Musical Melange

The music of Lafangey Parindey,released recently,has caught the attention of Bollywood watchers. A range of genres and instruments,from the Irish tin whistle and the cello to Eric Clapton-style guitar riffs — have come together to create a refreshing new harmony. All eyes are now on composer R Anandh.

A popular name in the ad world — he is also behind the Limca ad currently on air — Anandh,42,had composed for Sangeeth Sivan’s Zor in 1997. But,unimpressed with the Mumbai film industry,he chose to return to what he terms as his “core competency”. A year ago,however,a music composing session for filmmaker Pradeep Sarkar’s ad film got cancelled and set the tone for Anandh’s second stint in Bollywood. “When our session was cancelled,Dada (Sarkar) asked me to compose a scratch for,Lafangey Parindey,which producer Aditya Chopra liked,” says Anandh,whose knowledge of classical music goes back to his 12-year training playing the veena. In the song Rang Daalein,he has experimented with the Irish tin whistle and the cello,but the guitar,both acoustic and electric,is kept prominent through the album. If the title track is an upbeat rock-ish number,Man Lafanga,sung by Mohit Chauhan,has Eric Clapton-ish guitar riffs. Nain Parindey,with Shilpa Rao on vocals,asserts the composer’s hold on Indian classical music. Despite repetitive use of the words lafangey and parindey across the tracks,Anandh give each song a distinct flavour.

The music also steers clear of the clichés that films on Mumbai’s underbelly fall,as it retains the local flavour despite use of Western instruments. “It’s my take on the city,” he says. Anandh’s version has worked for the film as the music spells out the attitude of the protagonists. Though Lafangey Parindey,which releases August 20,associates Anandh with the Yash Raj Films brand,the composer is not looking at a career in Bollywood.