Abhishek Ray brings back classic music

Singer-composer Abhishek Ray is bringing back the classic touch in contemporary Bollywood music. He has effortlessly changed the sound canvas with movies such as Yeh Saali Zindagi (YSZ), Shagird, Saheb Biwi aur Gangster and I Am Kalam so far.

Wondered about the sudden return of extreme fusion in the form of Harmonica and Jazz in some Bollywood flicks since early this year? The answer is singer-composer, Abhishek Ray, who has effortlessly changed the sound canvas with movies such as Yeh Saali Zindagi (YSZ), Shagird, Saheb Biwi aur Gangster and I Am Kalam so far.

While he composed a grungy title track for YSZ; in came symphony and jazz with harmonica and electric guitars in song, Kaisi talab from Shagird. And, his work on Raat mujhe in Saheb Biwi… was weaved with a classical touch under the shadow of a raga from southern India.

“The amalgamations happen very effortlessly with me,” says Ray, who has had his training in both Indian and western classical since his adolescent days. Inspired by the “rootedness of Indian culture”, he has also mixed Victorian symphonies and central Indian folk in his forthcoming flick, Paan Singh Tomar.

Having had four of his films release back-to-back, this year, Ray says: “I’ve been plowing seeds since the last seven to eight years in Mumbai, but it’s only now that these movies are drawing attention.”

The singer writes, composes and arranges his music, only in his own studio. “I do it all myself because when an arranger comes, he has definite influence of other composers rubbed on his work which I don’t want,” says Ray, who’s also actively involved with Save the Tiger Project.

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