After creating memorable tracks in Indian cinema, Shantanu Moitra dreams of becoming a professional mountaineer. He even conceptualised a concert series on his 100-day journey across the Himalayas. He also wants to do an album with the sounds of celestial objects such as that of the earth rotating on its axis, of Jupiter and of wind blowing in Mars, which he already has in his collection! “The reason I became a music composer was to pursue my passions without asking for leave,” he chuckles.
A speaker at the digital edition of Animation Masters Summit organised by Toonz Animation in Thiruvananthapuram, Shantanu says that next on his itinerary is following the course of the Brahmaputra.
Excerpts from an interaction:
Journey from Parineeta to Gulabo Sitabo
Since I got it right with my first film [Parineeta] itself, I have been trying for the same result for the last 20 years. That is challenging. Things having changed over the years – the industry, the audience, their tastes, I now want whatever I create to have an innocence. And that can’t happen if you keep yourself on a pedestal. It requires constant unlearning, which happens when I take a break and travel. We artistes become narcissistic at times and take ourselves too seriously. So there is a battle with myself to switch off that narcissism button! Something has definitely changed in me over the years. I have become fearless. I have the conviction to present something different, as in the case of Gulabo Sitabo.
But are songs losing their significance in cinema?
Importance of music in cinema has reduced. But it is a passing phase. In a country like India where you have so many languages and dialects, songs often become a means of communication. For instance, many of us might choose a song to express love or nostalgia. Even when people complain about classical music or folk music losing its hold, the fact is these genres have constantly evolved and that’s how they survive.
I believe that songs are not just for entertainment, they have to blend with the story. That’s why I work with people who are good storytellers. I always stay true to the script. My song getting more YouTube hits is not important. Cinema has to become better. One film or filmmaker is enough to make the difference. I am a huge fan of Mani Ratnam sir and, perhaps, if he comes up with something new, that might become a trend. It requires a certain amount of musicality in the director to shoot a song.
- Shantanu started his career as a client servicing executive at an ad agency. He composed several jingles, including many for director Pradeep Sarkar, then the creative head of an ad agency. Pradeep took him on board Parineeta. Before that he had composed indie tracks such as ‘Ab ke saawan’ and ‘Mann ke manjeere’ for Shubha Mudgal. His filmography reads Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi, Yahaan, 3 Idiots, Lage Raho Munnabhai, Naa Bangaaru Talli, PK, Wazir, Pink, October and Gulabo Sitabo.
- During the lockdown the musician started live interaction on his official Facebook page with “his friends from in and outside the industry” such as Shreya Ghoshal, Vidya Balan, Shoojit Sircar, Harsha Bhogle, Biswadeep Chatterjee, Anirudha Roy Chowdhury. Check out his session with Shubha Mudgal on August 2 on his page, Shantanu Moitra.
- The day Chandrayaan 2 failed to soft land on the moon, he decided to do a concert dedicated to the space mission. At ‘Chandrayaan: Celebrating India’s Journey To The Moon’, presented by National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) and Sahachari Foundation in January this year, Shantanu “humanised” the mission. He equated Chandrayaan to “a 21-year-old”, who leaves home seeking his goal. Starting from the take off, each stage of the mission was conceptualised as a separate segment. Main artistes with him were Kaushiki Chakraborty, Jayanti Kumaresh, Rakesh Chaurasia, and Ambi Subramaniam. The concert is available on NCPA’s official YouTube channel.
Does that explain your multiple projects with directors such as Pradeep Sarkar, Sudheep Misra, Rajkumar Hirani, Shoojit Sircar, Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury ...?
I am generally into long-term relationships (laughs). Only when you know a person for a long time will true art come out. Once we establish that comfort level, we can start pushing each other. Had I not worked with Shoojit before, I would not have experimented with folk music and edgy notes in Gulabo Sitabo. The reason why [director] Steven Spielberg and [composer] John Williams have worked together for over four decades is that the collaboration has helped both of them grow. And when you grow together, that is beautiful. Even though all these directors are different from one another, they all are masters at multitasking.
There has been some special relationships in your journey, such as those with Gulzar and Swanand Kirkire…
Gulzar saab is my youngest friend in Mumbai. No other person can define multitasking better than him. I have never seen him bogged down by anything. He is full of life, full of positivity. Astronomy is often a topic in our interaction and not music. He is also that window to the world I admire, that of SD Burman, RD Burman… He often gives me tips as well. According to him the biggest problem with composers is that we tend to glorify the fact that we can find a tune quickly. But the important thing is what we do with the tune. He talks about how RD Burman used to arrive at a tune in five minutes but would spend the next five days working on it, chiseling it and making it better.
As for Swanand, my life would have been incomplete if he had not come into my life. Some of my best works in cinema have been with him, starting with ‘Baawra man’ [from Hazaaron Khwahishen Aisi] and Parineeta. I would’ve felt lonely in Bollywood if I haven’t had such wonderful friends. I am fortunate that a great song comes up while I am having a conversation or enjoying good food with these friends.
Any plans to work in the film industries in south India?
I am a huge fan of SPB sir (SP Balasubramaniam) and Chithraji (KS Chithra). She has sung for me in Parineeta. I would love to work with filmmakers in South India. But the problem is that once I finish a Hindi movie, I take off to the mountains. However, Naa Bangaaru Talli [Telugu-Malayalam film that won him the National award for the best background score] was a great opportunity. I admire the cinema being made there and love Malayalam films, especially that of Shaji N Karun, thanks to Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury.
Looking ahead for...
Shoojit Sircar’s Udham Singh, starring Vicky Kaushal, and a project with Ambi Subramaniam and Kaushiki Chakraborty.
