IFFI: Subtleties of music that are essential for one’s psyche are missing in present times, says singer Hariharan

At a virtual In-Conversation session on ‘Music & Movies’, held at the ongoing 51st International Film Festival of India (IFFI), music maestros Hariharan and Bickram Ghosh reflected upon changing music trends in the film industry.

Hariharan, who is well known for his songs in Hindi and Tamil, spoke about the journey of music in cinema over the decades, pointing out that Indian classical genres were predominant in film songs and background scores in the 1950s. Ghosh pointed out, “When we gained independence, there was an accentuation on being Indian in the films of that era. Hence, audiences were given a trajectory of Indianness by means of Indian classical music.”

He added, “Then came the 70s when Hindi cinema was hit by a wave of ‘real cinema’ or ‘arthouse cinema’, which had very few songs. The soundscape changed dramatically in the 90s. In this period, every bit of sound became audible, giving a respite to singers. Voice clarity was there in the 60s and 70s, 80s saw a lot of orchestration and in the 90s, voice clarity totally disappeared.”

“In Naushad’s Gunga Jumna (1961), he used a lot of folk music. The whole background score and a symphony of the film were based on Lalit and Marwa Ragas. It added depth to the scenes. There was a harmony in that period,” he reflected. 

While the musicians spoke about the influence of Ilayaraja and RD Burman, Ghosh observed that a big shift in the soundscape had taken place with the entry of composer AR Rahman as a lot of instruments were being used. Hariharan said, “In Ilayaraja’s Annakkili (1976), there was an amazing harmony between Tamil folk music and Carnatic music.”

Agreeing with this, Ghosh added, “When Ilayaraja was ruling the South, Panchamda was the king of music in Mumbai. He westernized a lot of tracks. RD Burman converged Afro-Cuban and Latin music. The creativities used by RD Burman in certain films are a heritage for Indian music," said Ghosh.

“In Satte Pe Satta (1982), Amitabh Bachchan’s character gurgled in a tune. In Sholay (1975), Shamta Prasadji’s tabla in the 'Chal Dhanno Chal' sequence simply created magic. The song 'Chura Liya Hai Tumne Jo Dil Ko' in Yaadon Ki Baaraat (1973) is distinctive for the sounds used, while Teesri Manzil (1966) is another film noted for its unique sounds.”

Marking the technical shifts in music composing, Hariharan observed, “I find that use of lip-syncing in Indian cinema has come down. The modulatory note in film songs too is reducing. A lot of scores are produced by electronic music nowadays.”

Commenting on present-day films and music, Ghosh spoke about the astounding diversity in the country, saying that as a lot of Hindi films are set in different regions of the country, they integrate the folk music of various parts. Hariharan agreed, saying, “Our huge cultural canvas in India must be utilized."

However, the maestros also noted some essential features that are lacking in the music today, with Hariharan saying, “Subtleties of music are missing in present times, which is essential for one’s psyche. The shruti aspect of a song goes missing nowadays."