With several memorable jingles to his credit, com poser and music producer Tapas Relia, who has composed music for movies like Hanuman, Return of Hanuman, Mod and Lakshmi among others, returns. Back with his effortless and unpretentious tunes for Nagesh Kukunoor's Dhanak, the Amdavadi musician shares some excerpts about the music in the film, working with the critically acclaimed filmmaker twice over and more...

Being a composer wasn't an accident...
When I was in the tenth grade (studying in Ahmedabad), I shared my aspiration of making a career in music with my folks. They convinced me to clear my 12th grade exams post which, they assured, they'd let me be. While they thought I'll forget about it, I didn't. In 1996, at the age of 17, I moved to Mumbai. I trained in Western Classical Music (piano) from Trinity College, London. Simultaneously, I leant music programming and did odd jobs to survive before making a career in advertising. Gradually, in 2005, because of my jingle, I started getting movie offers.

Nagesh's understanding of music is very instinctive...
Having worked with Nagesh on more than one project, I know that he is melody-driven and very clear about what he wants. If he's convinced about a piece, that's it. This speaks volumes about his sense of clarity. He won't get along three people to have an opinion. As a composer, he gives me the required freedom and space I need. If someday I have a creative block, he won't push me and instead, gives me my space.

I was very clear about Dhanak...
When Nagesh told me about the plot of the movie, the brief was self-explanatory. The movie is shot in Rajasthan, so it was obvious that its tunes had to be organic, with a touch of folk. While composing for Dhanak, I knew that the songs had to be a part of the narrative in order to take the story ahead.

Recreating Dum-A-Dum Mast Qalandar was a lot of fun...
The story demanded an interaction between the kid and the American bloke (played by actor, musician and producer Chet Dixon). Initially, I was writing a fresh song for this but then, we started thinking of a song that an eight-year-old has grown up listening to. That's when Dum-A-Dum Mast Qalandar came to our mind. Nagesh asked me to work on it. He said we'll only use it if it sounds interesting and thankfully, it turned out well. It's a very simple piece interspersed with an occasional 'All I'm Saying... Let's Give Love A Chance' (lyrically inspired by John Lennon's Give Peace A Chance) along with original lyrics and minimal use of a dholak and guitar. What you finally see is both of them speaking the same thing in their own respective languages.

I want to keep exploring...
Fortunately or unfortunately, I've always been associated with cinema that's not commercial. And this came about with Hanuman. We're in an industry where we can't escape being typecast, and are required to fit the mould, especially when most want us to 'be safe'. In our business, mostly controlled by producers, if storytellers allow us to experiment, we can do wonders.

If not a composer, I'd be...
A filmmaker. I love the big screen's format and understand its nuances. The process excites me. If I make enough money, I'll make a movie someday. If nothing more, I will produce independent music videos.

'Musical instruments are a man's best friend'
It is inexplicable what happens to a person once they know how to play an instrument, or if they know how to sing. It is better to learn three chords on a guitar so you can play three thousand songs than looking at stars and spacing out.

I'd love to work with...
Filmmakers who have sensibilities similar to Nagesh like Shyam Benegal, Anurag Basu, Anurag Kashyap, Dibakar Banerjee and Shekhar Kapur. It may sound ambitious, but I can at least hope.