An Indian classical version of DC’s Superman theme has taken the internet by storm, with several fans left in awe of how Indian musicians have weaved magic with the iconic track.
But this isn’t the first time that Tushar Lall-led Indian Jam Project, a band known for blending traditional Indian musical elements with Western compositions, has reimagined an iconic theme with a classical twist.
From Squid Game to Mission Impossible, this band has given an Indian classical spin to some of the most popular themes globally, using instruments like flute, harmonium and sitar.
It all started in 2015, when the band shot to fame with their reimagination of the popular Game of Thrones theme, and never looked back.
Squid Game
With Tushar Lall on the harmonium, Sandeep Mishra on the sarangi, Prasad Rahane on the sitar, Hrishikesh Majumdar on the flute, and Rupak Dhamankar on tabla and padhant, the reimagined Squid Game theme sets the tone for the deadly games in the Korean dystopian thriller series streaming on Netflix.
Mission Impossible
In a compelling fusion of East and West, musician Tushar Lal brings a refreshing Indian twist with his instruments to the work of acclaimed Argentine-American composer Lalo Schifrin, best known for composing the iconic Mission: Impossible theme.
The instantly recognisable tune, first composed for the original 1966 television series, was reprised in every Mission: Impossible film starring Tom Cruise, including the most recent instalment The Final Reckoning.
Schifrin, who earned six Academy Award nominations and received an honorary Oscar in 2018 for his contributions to film music, took his last breath on June 27.
Harry Potter
Tushar breathes new life into the iconic Harry Potter score, originally composed by John Williams. Featuring piano, violins, flute, sarangi, santoor and tabla, his arrangement Indianises the mysterious tunes of the wizarding world, offering fans a magical new way to experience the timeless melodies of Hogwarts.
Interstellar
Released in 2015, this beautiful amalgamation of flute, keyboard, sitar and tabla is a tribute to the original creators of Interstellar’s theme song. The film, released in 2014, was directed by Christopher Nolan and starred Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway and Jessica Chastain in the lead.
Justice League
The music video of the reimagined rendition of the Justice League (2017) theme pays homage to the children of the Asalpha slum in Mumbai’s Ghatkopar, depicting their everyday battles and little joys.
Released in 2018, the video draws parallels between Batman assembling the Justice League and the children finding their place in the world.
The Dark Knight
The Indian tribute to The Dark Knight music, originally composed by Hans Zimmer, features a powerful blend of sarangi, drums and flute, offering a haunting cinematic reinterpretation of the score.
Based on the DC Comics superhero Batman, the Christopher Nolan directorial, starring Christian Bale, is the sequel to Batman Begins (2005), and the second instalment in The Dark Knight trilogy.
Game of Thrones
Tushar Lall’s Indian classical rendition of the Game of Thrones theme marked the beginning of the Indian Jam Project. Inspired by the music alone, Tushar, without having seen Game of Thrones, brought together a flutist and a tabla player to recreate Ramin Djawadi’s now-famous composition. They recorded the performance in a single take, using just a DSLR camera in Tushar’s room — and the result quickly became a viral hit on YouTube.
Other noteworthy Indian classical renditions by Tushar include theme music of Inception, Star Wars, Titanic and Skyfall. The band has also added their classical touch to iconic scores from popular video games including Assassin’s Creed II.
