decades, Indian music on the global stage was shorthand for sitars, tablas, and Bollywood soundtracks — a generalisation which often flattened the country’s rich and diverse musical traditions. Today, a new generation of composers of Indian origin is challenging that stereotype. Working across film, television, and video games, they craft scores that weave Indian classical influences into orchestral, electronic, and experimental aural palettes, mirroring both their diasporic journeys and global collaborations.

From Emmy-winning documentaries to blockbuster films and video game franchises, these composers are not only adding “Indian flavour” to Western productions — they’re shaping the very grammar of contemporary screen music. Their rise reflects a broader shift: Indian music is no longer defined solely by its heritage but by its capacity to transform, adapt, and lead in global storytelling.

Here are four such composers on our radar:

Nainita Desai is an Emmy Award–winning British-Indian composer whose work spans film, television, and video games. Trained at the National Film & Television School after studying mathematics, she began her career in sound design before transitioning into composition. Known for her ability to fuse orchestral music with electronics, found sounds, and custom instrumentation, Desai has scored acclaimed projects such as The Reason I Jump, For Sama, 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible, and the game Tales of Kenzera: Zau.

Follow Nainita Desai here.

Prateek Rajagopal is a composer, producer, and guitarist based in Los Angeles. Born in Muscat, Oman, and raised in Mumbai, India, he recently graduated from USC’s Screen Scoring programme. Rajagopal works across film, television, video games, and multimedia, with credits including The Mandalorian, Creed III, and Trolls Band Together. His music blends orchestral traditions with experimental sound design, electronica, and Indian classical influences, reflecting his diverse background. Outside of screen work, Rajagopal is co-founder and guitarist of the acclaimed extreme metal band Gutslit.

Read Homegrown associate editor Mikhail Khan’s profile of Rajagopal here.

Salil Bhayani is a Los Angeles–based composer and producer who was born and raised in Mumbai, India. Having trained in Hindustani classical vocals from an early age, Bhayani later pursued film scoring studies at the esteemed Berklee College of Music in Boston. His music fuses Indian classical elements with modern orchestral, electronic, and experimental sounds, covering work in film, television, animation, and video games. Bhayani’s notable projects include the award-winning narrative game Under a Porcelain Sun and collaborations with international filmmakers and studios.

Follow Salil Bhayani here.

Sumeet Sarkar is an Emmy-recognised violinist, composer, and former orchestral manager and music director of the MIT Orchestra, where he collaborated closely with multi-Grammy winner Jacob Collier. Currently based in Los Angeles, Sarkar is an active film composer with credits on Netflix, Apple TV, and Amazon, including the Emmy-nominated documentary series ‘Home’ and the Ruth Bader Ginsburg documentary. He has also led orchestras for the Emmy-winning documentary Imagination Off the Charts on Jacob Collier’s work. Sarkar is a Berklee College of Music alumnus.

Follow Sumeet Sarkar here.

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