What happens when a silent film produced in 1923 has a background score being played live in the foreground of the screen? It creates an experience that coalesces time across a bridge 100 years apart.

The audience at the Asutosh Birth Centenary auditorium in Indian Museum witnessed Paris Qui Dort, a delightful French science fiction comedy that was René Clair’s directorial debut. And providing musical life to the silent feature film was Stephane Scharle, who was creating the sound on his computer set and occasionally playing the drums, with his eyes riveted on the action on screen. The experience, called ciné concert, has become popular in France, said the 43-year-old drummer and composer from Paris.

The film’s story is of a city that has been put to sleep by a mad scientist. The only people to escape his experimental machinations were the guard on night duty atop the Eiffel Tower and a group of air passengers who land at the unmanned airport in the morning. The sequence of events follows their activity in a city frozen in mid-action.

From incomprehensibility and incredulity to opportunism and rivalry, every emotion and situation on the screen found a voice across the ages in the music. Stephane Scharle, who is on an 11-city tour of India and was being hosted here by the Alliance Francaise du Bengale, interacted with t2 and the audience at the end of the screening.

On the planning of the soundtrack…

I tried to play something that would amplify the emotions, that would try to respond to movements and actions. I divided the film into seven sections and each section had a special orchestral frame. I decided in advance for each section what the bass, percussion or melody sounds would be. In the first section, for instance, this bass sound (plays a short sequence of notes), expresses the gigantism of the Eiffel Tower and a sense of discomfort. (Plays another sound) This is very dreamy but this is also the sound of the main theme.

The soundtrack is a mix of the sounds that make sense to me and sounds that I like. (Plays something) I like this tune as it sounds a bit out of tune.

On how he started playing cine concerts

The first time I did it was in 2010. A cinema asked me to do the soundtrack to a horror movie, with a vampire. That exercise was a lot different from playing with a jazz quartet or playing solo. For a movie, one has to step back a bit. One also has to feel a bit less. The more I feel the less I play (giggles) as I feel the music would become a bit too much. That decides the balance — how much music there should be.

On the trend of cine concerts

It was not my idea and I am certainly not the first one to present this. In the early 20th century, musicians were already playing (live). It started in the ’80s. Now in Europe, it is getting quite common. It is a great way to bring people, who love jazz or electronic music, to the cinemas as they would otherwise be watching things on Netflix. It is an artistic way to bring in new kinds of audience.

On whether a film’s soundtrack is the same in each show

In every show, I have the same group of sounds for a specific section. So in the first section, I play high-pitched tunes. I think it works well. But every time I don’t follow the same loop. The more I play a movie, the more accurate I hope I get to what happens. I have more tools — my drums. For this tour, Eric Gauthier is on sound. He makes the sound move around so you are surrounded by the sound.

On deciding where silence works

In the beginning, when the man is alone in the streets. No people, no birds, no winds. That place is quite obviously silent. Another place I like is when they fight on the Eiffel Tower and the man jumps into the river and gasps.

On choosing the movie Paris Qui Dort to play with

I chose it as it is a sci-fi movie. I had not done this genre before. I brought computers and I thought this futuristic set-up would work well in a sci-fi movie. I had two weeks to create the soundtrack for the film, so I really had to restrain myself. The biggest challenge was to be with the film as I was trying out a new set-up.

On his travel equipment set

This is my midi-controller, which sends a signal to my computer, which, in turn, generates the sound. When I travel, I carry only my electronic stuff. I had requested for a classical drum set and luckily, every city in India is musically active.

On his cine concert repertoire

I play six-seven silent films. I have to watch a film 15-20 times before I can decide on the music. I must be one of the biggest fans of this movie worldwide. (Laughs)

On his India experience

In 2018, I had done a tour with a Buster Keaton film which people had loved. I had come for the first time in 2009. This is my fifth trip to India and second to Calcutta. My band Ozma Jazz has toured India.

On choosing between music concerts and cine concerts

Difficult to choose. But I like to play with my band as it is more interactive with the audience.