Dhollywood hits the right notes with multiple music composers

When

Aashiqui

became one of the biggest musical blockbusters of the 90’s, it was Nadeem-Shravan’s musical magic that had an entire generation romancing to their tunes. But it took four music composers to match up to the expectation when Aashiqui 2 was released in 2013. While

Bollywood

has followed the trend of hiring multiple music composers for a film for over a decade now,

Dhollywood

seems to have taken fancy to it in recent times. With films like Gujjubhai Most Wanted (Advait Namlekar, Sagar Desai and

Parth Bharat Thakkar

), Aavuj Reshe (Darshan Raval-Rahul Munjariya, Nikhil-Pranav-Shailesh), Dhh (Sagar Desai, Meghdhanush) and Oxygen (Parth Bharat Thakkar and Vinay Kapadia) having more than one music composer in an album, Dhollywood seems to be embarking on its own musical journey.

REASONS APLENTY

Most filmmakers believe that music is the primary window that gives the audience a sneak peek into the film. And going the extra mile to get their music right can prove beneficial for the film. This very thought has given a rise in producers pumping more money in music with some using it for promotions as well as to create a brand for their films. This shift has ensured that filmmakers use a formula that has worked for numerous Bollywood films and hope it will cash in for them at the box office. From hiring composers who are good with a particular genre, strict deadlines, limited budget to adding a novelty factor, there are reasons enough for filmmakers to hire multiple music composers.indent“Music can really make a difference to a film,” says filmmaker Purohiit. He adds, “Every music composer has his own strength in a particular genre. So, when I want a song, I would get it done from a composer who excels in that genre. This is only to ensure that we provide the best to the audience.” But such decisions are not “completely black and white,” as filmmaker Ishaan Randeria suggests. “It depends on the demand of the script,” adds Ishaan saying, “We never start with a certain number of music composers in mind. This is an evolving process. If I feel a certain song needs a nuanced touch that only a particular composer can provide, I get it done from him.”indentIn this ever-evolving process, time plays a big role too. Working within strict deadlines, a creative output might not yield result within the desired time frame. “Time can be a big factor for filmmakers and one music composer might take longer to deliver all the songs,” says music composer Jainam Modi. He adds, “But if more than one composer is doing the music, it is faster to deliver songs.”MOOLAH MATTERSMoney is also a primary reason for hiring multiple composers. “Hiring a single music composer is always more expensive,” says Parth Bharat Thakkar. He adds, “Multiple music composers for a film is a very commercially driven decision. It’s either to reduce cost or to bring in the novelty factor for the film.” He adds, “Most filmmakers try to hire an established music composer for their main/title song, thinking that song will become the face of the film. And they hire lesser known names/local musicians to compose the rest of the songs to reduce the overall expenditure on music.”indentBut filmmakers feel otherwise. Ishaan begs to differ as he says, “Hiring one music composer turns out more expensive. If you include everything from things like musicians, their sound and recording, the cost shoots up.”

MUSICIANS SAY, LESS IS MORECost is not the only aspect that filmmakers and music composers seem to differ on. While filmmakers feel this works for their film, musicians prefer it otherwise. “I personally don’t like the idea of multiple music composers doing a film. Every film needs to have a signature sound that binds the film together. But that entire idea falls flat when there is more than one musician composing for the same film,” says Parth. And even after all the efforts, does it help on revenue conversion? “Multiple music composers can never assure you of your film doing well at the BO. The only thing that assures success is the content,” says music composer Tapas Relia.indentSo what’s the way forward? Relia has the answer. “Cutting the overall cost on music is one of the main reasons why producers approach multiple music composers. So, you would pay a hefty price for one song, that becomes the mainstay of your film and hire other lesser known composers for the rest of the songs. Many filmmakers also acquire already composed songs on a lesser price. But this approach wouldn’t help the film. The producers should rather invest more on the background music because it’s the background score that enhances your film and ultimately makes the film better. Songs don’t translate into revenue. And the filmmakers need to understand that.” While the filmmakers are surely on song with more than one composer doing music for their films, musicians are looking in a different direction. It seems, only time will tell if this will continue in Dhollywood or not.