What were your questions to director Suman Ghosh when he asked you to compose the music for Kadambari? 

I asked him how he was going to approach the subject of the film. Will he go the classic way? Suman clearly said that he wanted to make a classic film. And immediately I said, ‘We must go classical with the music.’ People haven’t heard a nice classical score for a long time now. We decided that we’d get some of the best musicians on board.

How did Ustad Amjad Ali Khan agree to come on board?

Suman jumped at the idea of having Ustadji play. Amjad Ali Khan saab has never played for any film soundtrack, so it was a coup of sorts. I saw the film, did most of the music and then told Suman that we could approach him. I felt if he saw what was going on musically and visually he might actually say yes. I had first played with Ustadji in 1994.... We went to his Delhi home, showed him the film and he was very impressed with what he saw. He felt the film has a certain dignity. And then he said, ‘Main karunga.’ He was an unbelievable sport. He came down and we recorded in the Music Room Studio on Russell Street, and we shot the promotional video in Thakurbari. 

With Kadambari, you are actually entering a space on screen that is your forte — classical music... 

Yes. This is who I am primarily, an Indian classical musician. The music of Kadambari is predominantly Indian classical in nature, bearing testimony to the fact that Indian classical music was one of the most popular forms of music prevalent in 19th century Bengal. In those days classical music played a big role in society. And here classical music blends wonderfully with the score of this film. Ninety per cent of the score is done on single instruments. 

Have you used different instruments to embellish the main characters?

I cannot imagine doing Kadambari’s score without live instrumentation. Jyotirindranath Tagore is primarily identified with the violin. He used to play it. The film is from Kadambari’s (played by Konkona Sensharma) perspective, through her eyes, it’s her journey, so for Kadambari, I’ve primarily kept it on the cello and esraj. The octave of the cello is so low that I feel it gives a very interesting perspective into the dark recesses of her mind. Nobody knows ultimately why she committed suicide. So what was going on in her mind? And Saskia (Rao-de Haas) has played the cello so evocatively. 

Did you use a single instrument for Rabindranath Tagore?

Through the course of the film we see Rabindranath Tagore (played by Parambrata Chattopadhyay) changing, so I couldn’t use a single instrument for Rabindranath in the film. I have used certain tones as the movie progresses and slowly you get to hear symphonic sounds... nothing big, chamber type of sounds. In the film, it is shown that his worldview is developing, opening up, so I bring in a few nuances very subtly. The most important sound he is associated with in the film is the song E bhara badara, which Rashid Khan sings. 

Does percussion take a back seat in the score?

There are a few pieces where I’m playing tabla with Ustadji, but I’ve hardly used any percussion in the score. The sound of the film is legato. It’s too psychological a score to go staccato. Mostly I’ve used instruments like viola, violin, cello, esraj, surbahar, sitar, sarod. 

And you have not just stuck to Tagore songs...

No. I always want to do original scores. And for Kadambari, I have composed original tunes (Aaj notun probhat and Kachher shure ) that capture the mood and essence of Rabindrasangeet and Tagore’s musicality. The songs came very naturally to me. I hardly took a few minutes to come up with the melodies. Both the songs follow the gharana, take the style of Rabindrasangeet but explore a little bit outside it. There has to be some kind of originality. Suman loved both the songs. 

How do you feel people will react to your new avatar?

My reputation as an innovator of fusion music or a tabla player has been far too strong an image in people’s heads. Seeing me in this new avatar is not an easy thing. In our country, people like putting artistes into boxes. If they are in a certain space, it’s easier for them to accept or appreciate them. But if a person is doing a bunch of things of a certain standard, people have difficulty in defining that person. And that takes time. I have primarily been a classical musician for 30 years of my life. I started off as a player of pure classical music and I’ve come full circle with this film. This is one of my best.

What does Rabindrasangeet mean to you? 

Initially, the music wasn’t a big influence on me, like Hindustani classical music was. Strangely, Rabindrasangeet’s always there with me. Later on, I have done albums like Tagore Lounge. What I find fascinating is that there’s this amazing vastness in Tagore’s compositions. The rhythms he used are so interesting.... I remember listening to a Rabindrasangeet record by Kishore Kumar and another by Amjad Ali Khan and Suchitra Mitra. That album was very dear to me. As I started doing more work, I started exploring and discovering the nuances of Rabindrasangeet. I am in a space where Rabindranath’s oeuvre is opening up to me and I am deeply interested in him as an artiste. I am becoming more and more a fan.  

You have watched Kadambari. Your thoughts?

This is Suman’s best. We came together for Nobel Chor and that worked out really well. We have a nice understanding of each other’s vision, and it’s easy working with him. Suman has done a stellar job with Kadambari... he has brought a lot of research, dignity… the characterisation is very commendable. One is completely transported into that era. Kadambari will present the viewer with a very rich experience. 

Arindam Chatterjee