The moment I saw people kissing in a '20s Indian film, I was very surprised-Anoushka Shankar
7:51 AM
Ipsita Bhattacharya (BOMBAY TIMES; November 2, 2017)
Less than a year after she
performed her album, Land Of Gold, in India, Anoushka Shankar is back in
the Capital with her debut film as a music composer. The sitar player
has composed the music for Shiraz, a 1928 silent film, has been restored
and bought back on screen by the British Council and the British Film
Institute (BFI) National Archive, as a part of the UK-India Year of
Culture, 2017. The film narrates a mythical tale about the 17th-century
princess who inspired the con truction of
the Taj Mahal.
Anoushka is on a tight schedule this time; apart from Delhi, she will be
touring three more cities, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Kolkata, in a span of
one week, for the film's screening in the respective cities. In a chat,
Anoushka tells us why and how it's different composing for a film and
how she went back to her father Ravi Shankar's work on The Apu
Triology before she started working on Shiraz.
How different is it composing a film's music from creating your own album?
It's a completely different mindset. When I am writing for my album, it's very open-ended. It's my vision. It's about what's moving me right then, at that moment. Whereas, when I am writing for a film, there is a story already in place. There is a vision that we have to fulfill. There is a commitment. There is a story that you need to enhance at every moment. Yet, at the same time, it was like the most massive blank slate that I have ever seen. So, it was a very different way of composing music. But having been a composer for some years now, all of that experience proved helpful.
It’s a silent film...
Yes, and throughout the film, (over one hour, 40 minutes) there is music. So, it was like a concert. There was an eight-member orchestra and while my music has always included a mix of Indian and Western influences this time, it was even more so. I chose multi-instrumentalists, people who are able to do different kind of things. So we have a lot of colour and variety through the course of the film.
What struck you the most about the film?
It’s really an impressive film, a beautiful piece of artistic work. When it comes to story and acting, there is a sense of timelessness about the people on screen which I find very moving. When I started watching the film for the first time, I wasn’t expecting two long kissing scenes in it, and I found them very surprising. You grow up watching Indian cinema and you know, I have never seen a black-and-white film with a kissing scene in it. And suddenly you see two people, fully kiss each other, on screen. The first time I watched it, I was very, very surprised. Then it made me wonder, when did things change? Because if in the ’20s, they were so open – two people, if they love each other, they kiss – if it was so simple then,when did it become so complicated?
So now that you have composed for a film, can we expect more? Is there any particular type of project you will be interested in — an international project or a pure Bollywood masala?
You know, I have been asked this for a long time, even before doing Shiraz. And I have always said that I am open to it (film music). If it’s the right project, it doesn’t matter where it comes from. If it’s the right fit, then I would love to do it. But I don’t have the need to do it as I am already a musician. A composer. It’s not that suddenly, I have become desperate to take up the next film that comes along. That’s a nice position to be in. If something feels really inspiring or it feels that my music is a good fit for them, that will be great.
Did you revisit your father Ravi Shankar’s work while prepping for this film?
I did. The Apu Triology was the first film series I went back to and I watched the films again when I took up this project. They are such strong examples, both in terms of film and music. And I came away with the fact that you can actually “hear” the musicians. The music moves in a free way, despite the limitations of film composition. I was like,okay, I want that on my soundtrack. I want to try that.
Your husband, Joe Wright, is himself a film director. Did you seek any tips from him?
What was tricky about this film was the fact that it was made 90 years ago. There was no one to help shine a light on the heart of the film's narrative. Joe is someone who works closely with music directors. Someone who's involved with music. I watched the film with him in the beginning. He helped me break down the different themes in the film and we started working with that. From there, I did not really keep showing the work to him. But when I was nearly done, I showed it to him again. And got a couple of more tips at that point.
Ironically, the film comes at a time when the Taj Mahal and its place in Indian history is being questioned. Your take on the issue.
Obviously it’s not intentional and it is a complete coincidence that we are coming up with this film on the Taj at this time. But I am glad. I am glad to celebrate the Taj in this way. It’s an iconic building, the most recognizable building. It’s such a beautiful piece of work, as is the film and hopefully the music tries to be, as well. We celebrate culture and beauty across borders... that is something very important to me, in my life, in my career. The last album I made was about crossing borders, was about fostering dialogues between people from different cultures, between people who seem different from each other for various reasons; but you can always find a commonality through the human element through emotion, through empathy, through dialogue. And that is what I have always believed in and what I stand for. So, perhaps, if in a small way, if we are part of this with this film, it's wonderful.
What next?
This year has been very busy and I am kind of winding up now for the year. I am still very involved with Land Of Gold. That still feels incredibly current. In the aftermath of releasing the album, Brexit happened, then later, Donald Trump became US President. We continue to tour with it and the issues still feel relevant. The refugee crisis continues, it is still unfolding at devastating levels. And yet, because of so many other horrible things that have happened in the world, it's no longer in the forefront of our minds. But the issue feels important. We toured Europe, North America, parts of Africa, Asia and now we are going to Australia next March, with this album.Next year, I will start working on my new album.
How different is it composing a film's music from creating your own album?
It's a completely different mindset. When I am writing for my album, it's very open-ended. It's my vision. It's about what's moving me right then, at that moment. Whereas, when I am writing for a film, there is a story already in place. There is a vision that we have to fulfill. There is a commitment. There is a story that you need to enhance at every moment. Yet, at the same time, it was like the most massive blank slate that I have ever seen. So, it was a very different way of composing music. But having been a composer for some years now, all of that experience proved helpful.
It’s a silent film...
Yes, and throughout the film, (over one hour, 40 minutes) there is music. So, it was like a concert. There was an eight-member orchestra and while my music has always included a mix of Indian and Western influences this time, it was even more so. I chose multi-instrumentalists, people who are able to do different kind of things. So we have a lot of colour and variety through the course of the film.
What struck you the most about the film?
It’s really an impressive film, a beautiful piece of artistic work. When it comes to story and acting, there is a sense of timelessness about the people on screen which I find very moving. When I started watching the film for the first time, I wasn’t expecting two long kissing scenes in it, and I found them very surprising. You grow up watching Indian cinema and you know, I have never seen a black-and-white film with a kissing scene in it. And suddenly you see two people, fully kiss each other, on screen. The first time I watched it, I was very, very surprised. Then it made me wonder, when did things change? Because if in the ’20s, they were so open – two people, if they love each other, they kiss – if it was so simple then,when did it become so complicated?
So now that you have composed for a film, can we expect more? Is there any particular type of project you will be interested in — an international project or a pure Bollywood masala?
You know, I have been asked this for a long time, even before doing Shiraz. And I have always said that I am open to it (film music). If it’s the right project, it doesn’t matter where it comes from. If it’s the right fit, then I would love to do it. But I don’t have the need to do it as I am already a musician. A composer. It’s not that suddenly, I have become desperate to take up the next film that comes along. That’s a nice position to be in. If something feels really inspiring or it feels that my music is a good fit for them, that will be great.
Did you revisit your father Ravi Shankar’s work while prepping for this film?
I did. The Apu Triology was the first film series I went back to and I watched the films again when I took up this project. They are such strong examples, both in terms of film and music. And I came away with the fact that you can actually “hear” the musicians. The music moves in a free way, despite the limitations of film composition. I was like,okay, I want that on my soundtrack. I want to try that.
Your husband, Joe Wright, is himself a film director. Did you seek any tips from him?
What was tricky about this film was the fact that it was made 90 years ago. There was no one to help shine a light on the heart of the film's narrative. Joe is someone who works closely with music directors. Someone who's involved with music. I watched the film with him in the beginning. He helped me break down the different themes in the film and we started working with that. From there, I did not really keep showing the work to him. But when I was nearly done, I showed it to him again. And got a couple of more tips at that point.
Ironically, the film comes at a time when the Taj Mahal and its place in Indian history is being questioned. Your take on the issue.
Obviously it’s not intentional and it is a complete coincidence that we are coming up with this film on the Taj at this time. But I am glad. I am glad to celebrate the Taj in this way. It’s an iconic building, the most recognizable building. It’s such a beautiful piece of work, as is the film and hopefully the music tries to be, as well. We celebrate culture and beauty across borders... that is something very important to me, in my life, in my career. The last album I made was about crossing borders, was about fostering dialogues between people from different cultures, between people who seem different from each other for various reasons; but you can always find a commonality through the human element through emotion, through empathy, through dialogue. And that is what I have always believed in and what I stand for. So, perhaps, if in a small way, if we are part of this with this film, it's wonderful.
What next?
This year has been very busy and I am kind of winding up now for the year. I am still very involved with Land Of Gold. That still feels incredibly current. In the aftermath of releasing the album, Brexit happened, then later, Donald Trump became US President. We continue to tour with it and the issues still feel relevant. The refugee crisis continues, it is still unfolding at devastating levels. And yet, because of so many other horrible things that have happened in the world, it's no longer in the forefront of our minds. But the issue feels important. We toured Europe, North America, parts of Africa, Asia and now we are going to Australia next March, with this album.Next year, I will start working on my new album.
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