Kolkata based musician Subhadeep Pan took the lesser travelled route of a sound engineer to carve a niche for himself in the Bengali film industry. A few years down the line he is all set to debut as a vocalist in the Dev's upcoming feature film Kishmish.
“My musical journey started in class 6 when I signed up for guitar lessons. I was a regular at inter-school competitions and gradually formed my own alternative rock band Nishaan which went on to win the Channel V Launch Pad in 2014. However, my music career in the industry kicked off as a background score mixer and in 2018 I joined Fossils as a Live Sound Engineer,” shares Subhadeep who has worked for films like Hobuchandra Raja Gobuchandra Mantri, Ekannoborti to name a few.
How did Kishmish happen?
I first met composer Nilayan Chatterjee as an intern for a city radio station. I got to know that he is on the lookout for a music arranger when Kishmish was still in talks. I have been involved with the project from its inception and I have arranged four tracks for this film along with Soumyadeep Basak apart from singing one of them. My song Tui Bolbo Na Tumi is a very colourful song that emanates positivity. Since this was my debut song as a vocalist, I have tried to put in my hundred percent as I believe first impression has a lot of impact.
You have experienced music from a dual perspective, both from the backstage and as a frontrunner. What are some of the nuances between these two roles?
I have arranged for shows that covered over five thousand individuals in the audience. My job as a sound engineer is to optimise the output in order to facilitate an immersive experience with clarity. There is still some lack of knowledge regarding sound engineering and music arrangement, but we are gradually being recognised more than we used to be. It is quite similar when it comes to movies as songs are recognised by its singers and composers. People fail to realise that there is a bigger team out there working day in and day out to execute a particular track. As someone who has worked in the back hand, singing for Kishmish was an exciting opportunity. This gave me a new perspective on the importance of people who work away from the spotlight.
How has the sound designing scenario transitioned over the years?
Social media has definitely helped in bringing sound engineers and arrangers to the forefront. People away from the camera and mic have always been recognised in the West, but it is only recently that people have picked up on it here too. I am thankful to the production houses who facilitate Behind the Scenes and highlight the work of the ones who have always shied away from the media glare.
Kishmish will hit theatres on April 29