Women146;s Cue

While Khanwalkar has composed the earthy Punjabi folk score for Oye Lucky Lucky Oye, Sharma, a 23-year-old Delhi girl, has composed for Makrand Deshpande8217;s forthcoming film Shahrukh Bola Khoobsurat Hai Tu.

8220;Most musicians and technicians are not used to having a woman as a music director,8221; says 20-something Khanwalkar who has left her home town Indore to settle down in Mumbai. 8220;Initially, everyone was uncomfortable and unsure of whether they should be candid or chivalrous, or simply treat me as one of them. But once the ball got rolling, they got used to the idea.8221;

Sharma agrees with a laugh: 8220;Many people did not believe that I could compose until they heard my work.8221; For the six tracks in her film, she got singers like Shankar Mahadevan and Jagjit Singh into the studio, and did not hesitate in getting in front of the microphone and crooning three tracks herself. 8220;The very thought of having senior people like Jagjit Uncle and Shankar Mahadevan to sing for you is intimidating. But it turned out to be an amazing experience. Shankar Sir kept asking for feedback and inquired if he was singing the composition right,8221; says Sharma, who had Mahadevan sing a rare a capella, Hasna hasana. A capella means unaccompanied vocal music. Khanwalkar too sought out the unusual as she got young folk singers from the villages of Haryana and Punjab to sing in her first full-length feature.

As Sharma gets back to composing music for an animated feature, Khanwalkar is waiting to sign Anurag Kashyap8217;s next venture. Clearly, women are ready to score.