On Song

“I heard Lisbeth for the first time in Munich and was floored by her intense voice. I decided then to use her whenever I made a film,” says Chauhan. Scott,who has received several Grammy and Academy Award nominations,agreed after reading the script. “When I heard about the film’s compelling storyline,I knew I would enjoy singing for it. To add to it,Wayne gave a marvellous score. The project evolved organically through creative interaction,” she says,in an email interview.

“It was cold in New York when I arrived for the recording. We had all been working long hours— I was simultaneously working on another project—so we were all a little bleary-eyed. When Wayne and I first got together,he showed me the first fight scene to give me an idea of the film. I was totally hooked,” she says. The result is the soulful rendition of a Siberian alaap,whose background score has been composed by Sharpe.

Sharpe,who had also given the background score for Tanuja Chandra’s Hope & a Little Sugar,Prakash Jha’s Apharan,Gangajal and Rajniti,says he found Lahore’s storyline gripping. “It’s a powerful film with strong emotional undercurrent. It gave me the opportunity to work with various musical genres and instruments,as I was composing for everything from intense fight scenes to tear-jerking family drama,” he says. For the background score Sharpe has used instruments like Indian percussions and violins from the Middle-East. “With Lisbeth on board,the alaap got that serene touch we were looking for,” he says over telephone from the US .

Interestingly,the director,an international level kickboxer himself,wrote the story almost a decade-and-a-half back. “It’s based on real life experiences,real people,the downfall of sports,the corruption,the fights that take place and the world’s perception abut India-Pakistan,” he says.

Slated as one of the most authentic sports film ever made in India,Lahore also had on board action choreographer Master Tony Leung Siu Hung,Wayne Sharpe and Rob Miller of Chak De fame. “I wanted my film to look real,so I went to great lengths to ensure freshness in the soundtrack,background score,even the kickboxing shoot-outs,” says Chauhan,who sent the lead actor Anahad on a six-month training programme to Beijing.

Shot in Delhi,Mumbai,Hyderabad,Lonavala,Lahore,as well as in Malaysia,the film has already bagged several international awards,including Best Feature Film,Jury’s Award at the 42nd World Fest (Houston),Most Aspiring Filmmaker at International Filmmaker Fest (UK),Best Actor Award at Salento International Film Festival (Italy),Best Actor Award at Tenerife International Film Festival Award (UK) and six nominations including Best Picture and Best Director at Asian Fest of First Film (Singapore).