Ajay-Atul’s talent elevates the Sairat experience

In an age when the music business involves more of business and less of music, musicians and composers are often forced to follow a ‘pattern’ or a ‘formula’ while composing for India’s masses. Film music is the best example of this, considering that India churns out a large number of films every year, and that music is an integral part of the movie industry. Music directors often compose according to ‘what the public wants to hear’, which directly translates into ‘what will sell in the market’. This not only restricts musicianship as an art form, but also warps the perceptions of the public by feeding them more and more of this ‘formulaic’ sound. In times like these, it is a refreshing change when music directors who believe in high aesthetics come up with an enchanting soundtrack that mesmerises listeners and brings back people’s belief in true musicianship. Ajay-Atul’s soundtrack for Sairat, their latest Marathi venture, is a glorious endeavour.

The duo have made a breakthrough in more ways than one — the entire orchestral section of the film’s soundtrack has been recorded at Sony Studios, Hollywood. That in itself should be an indication of how passionately the soundtrack was composed and conceptualised. That said, it is also important to note that the songs in the soundtrack are fundamentally different from each other and fit into the script seamlessly, evoking each desired emotion. As one watches the film, it seems almost as if the music is a part of the visual itself, as it not only relates to the images and the scene in particular, but even adds to the narrative, as if a narrator were explaining the film’s emotional and human aspects to the audience.

Ajay Gogavale has taken up most of the male vocal duties for the soundtrack and has done justice to every song he’s lent his voice to. A personal favourite,  Yaad Lagla, brings out the duo’s compositional skill and musical expertise, with Ajay’s vocals emphasising these aspects. The duo have also used their favourite female playback singer in the soundtrack, the graceful Shreya Ghoshal, whose vocals liven up the vibrant Aatach Baya, which is a combination of various genres and musical elements and brings forth an exciting flavour of its own. The film’s title track, Sairat Jhala Ji, uses more Marathi elements and hints at being influenced by the great Ilayaraja. The song is majestic, with Gogavale partnering with Chinmayi Sripada. In fact, the only song in the soundtrack that bears any resemblance to the run-of-the-mill commercial film music of today is Zingaat, in which Ajay-Atul have used modern elements such as synthesizers and electronic drums. Though Zingaat is not as musically enriching as the rest of the songs, it serves its purpose effectively since it is used in a dance-party scene in the film, and the chorus melody in it has the potential of being stuck in your head for days on end.

All in all, the Sairat soundtrack is a masterpiece, and is sure to boost the momentum that Ajay-Atul have already created for themselves in the film industry. The orchestral sections sound breathtakingly grand, owing to the musicians and the recording quality at Sony Studios. Not only do these modern compositions prove that good music need not have any formula, they also encourage originality. The success of the film and its music should further strengthen Ajay-Atul’s place in the Indian film industry as a force to reckon with. Moreover, it should also encourage further collaborations between the East and West.

The author, an audio engineer by profession, is also a passionate musician