Showing posts with label Muskurane. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Muskurane. Show all posts
The entire album of Citylights happened in 15 days-Jeet Gannguli
8:22 AM
Says Bollywood and Bengali music director Jeet Gannguli, who composed Sun Le Zara from Singham Returns and Muskurane from Citylights
Ria Lawrence (BOMBAY TIMES; August 29, 2014)
"Sufi music has an extremely haunting vibe. I find it very earnest and intense. Needless to say it was a spiritually exhilarating experience for me,“
says Jeet Gannguli about his composition Sun Le Zara from Singham
Returns.
How did Sun Le Zara happen?
I got a call from Bhushanji (Bhushan Kumar) sometime in March this year. He wanted to hear my compositions for Singham Returns. After he heard Sun Le Zara, he immediately liked it and told me to present it before director Rohit Shetty. He enjoyed it. The brief was that it is a prayer song at a dargah and he wanted something with a Sufi vibe to it. He then took me to Ajay Devgn, who also loved the song, and I decided to record it.
What was the brief for Muskurane (Citylights)?
The entire album of Citylights happened in a period of 15 days, including music sittings with Mukeshji, Mahesh Bhatt sahab and (director) Hansal Mehta, writing of the lyrics as well as recording of the songs. There are five songs in the film. After the fourth song Sone Do was recorded, Mukeshji told me that he needed one great romantic melody which would create an indelible mark in the mind of the listeners for a long time to come. Soon after, I hit the note for Muskurane. I called him up and played the tune over the phone. He said, 'Beta, this is the song I am looking for. Let's record it.'
Tell us about your father Kali Ganguli. How did his experience in Indian classical music shape your sensibilities?
My father is a well-known accordionist in Kolkata. Music has always been an integral part of our lineage, so much so that my father quit his job to devote all his time to music. In fact, all my ancestors specialised in Indian classical music, be it vocal or instrumental. My father was the first one to break the tradition and pursue Western classical music along with Indian, and I followed suit. He has been my first teacher. I started training under him at the age of four when I used to play the tabla. He was a very strict teacher, and used to make me do riyaaz for hours. My father has not only trained me in music, but more importantly inculcated qualities in me that I am grateful for. He always says, 'Remember, first you are a human being with integrity, then a musician and then a music composer!'
What was Carlton Kitto's contribution?
It was again my father who took me to Carlton Kitto, a great jazz guitarist based in Kolkata.Under his guidance, I learnt the various nuances of jazz. I still cherish those days spent with him.It was he who familiarised me with the vast array of western music, after which I gradually started developing a deep and profound liking for it.
How different is the Bengali music industry compared to Bollywood?
I have been staying in Mumbai since 1996 and have worked in both the industries from Mumbai itself. The only difference I find between the two is that working in Bollywood means you get to showcase your work at a much bigger and national level.
Which do you prefer composing for?
Music has no barriers of region or language.All it has to do is touch the right chord at the heart of the listeners. The sound of clapping is also the same everywhere. Given an opportunity I would also love to compose for Marathi and films from South!
What projects are you currently working on?
After Suno Na Sangemarmar from Youngistaan got a huge response, producer Vashu Bhagnani has offered me one more project. I am also composing for Vishesh Film's Mr. X, Khamoshiyan and Tuhi Mera. There is Kumar Mangat's Alone and Mithunda's (Chakraborty) film Hashtag Love.
How did Sun Le Zara happen?
I got a call from Bhushanji (Bhushan Kumar) sometime in March this year. He wanted to hear my compositions for Singham Returns. After he heard Sun Le Zara, he immediately liked it and told me to present it before director Rohit Shetty. He enjoyed it. The brief was that it is a prayer song at a dargah and he wanted something with a Sufi vibe to it. He then took me to Ajay Devgn, who also loved the song, and I decided to record it.
What was the brief for Muskurane (Citylights)?
The entire album of Citylights happened in a period of 15 days, including music sittings with Mukeshji, Mahesh Bhatt sahab and (director) Hansal Mehta, writing of the lyrics as well as recording of the songs. There are five songs in the film. After the fourth song Sone Do was recorded, Mukeshji told me that he needed one great romantic melody which would create an indelible mark in the mind of the listeners for a long time to come. Soon after, I hit the note for Muskurane. I called him up and played the tune over the phone. He said, 'Beta, this is the song I am looking for. Let's record it.'
Tell us about your father Kali Ganguli. How did his experience in Indian classical music shape your sensibilities?
My father is a well-known accordionist in Kolkata. Music has always been an integral part of our lineage, so much so that my father quit his job to devote all his time to music. In fact, all my ancestors specialised in Indian classical music, be it vocal or instrumental. My father was the first one to break the tradition and pursue Western classical music along with Indian, and I followed suit. He has been my first teacher. I started training under him at the age of four when I used to play the tabla. He was a very strict teacher, and used to make me do riyaaz for hours. My father has not only trained me in music, but more importantly inculcated qualities in me that I am grateful for. He always says, 'Remember, first you are a human being with integrity, then a musician and then a music composer!'
What was Carlton Kitto's contribution?
It was again my father who took me to Carlton Kitto, a great jazz guitarist based in Kolkata.Under his guidance, I learnt the various nuances of jazz. I still cherish those days spent with him.It was he who familiarised me with the vast array of western music, after which I gradually started developing a deep and profound liking for it.
How different is the Bengali music industry compared to Bollywood?
I have been staying in Mumbai since 1996 and have worked in both the industries from Mumbai itself. The only difference I find between the two is that working in Bollywood means you get to showcase your work at a much bigger and national level.
Which do you prefer composing for?
Music has no barriers of region or language.All it has to do is touch the right chord at the heart of the listeners. The sound of clapping is also the same everywhere. Given an opportunity I would also love to compose for Marathi and films from South!
What projects are you currently working on?
After Suno Na Sangemarmar from Youngistaan got a huge response, producer Vashu Bhagnani has offered me one more project. I am also composing for Vishesh Film's Mr. X, Khamoshiyan and Tuhi Mera. There is Kumar Mangat's Alone and Mithunda's (Chakraborty) film Hashtag Love.
Muskurane took me back to a time when love was about struggle & hard-won victories-Jeet Gannguli
8:30 AM
Roshmilla Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; July 24, 2014)After Hansal Mehta had finished shooting Citylights, producer Mukesh Bhatt approached Jeet Gannguli to come up with a score which would give their small, offbeat film a sweeping scale. "I want songs like the ones SD Burman and RD Burman composed, and a CD that will stay on the shelves for a long time," the composer was told.
Music sittings started at his home, with Hansal and lyricist Rashmi Singh, which sometimes continued till dawn. One night, when Jeet was tuning his guitar, the director stopped him saying, "I want that music, turn it into a song for me." And Jeet came up with Ek charriya born from his own memories of migrating to Mumbai from Kolkata 18 years ago. "I sang the scratch and Hansal so loved it that he retained my voice for the film and incorporated the one Arijit Singh had recorded in the audio CD," he says.
Hansal had learnt classical music with Rashid Khan. Jeet's collaboration with the Ustad and Usha Uthup blossomed into the title track, Khan's extra classical alaaps were retained and used in the background.
Darbadar, Mahesh Bhatt's favourite track, was recorded after a workshop with singer Neeti Mohan and Soney Do came up on another sleepless night. Hansal fit them into his film perfectly, letting them mostly play in the background.
Finally, there was just one song left and this was Jeet's biggest challenge because his producer wanted an eternal melody -- simple, easy to hum but with depth. It was close to midnight when he started strumming his guitar. A little later, his wife, Chandrani, stepped out of their bedroom to ask him what he was playing. He told her it was something he'd just composed. She told him it was fantastic.
"It was 12.30 am when I called up Mukeshji and asked if I could play a mukhda to him. His 'wow' was the reaction I'd hoped for. The next morning I composed the antara and with my guitar I went across to Mukeshji's office to play the piece for Hansal and Bhattsaab. Both of them loved it," he recalls.
Jeet then handed it over to Rashmi who in a couple of hours had come up with the words...Muskurane ki wajah tum ho, Gungunane ki wajah tum ho, Jiya jayee na jayee na jayee na, O re piya re... "Citylights is not a teenage love story, it's about a couple whose love has depth and character. Rashmi's lyrics are simple, heartfelt and conversational," he says.
Hansal wanted two versions of the song and Jeet picked Arijit and Mohammed Irrfan, the two most soulful singers, around. "Arijit recorded his version at night at my studio next door, Phatbox. He took two-three hours. We were done by 1.30 am. Irrfan took the same amount of time but he recorded in the morning," says Jeet.
He admits that Aashiqui 2 changed the trend, taking us back to soulful melody. "While composing Muskurane ki wajah I had completely forgotten my earlier hit, yet the song is just as soul-stirring. The film took me back to my days of street theatre and my struggling days in Mumbai when sometimes my wife and I had money only for one plate of ragda pattice and no idea where the next meal was coming from. It took me back to a time when love was about struggle, hard work and hard-won victories..."
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