Composer Amit Trivedi never expected to be cult in Bollywood

Awards and nominations seem to be mundane for music composer Amit Trivedi, who’s recently been nominated for the Best Background Score category at the Global Indian Music Awards. Sounding rather bashful, Amit says, “Honestly, I’ve never thought of awards. It’s the last thing on my mind, when I’m working for a film. But, all said and done, it is satisfying when your hard work is appreciated.”

Amit has been nominated for the critically acclaimed hit Udaan. “If I were to look into all the work that I’ve done, I’d really hold Udaan and Dev D as the two best experiences. Everything, right from the team to the working environment, was so memorable. And the music has been well received for these films as well,” he says.

Credited for bringing in a change in the sounds of Bollywood film albums, Amit says, “When I signed on my first film Aamir, I didn’t plan to be here. It was something that I took on to experience the idea of composing a soundtrack. When I created music for Dev D, I just went ahead with my instinct and used the sounds that came into my mind. I had no idea that the music I was creating would be termed as cult in Hindi cinema.”

The inspirations for this cult composer remain close to reality. “It may sound weird, but it is everyday sounds and happenings that influence me and my music,” says Amit, adding, “As for my inspirations, I listen to a whole lot of music right from The Beatles to Coldplay. In Indian composers today, I’m fond of AR Rahman, Vishal Bharadwaj and Shankar, Ehsan and Loy.”

Talking about his future projects, he says, “I’m working on five soundtracks, three of which include big production houses like Dharma, Yashraj Films and Balki.”

Quiz him if there’s a difference in working with them and the new age directors like Anurag Kashyap and he readily agrees, “There’s a sea change in their approach and passion towards working on a film.”

Amit, who has composed one Malayalam song, says, “It is hard for me to make music for a language that I cannot comprehend. I’d rather stick to composing music for Bollywood films.”