Alove song gave way to a thumri and Despacito made way for Shape of You as Team Asche Abar Shabor let their hair down at the lounge bar Level Seven before the film’s release to launch the music of the thriller directed by Arindam Sil.  “The film has a groovy electronica score. And there are two songs in the film — Bhanga mon, bhanga chand and Kaise manaun Shyam. The first one is a pure love song, sung by Timir, Iman and Ambarish.... The film is about love crime, so this song constitutes an important part of that, where love moves into crime.... And I could see a song for the auto chase sequence in Lucknow... this is where Kaise manaun Shyam came in. The first line is Prem ki maar katar, the famous thumri sung by Bade Ghulam Ali Khan. I took those few words and made a new song out of it. I wrote the lyrics and Barnali sang it. I felt there is a Shyam-Radha connect in the storyline, and all the characters are in some sort of an illicit relationship,” said music director Bickram Ghosh. 

“I fall in love with Shabor Dasgupta every time he walks out with that swag!” giggled Mohua, with husband Saswata ‘Shabor’ Chatterjee by her side. “And Saswata is Shabor. He says things with a poker face and sometimes I can’t come up with a fitting reply at that moment,” she added. Does Saswata agree? “Sometimes I become Shabor on the streets... when I see people jaywalking with phones stuck to their ears!” said the screen sleuth.

Saswata and Subhrajit Datta, who plays Shabor’s assistant.

 “I love the Shabor theme music and its arrangement is edgier and cooler in this film. The background music adds to the cool quotient of the film. The songs enhance the ambience and are beautifully picturised,” said Gaurav Chakrabarty, who plays inspector Sanjib Das.

Arunima Ghosh plays Sumana, a “very calm and quiet, cerebral character”.

Darshana plays Suzanne.

Diti, who plays Chandernagore girl Rinku Roy, burnt the dance floor.

Asche Abar Shabor actress Anamika Chakraborty got grooving to Dil lena khel hai dildar ka. “Dancing is my passion. I am a Bharatanatyam dancer… also kathak, Western and creative. I was a choreographer as well,” said Anamika, who’s a fan of Martin Garrix and DJ Snake.

Anindya Chatterjee, who plays Diti’s friend in the film, and Tuhina, who plays an escort.

“We were delighted to host the music launch party.... great to see them enjoying our music and ambience,” said Level Seven owner Sidharth Banthia (right), and DJ Nawal Banthia.

(L-R) Bickram Ghosh with wife Jaya, Arindam Sil with wife Shukla. “Bickram has given meaningful music in all my films. Both the songs are so relevant in Asche Abar Shabor. They inform the scenes and take the story forward. I wanted the music to underline the sex and violence in the film,” said director Arindam, whose favourite party song is Senorita from Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara. “I can start dancing the moment that song comes on!”

Arindam Chatterjee
Pictures: Rashbehari Das