Amyt Datta and Neel Dutt tell t2 about making music for Teen Penny Opera, the 135-minute play directed by Chanda Dutt and starring Anjan Dutt...

What’s the role of music in Teen Penny Opera?

Neel: In the history of musicals, Bertolt Brecht’s Threepenny Opera has a seminal jazz score. Now, Teen Penny Opera’s music follows the authentic score but we are improvising. We are not using the horn section. Our sound is more acoustic jazz with guitars. One can actually jive to the music. We are doing about 12 songs in Bengali (translated by Anjan).

Amyt: We have tried to keep the essence and the melodic aspect of the original. At the same time Anjan (Dutt, who plays Macheath) and Chanda wanted to keep the vibe dirty but sophisticated. 

Neel: Brecht created the songs and the actors sang. Also, Louis Armstrong, with his rugged, rough voice, had sung Mack the Knife and that’s probably the best version. Frank Sinatra, Michael Buble had also done it. We have deliberately kept a slightly old-school sound. All the songs are mostly being sung by the actors.

Apart from Anjan, was it difficult to get the actors to sing?

Neel: We wanted to do that. We didn’t take the easy way out of having two other singers. This is a musical and ideally the performers have to sing.  When the director was selecting the actors, she also wanted them to have a sense of singing. Of course it is difficult to find people who can act and sing at the same time. Also, the music is jazz, so it was challenging. It is a new thing for most actors, and we were careful not to make them self-conscious. But they have worked it out. Brecht felt that his actors should not sing melodiously. It should be like they are talking and singing. 

What was your brief for Anjan?

Neel: He has played Macheath before (in the 1980s), so he knows his thing. Actually Macheath doesn’t have too many songs. He has the theme song. 

Amytda, you have worked with Neel on films before. For this play, what was your approach? 

Well, we cannot control what’s happening live. That risk factor is there, and that’s why it is more fun! It’s like a live gig. I love that unknown magical quality. Also, you get to watch the energy level change with each show. If you have four shows, all of it will be different from each other. 

Neel, have you ever been to Amyt’s classes? 

Amytda was part of one of Baba’s earlier plays called Chord Line. This was in the early 1990s and I was very young then. I went for a class to his place on a Sunday and gradually, Sundays meant going to his place, hanging around, learning, getting to meet people. After a while I got busy with exams, and later reconnected through recordings of my father’s albums like Bandra Blues, Kolkata 16, Rang Pencil.

Amyt: With Godot (Neel), I noticed that he has a natural sense of music, which is rare. 

Amytda, at one point of time Neel was your student, but now you are also performing with him…

Amyt: I respect that space. That’s how life is. I am a professional. He knows what I can play, and it works out great.  
Neel: We never had a teacher-student relationship. He is very cool.

Neel, was it unnerving to have Amyt playing beside you at gigs initially?

Neel: Not really, I already knew him. 

Amyt: The wall was broken many years ago. 

Neel: I really like it when he steals the show (laughs). It’s great to have him play alongside. Later, if I’m thinking of something I go back to him and ask him questions. 

What makes Neel stand out from other guitarists?

Amyt: The style that he should do is very clear to him. He is closer to a music producer, arranger, composer... he falls in that zone. Maybe he doesn’t want to be a virtuoso guitar player. The overall sonic picture is very clear to him in the zone he wants to work in.