I just want to experiment with 'bipolar music', says Alokananda Dasgupta

She has composed the background score of the much-talked about series ‘Jubilee’

PC: Instagram Account of Alokananda Dasgupta

Her name is Alokananda Dasgupta, the daughter of famous poet and film maker Buddhadeb Dasgupta. Besides her other famous work like 'Sacred Games' and others, her recent work of composing the background score of the much-talked about series ‘Jubilee’ is what has again put her in the spotlight. OTTplay caught up with the musician par excellence for an extremely in-depth exclusive interview.

Alokananda, to begin with, if you were to write say your social media profile, what would you want that read as?
I have been told to have a thick skin. It's been like 10 years, and I haven't been able to do that. would want the world to know me as a composer who dared to experiment. And someone who didn't care about having thick skin.

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When did your fascination for music begin?
My fascination for music started with a sort of heredity versus the environment of a very young age. Apart from the fact that I was exposed to a ton of stuff. If I can remember correctly at a very young age, I discovered music. We have a lot of music at home like gramophone, LP records and all of that. I discovered the Beatles Anthology collection at a very young age when we had a cassette, and I would listen to it in a loop... nonstop! I had even moved my bed to the cassette player because it was not a boombox... it was one of those old timers. So, I would have moved my bed over there so I could nonstop to my whole life was about flipping that record, back and forth. I know these songs so well that, even if anyone plays the start or end music of the track just for mere three seconds, I can tell you what's the next line!

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So, you had more of a western influence?
Yes... to be honest, yes.

So, were the Beatles the ones who got you interested in music?
No introduced as such. I was obsessed with the Beatles.

The legendary (late) R D Burman saab used to experiment with things like glasses, combs and other stuff to add that ‘X’ factor in his music. What about you? Any such experimentation that you have done with your music? Or do you want to do it with your music?
I've done that type of stuff many times. But the fact is that I know that everybody is susceptible to noise. But I am susceptible to the point that I get rashes. My brain goes nuts. ‘Trapped’ was happening at the time when there was a construction work which was happening nearby my place. You can now imagine how I would have composed the music for ‘Trapped’. I actually recorded all the noises which were arising from the construction site. Be it the screeching noise of the tiles cutting to the rubble falling and water drops... All of these sounds were actually used by me in the film ‘Trapped’.

Is there anything that you want to experiment with sound with as a music composer? I know you must be keeping your ears and eyes open to various sounds. Has any sound caught your attention?
I don't have any specific stuff. But I would just I would just love to experiment with bipolar music! By bipolar, I mean, extreme electronic and extreme acoustic!

Can you elaborate on that?
Basically, I want to derive music from totally unpitched instruments. Some extreme electronic instruments. I want to do something as crazy.

The music-composing scene today is, today, by and large, a male dominated arena. So, when you took a first step in music, whether any apprehension/s?
I had to answer this question multiple times. That's the irony of the situation. To be very honest with you, I had no such apprehensions, thanks to my upbringing. In fact, it didn't even cross my mind. I never felt that gender could be an issue in music. But, once I came to the center of the warzone, I saw it everywhere. I saw how prevalent it was. I saw how women are dealing with it much like any other field. But, especially in this field... because it's highly, highly male dominated.

With due respect to you as a musician, let me ask you this. Have you ever been dropped out of a project in this ‘male-dominated’ arena?
Not in any sensational way. I have had projects that haven't worked out due to multiple reasons... practical, creative... but nothing has been sensational.

You are the daughter of the extremely respected and famous poet and filmmaker. What, in your opinion, are its advantages and disadvantages so far?
The advantage is the extreme honor and the privilege to watch him work, have had the opportunity to work with him to actually see what the real deal is. Besides that, it was also the exposure to arts. My mother was the granddaughter of Rajanikanta Sen, who was a contemporary of Rabindranath Tagore. That way, there was a lot of music being played in the house. And the disadvantage is that I wanted to be an Odissi dancer. But Baba had got this piano as he wanted me to be a pianist. I had to take the piano exams and practice all day and night for that.

Since we are onto the topic of Baba, let me ask you, what’s your take on nepotism?
Unfortunately.... I don't qualify in this category. Baba was a very niche filmmaker in Bengal, and he was very well-known in Europe. As much as I would hate to admit that there's not much of a fan following in Mumbai. There were loads of people who hadn't even heard of him when I was working. As stated earlier, I have got the privilege of being his daughter. I've travelled with him; I have watched films with him. Other than that, nobody has given me a project because I am his daughter.

You have worked with Vikramaditya Motwane. You have seen him grow in his profession right from ‘Udaan’ to now ‘Jubilee’. How do you think he has evolved as a filmmaker and as an individual?
I am not qualified for this either because I haven't seen him... as such, he has watched me grow. It's so ironic. My favorite work by Vikram is still ‘Udaan’. I feel that I am not qualified enough to judge him on that perimeter. I am no one to say that I have watched him grow. What I can say is that I have witnessed his range of films. Be it a ‘meta’ film like ‘AK versus AK’ to a superhero film to a very weird quirky film like ‘Trapped’ to something extremely dark like ‘Sacred Games’ and then to this very different world that he has created in ‘Jubilee’. I think he's the only director who has displayed such an extreme array of talent.

So, let's talk about ‘Jubilee’. What is it about Jubilee that attracted you the most?
I think that I am an old timer in the head. I just loved the fact that I was allowed to use orchestration. It's my first language in music. Even though I've listened to all kinds of stuff, I started with western classical music. I feel the happiest when Iam recording live orchestration. And when I'm writing for the cello or for other string arrangements.

So... you were given a free hand in ‘Jubilee’...
Yes! He (Vikramaditya) is the only director who has a perfect balance of giving me freedom within parameters. He knows exactly what he wants. He's extremely wise and intelligent. He knows exactly what he wants to define the narrative. To give you an example... being a Bengali, if I was given to write an essay in Bengali versus an essay in Spanish, I would be most comfortable in Bengali. Ditto for my music in ‘Jubilee’. Also, I was extremely intrigued by the world that he created (in ‘Jubilee’). I disagree when people say that he (Vikramditya) has recreated that era or something. I feel that he has created a world of his own in ‘Jubilee’.

Any memorable incident while composing for ‘Jubilee’ that you can recall?
Yes... But it’s very painful. It was the last project that I got to share with my Baba. When he was very sick in the hospital, I was composing the basic theme. I remember playing him the theme of ‘Jubilee’ in the hospital on my laptop. He listened to it on your phone. He was in tears after he heard the theme.

What are the parameters that you see before saying yes to any project?
The writer, the director and the story.

You are a trained pianist. Any plans of going back to playing the piano?
It was sent to me by my Baba from Kolkata. One of his last wishes was that I should continue playing the piano. It's staring at me every day in my living room. Of course, I play... but I haven't played my classical pieces in a long time. Every single day I decide to play and practice... one day, I want to do that.

Who do you look up to as inspiration?
A.R.Rahman.

What do you prefer composing- mainstream music or background music?
I don't categorize music. For me, music is music. I wish that the industry recognizes background score at par with mainstream music. But I want to do all of it.

What was your first reaction when A R Rahman tweeted about you?
It's one of the reasons to live. I think it's one of those things in life that that very rare.

Which is the one genre of music that you want to explore next?
Horror! Very dramatic and artistic horror.

Tell us the three reasons for a person to watch ‘Jubilee’ or listen to ‘Jubilee’s music?
It's timeless. Secondly, ‘Jubilee’ is not a film.... It's an experience. The third reason is to watch the actors perform (in ‘Jubilee’). I have never seen such a genuine and honest performance in recent times.

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