As you lose yourself to singer Karthik's mesmerising rendition of ‘Anasuya Kosam’ in A..Aa, what you also notice is an impressive rap element introduced by Hyderabad's Roll Rida. You also sense the freshness in a song that would have otherwise been only a passable melody by an established singer. That’s just one example of what an independent musician can do to an album. Ranging from Kshanam to Kabali, film composers are making the best use of independent musicians,for a formula-free approach to music.
Music in films is, otherwise, forced into a template; it has a reference point, a story and an emotion to deal with, unlike an independent music album, where a musician can liberally exercise his/her freedom on the theme. Sricharan Pakala, the composer of Kshanam (and Guntur Talkies ) and a self-taught musician with stints in several bands, went beyond familiar terrains and infused several rock and fusion elements in the film’s score . He admits films have been a great exposure. “Being in a band, I used to listen to music of various genres and inadvertantly there have been several western influences. Working for short films and social awareness documentaries helped me understand how things work and the pattern of making music for such films.”
Having grown up listening to and emulating Ilayaraja and A R Rahman, the composer is enjoying the big leap, but admits excessive interference in films is part and parcel of the process. “I did find it tough initially. But it’s the director who has a final say. So I accepted that over time.” What’s his way of bringing his independent-music identity into films? “Maybe, bringing back quite a bit of the orchestral genre,” he says.
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Likewise, independent musician cum actor Noel Sean came up with a rap number after the success of the movie
Roll Rida who was also a composer of a small-budget release Break Up is happy to see the seeing the increase in the number of independent musicians in films, but insists that the industry has a long way to go in experimenting with music forms or new talent. “I was lucky enough to know a music director who gave me the freedom to experiment, it doesn’t happen with everyone.”
He adds, “Movies are significantly driven by commerce. They want something familiar and can get catchy instantly too. On a personal note, it’s easier for me to manage between being an independent musician and work in films, since I was into films before I even started producing my own content. Otherwise, this situation is akin to a customer approaching a hairstylist. You want to go to someone whom you’re familiar with and play safe.”
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Poojan Kohli, part of the Vizag-based band Yuga and the singer of ‘Pada Pada Pranama’ in Kshanam , reveals that films only expand one’s repertoire. That familiarity and cinematic touches are necessary, he says. “I have given a lot of performances in Vizag but only once you’re open to all genres, you’ll get accepted by the film industry. Now I’m happy to be a Punjabi and yet singing Telugu well. Independent music will always have its time and space, but films are a bigger platform.”