Exclusive! The team behind the music of Anirban Chakrabarti’s The Eken share their experience working on the title track

This time, the quintessential Bangali sleuth, Eken Babu will take a centre stage on the big screen. The film, The Eken is being adapted from the hit Hoichoi web series. Much to the delight of fans, the makers have announced that the film will hit the screens next month to make the Bengali New Year memorable for them.

The Eken is directed by Joydeep Mukherjee and Anirban Chakrabarti is going to stomp the big screen with his lovable antics and sharp mind. Eken Babu’s two trusted sidekicks, Somak Ghosh and Suhotra Mukhopadhyay, are also here to help the beloved “Maachey Bhaatey” nonchalant scissor head.

The title track of the film is all set to release on April 3. Ahead of the release, OTTplay caught up with the trio behind the title track of The Eken. Composer Aamlaann Chakraabarty, Godhuli Sharma (lyricist) and vocalist Siddartha Roy (Sidhu) shared their experience of creating the title track.

Excerpts:

Aamlaann, could you tell us what was the brief given to you to create the track?

Aamlaann: I was pretty familiar with the character of Eken Babu and I also did the background score for the entire third season of Eken Babu. Prior to that, I did a remix track for Eken’s Dhaka adventure series. Joydeep Da directed that season as well, so it was kind of easy to communicate with him. We connected very conveniently.

That quintessential Bengali detective imagery was already in my mind and the persona of a procrastinating, self-effacing yet quick-witted sleuth had to emerge via lyrics and the soundscape. Godhuli did a wonderful job and once the lyrics were in place, we had only one name in our head Sidhu da (Cactus). And he carved the song out so beautifully with his vocals. My producers and director liked the song immediately.

You must have seen a few glimpses of The Eken while working on its title track. So, can you spill some beans for the fans of Eken Babu? What’s in store for them?

Aamlaann: Eken Babu is definitely a class apart from Byomkesh and Feluda because he’s more of a common man, a sceptic Bengali armed with honed skills and classic, rather modest hombre skills, deciphering the mystery. He has a clearly distinctive common man attitude and persona, which strikes a chord with the audience and I feel that’s the root cause behind his immense success. And the big screen experience is surely going to enhance the captivating world of debonair and modesty with a rather strange balance between facts and theories.

Tell us about the track

Aamlaann: It’s been arranged by Bob Sn; it’s a kind of blues jazz mix and you generally don’t get to hear this soundscape in the Bangla scenario.

It’s not a typical hard rock sound, nor a predictable soothing romantic number obviously. And the soundscape completely justifies the premise of the narrative.

Eken Babu is a bumbling, yet quick-witted private detective and you had a tough task of balancing the lyrical tonality between fun and mystery. How was the experience?

Godhuli: Right from the beginning, I was trying to translate the core Bengali substance into lyrics. We all had our little moments with the detective in us, right from school. We were always fascinated to uncover who stole our tiffin, who snatched the pencil box and other such mysteries throughout our lives. Come to think of it, Eken Babu is nothing like Feluda or Byomkesh. He doesn’t carry that swag or panache, rather he’s much more mild-mannered and refers to almost everyone with umpteen modesty. Eken Babu is more like us. As we grow old, we finish our desserts and pat our paunches, worrying about EMIs and gradually developing baldness. Eken Babu represents that entire socio-economic stratum. And one thing we can never let go of is our overtly inquisitive minds. So, I had to convey these core sentiments, which still connect with the modern generation of Bengalis.

Siddartha: Aamlaann approached me with the scratch copy and after listening to it, I knew that this song needs me (smiles). It has a few mild blue notes, an electro temper and a whole lot of energy. I was immediately hooked by the lyrics as well. I think Godhuli has done a tremendous job because the song demanded a strange mix of humour and thrill, which is rather difficult to achieve and I feel Aamlaann conveyed it beautifully with the track. I would especially like to mention the use of synth brass, which brought in the essence to the track.

Are you Eken Babu fan?

Godhuli: Initially, I started watching Eken from season 1 but midway, I lost track due to my other commitments. However, I always thought that this fellow is something different. He’s neither Kiriti nor Feluda, rather he’s not polished at all. He doesn’t move around with that hypermasculine odour. He’s a sweet chap and everyone can relate to his goofy nature, mixed with a sharp mind. We are not spartans from within, yet we dream about chasing an adventure fearlessly. I would say Eken Babu sums up our imaginations to some extent. And I used the phrase “Maachey Bhaatey Bangali” to communicate the exact picture. And Aamlaann da texted me three words - fun, serious, detective, which are rather contradictory in nature (smiles) but once I started writing, I realised what he was trying to convey.

Siddartha: Undoubtedly, my favourite detective of all time is Feluda because it carries a nostalgic value and my childhood memories plus that intellectual sharpness demands respect. But when I came across Eken Babu, I started liking him almost immediately because he’s so relatable with the common folks like us. He’s not equipped with muscles, rather he banks on his friendly and sharp tongue.

Tell us about the lyrics of the song.

Siddartha: I have worked with Godhuli in the past and I find her lyrics very modern, sensitive and it never lacks depth. I’m looking forward to the release because I’m sure the fans are going to love the title track.

The Eken title track is going to release on April 3. The Eken is backed by SVF and the movie is slated to release on April 14, a day before the Bengali New Year.