E-Paper
Music: Life in harmony
Music power couple Gaurav Raina (aka GRAIN) and Tarana Marwah (aka Komorebi), who have a 19-year age gap, reveal some relationship secrets
Seven or eight years ago, when Gaurav Raina was just starting off with Grain, his colleague suggested that he listen to Komorebi’s music. “He said there was a great keyboardist with a fab sense of harmony and chords,” says Gaurav.
So, Gaurav listened to Komorebi, the ensemble that Tarana Marwah was part of, and shared a song from the band with Kamakshi Khanna and Abhilasha Sinha. Kamakshi, in turn, suggested that Tarana listen to GRAIN.
But the two musicians only met later, at a Your Chin gig at Summerhouse Café in Delhi and the after-party that followed.
The fizz-bang of chemistry
Gaurav asked Tarana if she was interested in collaborating. She was. Together, they made a track called Dream. “I was almost enamoured by her voice,” says Gaurav. “I couldn’t believe that this kind of musicality could exist in India.”
Working closely together, Gaurav and Tarana bonded over conversations after studio sessions. Slowly, their friendship turned to something else.
“I’d never worked with someone and then dated them,” says Tarana. “It was a huge deal to work with MIDIval Punditz/ Gaurav. But he found my skill set and I wrote melodies that stood out.” And the wires just connected.
It was quite simple, says Gaurav. “When you feel chemistry, you should think about it. Chemistry almost doesn’t exist,” he says.
Adds Tarana: “It’s a rare thing to share with someone – not just being in a relationship but also working together in music. The spark that helps us make music beyond us is larger than our relationship.”
The emotional hook
The clincher for Gaurav was when they were at a house party and Tarana played the 1980s track Broken Wings by Mr. Mister, Gaurav’s favourite song, because she loved the song too. Even today, they pick off each other’s Spotify list.
“It’s scientifically proven that if you like the same kind of music, you are meant to be,” smiles Tarana. “Because it’s such an emotional hook in our life,” adds Gaurav.
The fact that Gaurav grew up listening to what was playing in the ’80s and the ’90s, which is retro music for Tarana, can be a bit unnerving. “When (band members) Tapan and Karsh come over, we play hours of ’80s music,” explains Gaurav and Tarana cuts in: “I can’t deal with the ’80s anymore.”
He pushes her to deliver the best, his experience in the music industry making him an honest critic. She inspires him on a creative level.
“He always has a vision of where something is going and I immediately know what he’s talking about and can compose it,” says Tarana. This synergy is quite visible in the studio.
Of course, it’s stressful too. Both are perfectionists. “A high level of skill comes with a strong sense of what you think is right,” explains Gaurav.
Success mantra
The realisation that they were a power couple arrived shortly after they started dating and did the Made In Heaven (2019) soundtrack together. “The filmmakers didn’t want someone from Bollywood to do it, and doing the soundtrack felt right. How long can I continue to dance in front of 100 people every other week?” laughs Gaurav.
The success of the soundtrack changed the dynamics for them. “Gaurav Raina can’t do what he does without Tarana Marwah. We now work as a powerful couple who deliver solid life-changing stuff,” he says.
And to those who say Tarana knew just the right person to date? “I know merit brought me where I am,” says Tarana. “If I don’t bring something to this level, it won’t work.”
The age gap
Is the 19-year age difference ever an issue? After all, Gaurav is 46 and Tarana is 27. “The big issue with an age gap boils down to the roles you play. But that’s not a thing with us,” says Tarana.
Of course, some people thought she was crazy to date a man almost 20 years older than herself. But close family and friends have only been accepting.
“Today people are what they are and they will do what they want,” says Tarana. “If you are self-aware, how can you not be supportive of people doing so well together?”
Gaurav on the other hand, was told that he was having a mid-life crisis. “But a year later they saw how happy I was!” he grins.
The two of them work so well because he is young at heart and she is mature for her age. “So our mental wavelengths match,” Tarana laughs.
They’ve been dating for five years and moved in together right before lockdown. So, of course, there are fights. Who wins? “We both lose,” they snigger collectively.
Follow @kkuenzang on Twitter and Instagram
From HT Brunch, May 16, 2021
Follow us on twitter.com/HTBrunch
Connect with us on facebook.com/hindustantimesbrunch
