Mithoon on composing music for the Ranbir Kapoor-starrer ‘Shamshera’: ‘It was something I had never done before’

Shamshera, starring Ranbir Kapoor, is a film that is unlike any other Mithoon has done in his 17-year career as a film composer. His music has been mostly minimalistic. But for Shamshera, a larger-than-life action drama set in the 19th century, director Karan Malhotra wanted flamboyant sounds and for Mithoon to abandon restraint. So, he explored different sounds, using drums, dhols, reeds, and other instruments that took him into a zone he had not been to. It was, in a way, an experiment. 

On the afternoon of the film’s release (July 22), Mithoon is unperturbed. He is not too worried, and has always been this way, he says, unaffected by initial reactions to Shamshera. The big-budget film, featuring Sanjay Dutt and Vani Kapoor among others, has had a lukewarm response so far at the theatres, according to several reports. Mithoon, however, is content with the respect given to its music — it is enough if he knows he has given his best. 

In this interview with The Hindu Weekend, the artiste peaks about composing for the film and more.

Considering that Shamshera is a period film, did you have to research a lot for the music?

Research is too heavy a word with respect to Shamshera.  Ultimately, we are doing cinema, so we needn’t exactly replicate what used to be (in the 1800s).  It was more about feeling the music, poetry, and the expression of that era. To do that, I used skin drums, live reeds, and more acoustics. The idea was to keep the music rustic yet give it some flair. 

How did you choose the right instruments?

I was working at Yash Raj Studios, which can accommodate over 75 musicians at a time. So, I called in multiple sections of rhythms — bass concert drums, puneri dhols, tasha dhols, gumurus, and others. Some of these instruments are 700-800 years old. I called musicians who play these instruments and got them to jam with my melody. Then, I reacted to what they were playing and made some changes based on what I wanted. Whenever I felt they could add something of their own, I sustained that. It was a spontaneous process. 

You had said in an interview that you usually work on a brief given to you by the director. What was the brief for Shamshera?

I am generally known for my restrained approach to music. But Karan wanted something flamboyant. His cinema is larger than life. All characters in this film are big. So, the idea was to do things on a big soundscape.

Usually, directors have a vision and the composers their own ideas. Where do these meet?

The vision initially comes from the director, but I see it as a part of my creative process. I spend a lot of time understanding what my directors want. After this, I take time to find that within myself. I see what raag would fit a particular scene. The meeting point is when my directors stand up from their chairs and say, “Wow!” I don’t want them to settle for something (less).  

Can you elaborate your process with an example from Shamshera?

‘Ji Huzoor’ is the intro song for Ranbir’s character, Balli. He is a quirky, mischievous character, who, despite being in a prison, believes he’s the ruler of the world. The opening lines of the lyrics, which I wrote, translate to: “You owe me your salutations.” This arrogance had to be brought out through the music as well. So, I got drums and trumpets. The rhythm of the song was upfront. I got Aditya Narayan to sing it because he has a certain irreverence and flamboyance.

You said that you were not restricted by Ranbir’s stardom while composing.

Ranbir is among the best actors of today. But, yes, his stardom didn’t have to matter because he is playing a character. All of us, Ranbir himself, have to cater to the character. His job was to play Balli and Shamshera. My job was to portray the expressions of these characters effectively. That’s where we meet as artists.

As an Indian film composer, you often have to work on multiple films. Is it difficult to switch between them?

When I started out, I wanted to do one film at a time. But I soon realised that I can’t have everything the way I wanted it to be. I can now manage switching between films. I don’t have a song bank, and for every film, I collaborate with directors. That’s what takes me to different zones. The brief I would get from Karan Malhotra will be very different to the one from Mohit Suri. Laxmikant-Pyarelal sometimes used to work on 10 films at a time. But the music for each of those films would be distinct.

We rarely see song-and-dance sequences in today’s Hindi cinema. Has film composing become more focused on the background score?

Personally, I am a fan of the song-and-dance sequences. That is what we are known for, and I am not apologetic about it. We can have song-less films too, but I don’t think the song sequence will ever go away. 

How do you react to the criticism of Bollywood music bogged down by remixes?

I was never a fan of it. There is enough talent in this country to create good original music, but as a fraternity, we must respect the criticism. It comes from the same people who have given us love. Also, I feel, the criticism has done its job. I can see the trend of recreating music fading away. 

Finally, in 17 years of composing for films, what has been your biggest lesson?

It is a privilege to be a musician. As a creator, you share the attributes of God. So, it is important to preserve this gift given to me. This is impossible to do without discipline because there are a lot of external elements that can scatter your mind.