Musician Ranajoy Bhattacharjee talks about his first releases for 2024
From the melodious Preme Pora Baron in Sweater to the romantic Jiya Tui Chara in Biye Bibrat, versatile music composer and singer Ranajoy Bhattacharjee has lent his musical genius to many Bengali songs and albums which have compelled people to go on humming them. In 2024 his musical milieu opens with the release of Bijoyar Pore and Pariah. He will also be composing for Kaushik Ganguly’s Ajogya which marks the pairing of Rituparna Sengupta and Prosenjit Chatterjee for the 50th time. Indulge catches up with Bhattacharjee on his role as a composer in his upcoming films.
With Jotne Rakha garnering rave reviews from the audience, what was the brief given to you, and how you interpreted it?
I heard the whole story of Bijoyar Pore from the director and I felt intrigued. He wanted a song that brings in positivity and coming back to loved ones. I interpreted it as the feeling of homecoming. It’s a song of hope and love.
O Sokhi is again very different…
O Sokhi has a Puratoni Bangali song flavour. This style is not very common in Bengali music nowadays. So we went deep into the roots of the time, the music, and the lyrics and created the song. Both songs are very contrasting. Even the background score is very psychological.
What kind of creative space did you need to compose two very contrasting pieces of music?
I want to do this kind of work and highlight various kinds of music through my work. While Jotne Rakha is a very breezy and soft number, O Sokhi is like a sabeki bangla song. There is one Rabindra Sangeet and another anthem song too. I have been able to create an amalgamation of various music and this album is very close to my heart.
How did you uphold the theme of Pariah through your music?
Tatagatha gave me an idea of the kind of music and background score that should be in the movie. It’s a dark space, aggressive, powerful, and with power-packed performances; so its music also has to reflect the same. It’s a very energetic music. I kept the message and music complementary to each other. First, we created theme music and then developed it further. The album has an intense background score, theme song, title track, and even a romantic song. I enjoyed the process a lot which took almost a year.
How was it working with Sonu Nigam for the Pariah anthem?
Working with him was always on my wish list. We recorded him in a Bombay studio and it was an unforgettable experience. For him, I’m a young composer. But he never let me feel that he was Sonu Nigam. It was a collaborative process and extremely enjoyable.
How is 2024 shaping up for you beyond these?
Shedin Kuasha Chilo, Lukochuri, Paharganj Halt and others are in the pipeline.
Photo Courtesy: Saheb Santanu