An Indian music director, Shantanu Moitra has predominantly worked in Hindi and Bengali film industry since a long time. He is best-known for Bollywood films like Parineeta (2005), Lage Raho Munna Bhai (2006), Laaga Chunari (2007), Khoya Khoya Chand (2007), 3 Idiots (2009), Raajneeti (2010), Madras Cafe (2013) and Mardani and PK (2014) among many others his most recent being October (2018).

Moitra started his career as a client servicing executive at an ad agency, while music remained a hobby. He started composing music for advertising jingles accidentally, and won laurels when his jingle Bole mere lips. I love Uncle Chipps for the chips brand Uncle Chipps became a hit.  From then it went to composing music for Indipop albums that were hits including Ab ke Saawan, Mann ke Manjeere: an album of women's dreams for Breakthrough, and Sapna Dekha Hai Maine (2003).

Moitra moved to the land of dreams in 2002 collaborating with many artists and inevitably Bollywood.

Verus Ferreira speaks to the music composer about his career graph and his latest work.

Which artist/artistes’ musical works has inspired you the most?

My inspiration is Pandit Ravishankar. Apart from his classic repertoire, I think the kind of work he has done, the collaboration with people around the world, artists around the world and he truly is a global ambassador for India. He has got India onto the world map in terms of music be it collaborating with the Beatles or collaborating with Zubin Mehta, Stephen Rafale, Zubin Mehta, the Operas, the plays, the versatility of this man is just amazing. Right from Vivid Bharti and All India Radio tune to Swagatam, Su Swagatam, so you know it’s just mind boggling what this man has done and I am completely awed by Pandit Ravishankar.

Amongst the exceptional masterpieces that you have composed, which one is your favorite?

I would say it would be ‘100 days in Himalayas’, primarily because it’s a journey which I took physically, for 100 days across the Himalayas and the reaction that happened to this physical journey was almost metaphysical in terms of these tunes which came to me and the fact that I could bring it all together for a concert. This whole thing, it’s almost like making a whole movie but instead of celluloid, camera, actors, this was something I did on my own. It’s my life’s journey which helped me compose and create so yeah, ‘100 days in Himalayas’ would be my favorite. The ironical part is that not many people have heard it but it still remains my most challenging and memorable work.

What changes have you noticed in music production & composition over the years?

I just feel that we are going through this very strange phase where we are kind of little confused about what works, does short lines work, do big compositions work, do hook lines work, people get bored very fast. So it’s a whole lot of confusion which is happening and I just feel that it’s time we kind of looked at not what people like but what the creator likes and if the creator can think of the creation and not the marketability of it, I think the authenticity and genuine stuff and that thing which touches your heart, the likely chances of that becoming much more. I believe 30 years back a much bolder and fearless work was happening.

Are you working on any new project?

I have basically a couple of movies which I am working on; the one which will get released very soon is ‘Gulabo Sitabo’ which is directed by Sujit Sarkar starring Amitabh Bachchan and Ayushmann. There’s also a Bengali film, called ‘Prem Tame’. But that apart, I am busy writing my book on my travel – ‘100 days in Himalayas’, and also busy taking my two concerts ‘100 days in Himalaya’ and ‘Chandrayan’ to various parts of the world. They are two babies of mine which I really take care of, so yeah these are very exciting times for me.

Besides music what is your other passion?

I think that is the most confusing part of me which people actually are most confused is that what is it that I really do but yeah there’s cooking, there’s travelling, there’s photography and there is also what I call ethnomusicology which I call the study of tribes and their stories through music and yeah these are things which I am equally passionate about along with music.

How do you sum up your journey since the time you started, what has been the learning’s and the challenges?

I think my biggest learning from my journey is that you can’t plan anything, I can’t, this is my learning from my life, I can’t plan anything, nothing that I plan works out, but at the same time there’s a beauty about the unknown and it just keeps you alive and makes your sense sharper to recognize and smell opportunities, it just keeps you on your toes, it just keeps you hungry because who knows the next meal, the next exquisite meal is just round the corner. Complacency doesn’t work as an artist, there is always room for improvement to better and there’s always somebody better than you and the other truths of life. I am where I am not because of my talent but because of the series of great timings, lot of people helped me along the way and of course a lot of hard work. But I don’t take this position for granted and whenever I meet somebody young I just say that you know talent is one part of it but the application is what makes your talent reach people. And that’s important. And I think finally it’s that the arts, the arts are many senses together, so music, just sitting down and playing an instrument is isolating not misunderstanding music. Music is seeing places, music is seeing people, and music is taste, smell, experiences, everything, and everything about life. The breathing, the fact that we are existing as species is all part of music. It is very important to experience everything as a totality. You have to be an artist in total, not just one part of it.  And every part of you, those experiences become a part of the music that you are creating. So it’s really the osmosis of life and these are the learning’s.

Tell us about your association with Godrej L’Affaire?

I am very excited to be taking part in this year. This is my first time it’s a one - day experiential lifestyle platform, and this gives me a great opportunity to share some of my learning’s from travel and how they inspired me as a person, sharing stories about the music. Well looking forward to see you guys over there.