Music composer and singer Amit Trivedi says that live acts give him the inspiration to stand out. By Jigyasu Joshi
Music composer Amit Trivedi believes that Indian cinema has managed to hold on to melody despite the tidal waves of transition. “I do not think we have lost melody yet. That element has only got interesting with the passage of time like everything else.” And that is something that he holds sacrosanct while bringing in new sounds, textures and layers.
Debuting with the sleeper hit Aamir, the tide for Trivedi turned with the title track of Dev D, Emotional Attyachar. In a milieu of disco-sounding mainstream Bollywood music, his raw and edgy music having traces of folk and classical, led to a whole new grammar of fusion. Known to be inclined towards musical experimentation, his compositions are accepted by critics and fans alike. “I react to and approach my music very instinctively. If I feel a sitar tune would suit the track, I simply do it. I try keeping it organic,” said Trivedi.
He will soon be seen composing and singing alongside V Selvaganesha for the finale episode of The Dewarists. “It is a long episode and I have totally enjoyed it. Playing with the finest Manjira player the world has ever seen was like a dream come true for me. The band with whom I have worked for this is called Shakti. It is one of the phenomenal bands I have ever composed with. The whole thing was just perfect,” shared Trivedi.
His love for music began as a kid and has been evolving since. “The atmosphere in my house was full of tunes. Beginning with traditional folk music, it went on to films and now it has got me where I am. But I am also a complete 20th century boy. I love Coldplay and Floyd and have been A.R. Rahman’s fan from the day he made Roja for us,” he chuckled.
Analysing the trajectory of Hindi film music, Trivedi said, “Earlier, there used to be two music schools, that of lata Mangeskar and Asha Bhosle. For the blessed singers they are, people followed them and wanted to be like them. Then there were Alka Yagnik and Kavita Krishnamurthy. But today, we have new influences from around the globe and there is nothing called a conventional style. There are so many different textures of voice. The music industry has now opened up.”
But he understands the need to not get swept away by the winds of change. He felt that every composer needed to do a self-assessment. “There is a lot of talk about about censorship in India but music has not been much-affected or controversial. But at the same time, composers should always do self-censorship. There should always be a sense of responsibility as the music we create does influence people, more preciously the youth. It is better to put out good things,” said the music composer.
Hemmed in by the requirements of film music, Trivedi waits for live shows and non-film projects to breathe and air his creative faculties. “When I create music for a film, I feel there are certain boundaries. We have to keep in mind the script and the character. When we talk of The Dewarists or Coke Studio it is about collaborating with other great artistes in a live format. It brings a lot more flavour to the composition with a lot more creative visualisation and impromptu improvisations,” he explained.
Trivedi, however, believes that the entire music industry has become increasingly competitive and that it is difficult to make a mark. “There are so many people who work under one roof to compose one song. Earlier it used to be one movie which released in a month or once in two months. People would eagerly wait and watch films and remember the songs too, because cinema, essentially, was the only medium of entertainment. Now you have two to three films releasing a week. So, if one film has five songs, it will be fifteen songs a week; over fifty songs a month and thousands of songs in a year. How else are you to stand out if not by being authenticIJ” he asked. That’s why he stashes up new experieces and draws from them.