Their backgrounds are very different and their age groups vary. One is a legend and the other, a promising talent. And, the rest are in different stages of their musical careers. But the camaraderie is evident at a special photoshoot for CinemaPlus at Arkay Convention Centre, Mylapore. The excitement is palpable, because their contribution to the music of the upcoming film Ramanujan has been hailed by critics and the musically inclined. Standing tall in the middle of this musical madness and magic is Ramesh Vinayakam, a composer well-known for melodies. “The character of the film, the character of each melody gave a clear indication as to which singer would be appropriate for it,” he says, explaining his choice of singers, “It was need-based and a combination of intuition and deliberation.”
But all that was much later. When director Gnana Rajasekaran came to him with the purpose of translating the mathematical genius’ life onto screen, the composer wasn’t apprehensive. He took it as a challenge. “It was an opportunity for me to travel on a new path. Every film, especially a biopic set in a different era, gives you that. The trick is to assume the qualities of the period and create music afresh. It’s not about imitating but using the idiom and attitude of that period and balancing it with contemporary expectations.”
While he had to go classical for one part of the film, he had to foray into European sounds for another segment. “It’s well-known that Ramanujan spent a lot of time in Britain,” he says. To give it an appropriate musical touch, four orchestral pieces were recorded in Germany, with the composer working with the Stuttgart-based GermanPops Orchestra that has worked on contemporary and classical styles. “Since I come from a different musical tradition, it was important for me to collaborate with those who had earlier worked with different styles,” he states.
Apart from the classical numbers that have already struck a chord with listeners, the ‘Zero to One’ composition in the film is unique — for, it has been based on the numbers! The composer, who had earlier invented the ‘gamaka box’ concept that graphically represented the gamakas in Carnatic music, explains, “This song uses a set of notes up to nine, with zero represented by the rest. After the initial exposition, at any point of time, three of these layers criss-cross each other from a distance of one beat from each other.” He adds, “It is a musical metaphor of Ramanujan’s mind which was always preoccupied with complex layers of calculation.”
With Ramanujan , Ramesh has come back to Kollywood with a strong musical statement. “This album is a great chance that doesn’t come by very often and it comes with a risk as well. It is like a huge examination. If it turns out to be a strong statement, I can only be happy.”
Vani on song!
Veteran singer Vani Jayaram’s rendition of ‘Narayana’ in the album has been hailed by many. Talking about her experience, she says, “I was initially surprised when he (Ramesh) gave me a song whose pitch (shruthi) was less than what I usually sing in. Just when I was thinking about why he gave me a song when I could very well do much more, I came to know that, in the days of Ramanujan, people only sang in that pitch.”
