Anand Bhaskar: Always aim to create a musical contrast

Among the few Indian web originals that have found favour in the masses season after season Mirzapur is set to return with the third edition Given the success of its past iterations it is no surprise that the makers chose to retain a fair share of crew members including composer Anand Bhaskar He discusses his work on the projectEdited excerpts from the interviewHaving worked on the previous two editions of the show what will your approach for the upcoming version of Mirzapur beI now have an understanding of the world that the show is set in Having said that the previous two seasons had different musical landscapes Season one was fast and season two was more of a mental game than physical action Season three will also be different The one thing that I like to do is offer variation Just because the show is based in the hinterlands of Uttar Pradesh it is not necessary that each song marries the show They need not have the same flavour Creating musical contrast by crafting a song in a completely different musical genre is also appropriate For instance in season two I created a song called Sab ho jaane de rendered by Pratichee Mohapatra The makers said it was too ldquohiphoprdquo But since it was a scene in which a character was playing music on a device I suggested that the song could be a modernsounding rendition and it would be unexpected Similarly in the finale I wrote Raakh which is an outandout rock song Both these songs have been appreciated even though people usually believe that shows based on crime dramas would have a Gangs of WasseypurvibeWhat kind of motifs do you use to ensure each soundtrack is reminiscent of the past editionI have a brief and try to compose sounds that the directors may not expect If people listen to songs from both the seasons of the show they will find nuggets that will be reminiscent of the other edition I will try to add it with a guitar riff or a slap bass pattern Sometimes the new song may have a different key and mood and it may not click But I try to do thatAlso Read Navratri 2022 Day 1 Janhvi Priyanka Chopra Yami look like a vision in whiteCan you give us an insight into the working relationship between a song composer and score composer for a project like this oneThe score has been composed by John Stewart Eduri who is a friend My job is to ensure that the songs fit his score because his is the bigger player It is the score that evokes the required emotions When I score my lyricist and I will brainstorm themes based on what the character is going through the way he behaves and the things he says Because Mirzapur has different characters working on it is a lot of fun because we are working with diverse themes and quirksI have worked with John on several projects He is a friend first and a fraternitymember later We really hit it off so I donrsquot need to sit with him to discuss the process He makes space for me and if he needs me to do something in particular he will tell the director or me In season three things between us will be more collaborativeDo you believe that the importance of songs in the web space has diminishedI donrsquot Consider a show like This is Us whose music has been given by Siddhartha Khosla It is known for its music which is so evocative Shows like Euphoria and The Family Man are also known for their music There are moments that can only be highlighted by songs If that can work in films why not on the web We have a songanddance culture We have songs for each occasion and the occasion doesnrsquot matter I am glad that OTT shows are encouraging the inclusion of songs It democratises the entire OTT space for newer talent who may not come from established film families This is an area where they can find opportunities to pursue their skills professionallyWhat is your opinion about the current music sceneThere is no focus on individuality because everyone wants to be like an established singer This is not what happens in the independent music space where people constantly try to express their identities The labels that exist should find these artistes who can change our music landscapeAlso Read Exclusive Jasmeet on the climax of Darlings The arc is heroic and cathartic