Track Record

Hes a musician who is also an official wildlife tracker. Trained in both Indian and Western music,Abhishek Ray,who began his career with Haasils background score,sheds a ray of light on his low-profile achievements.

Hes a musician who is also an official wildlife tracker. Trained in both Indian and Western music,Abhishek Ray,who began his career with Haasils background score,sheds a ray of light on his low-profile achievements.

Are you a trained musician or a natural talent?
I have learnt Hindustani classical vocal as well as Western classical with Piano. I have been training and singing right from my school days and moved on to do ad jingles and music for television. My first album was Udaas Pani,which was written and narrated by Gulzar saab and composed and sung by me. This was in 2002.

And when did your film innings begin?
My first film was Tigmanshu Dhulias Haasil in 2003,for which my background score was highly appreciated. But what most people do not know is that I had composed a song that was played in the background,Sun ri sakhi. The song was not included in the CD because Jatin-Lalit,who had done all the other songs,were not keen on it. After this,I composed the background score for Ahista Ahista too and for the Tamil film Thoondil from which all songs were popular and a duet I sang with Sunidhi Chauhan was a huge hit.

Haasil began your association with Tigmanshu.
Yes,it did but only in films. I have known Tigmanshu for years,from much before Haasil when he was directing the Star Plus serial Rajdhani,which was actually our first collaboration. In Paan Singh Tomar I am only doing the songs. I am also doing two more films with him Shagird produced by Reliance Big Pictures and Sahib Bibi Aur Gangster,which is a dark film with a lot of scope for music.

What else is coming up in films?
I am doing Sudhir Mishras Tera Kya Hoga Johnny that stars Neil Nitin Mukesh. I am doing the background score and the lead song. But I have got another side to me that I would like to speak about.

Go ahead.

I am into working for wild-life conservation. I am an approved leopard and tiger tracker with the Government of India. I have also composed an official anthem on Save The Tiger that was launched on October 22 and is sung by Kavita Krishnamurthy Subramaniam and me. The concept of the song is mine and the lyrics are by Manvendra. It says that the tiger not only guards the jungle but indirectly he is the key to the entire ecosystem. It highlights how the human race,no less,will be threatened if the tiger faces extinction.

Of all the musical work that you do,which is the most fulfilling?
All my music gives me satisfaction,but the most challenging is composing for films.

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Why do you say that?
Because film scores encompass music from all over the world and so you need a basic knowledge of all kinds of music besides classical. Indian folk,Latino,symphony,Afro you may need anything anytime!

And how do you see film music today?
Technology is growing by leaps and bounds. What is a bit lost is good,original melody. Overdependence on technology denotes a lack of knowlege and talent. Whenever people say that the older melodies had far more staying power it meant that they were more hummable. A good song does not need sophisticated gadgets to register. It appeals even when it is heard on a simple transistor radio.

rajiv.vijayakarexpressindia.com