Jeet and Subhashree in Boss

Jeet Gannguli is in a happy space, having had “complete freedom” to compose the music for Jeet-Subhashree’s Boss, which releases this Friday. A t2 chat...

You and Jeet go back a long way...

Jeet and I have been friends for 10 years now. We are great friends. We are on the phone for hours, talking about spirituality and philosophy. We discuss books such as Shiv Khera’s You Can Win, Robin Sharma’s The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari, or Rhonda Byrne’s The Secret. Recently, I asked him to watch Majid Majidi’s Children of Heaven! I love that film.

The music of Boss seems to have struck a chord with the audience.

It feels great. When I made my debut as a music composer in Tollywood with Premi, Jeet was the hero. That was in 2004. I have composed for a number of Bengali films starring Jeet. Boss, though, feels special since he is the hero as well as the producer. He gave me complete freedom to compose the songs and I told him that I would come up with something different. And now, the songs are a hit and it feels wonderful.

Tell us about the Boss songs...

The title track has a hip hop beat, while Mon majhi re is a passionate Sufi rock number. Jhinkunakur is a fun track. I always wanted to do a Latin song, so Ichhe joto is a romantic feel-good song.

Weren’t you apprehensive about composing a Latin song?

Yes, I was a little scared at the beginning. But then we have to take risks. I wasn’t sure how the audience would respond. The Latin rhythm goes very well with the song. As a composer, I’ve grown with each film. I have tried to change myself.

What’s your take on Tolly soundtracks?

The kids are tuned into the music of Bengali films. The other day on Twitter, a fan wanted to know the name of the person who has played the bass in Mon majhi re! Another person was asking for the chords to the song. Their level of awareness is amazing. We have to look ahead.

What is the secret of your success?

Keep on working. That’s how you grow. I have learnt so much from great composers like Sudhin Dasgupta, Salil Chowdhury and RD Burman. We are making music for films, and I try to compose according to the situations in a film. I try to use the right instruments to make the song work.

How do you choose the films you want to work for?

I see how important the role of the music is in the film. And the film should have a good story.

Do you have a signature sound?

My aim has always been to be original, to make songs that have character, and strike a balance between rhythm and melody.