National Film Award winner Amit Trivedi doesn’t need any introduction. Known for his profound knowledge of multiple languages like Hindi, Urdu and folk tongues, Trivedi has created his own niche in the music industry. Through his work in films like Dev D and Dear Zindagi, this music director has touched the souls of his listeners and has managed to grab the attention of the millions that are now part of his audiences. Trivedi has also performed in many television shows and was recently seen in the fifth season of The Dewarists, alongside V. Selvaganesha.
Talking about The Dewarists Season 5, Trivedi tells Guardian 20, “The Dewarists is an honest attempt at creating music independent of films. It’s very creatively liberating. I get complete freedom in terms of creativity and the best part is that one gets to collaborate with other amazing artists. I had the privilege of collaborating with V. Selvaganesha. He is extremely talented and is a lovely human being.”
He also shares his experience of working with the artist V. Selvaganesha. “It was an amazing experience,” he says. “We jammed on the song and created this track called ‘Panchiyaa’ in Sri Lanka. I have composed and sung the song whereas Selva sir has played kanjira and other percussions.”
Trivedi burst onto the music scene almost by chance. He was working on ad films when his life changed suddenly. He says, “I was working on ad films at the time. Singer Shilpa Rao knew Anurag Kashyap, who was looking for a new sound for his film. Shilpa introduced me to him. I played a few songs and he liked what he heard. Rest is history.”
“I love listening to all kinds of music. Even though I compose for mainstream Hindi films, I am open to exploring all genres of music. I guess my streak for creating music comes from there.”
Having explored almost every genre of music, including rock and folk, in his career, Trivedi is now renowned for his musical proficiency and versatility in the industry. When asked how he acquired such knowledge of music, Trivedi says, “I love listening to all kinds of music. Even though I compose for mainstream Hindi films, I am open to exploring all genres of music. I guess my streak for creating music comes from there.”
Before becoming a prominent musician, Trivedi started his career with jingles. When asked his views on jingles, which unlike the ’90s, are no longer prominent, he says. “The approach to jingles has definitely changed. It has evolved with time, but I don’t think they’ve become any less dominant.”
For music composers, the research process for composing any music for a film is really important. Trivedi believes in following the director’s brief and vision. “What also determines the music and the characters is the era the film is set in and the region it is set in etc.,” says Trivedi. With fame and popularity, criticism also becomes a staple of celebrities.
But Trivedi is open to criticism. He says, “There is constructive criticism and then there is destructive criticism. We have to learn to identify both. I definitely take constructive criticism in my stride. Its motivating because then I understand that there is scope for improvement.” In recent times, there is also a trend where old songs are re-sung adding new musical flavours.
When asked if this means that the music industry is running out of its creative capacity, he responds, “In an album there are four-to-five original tracks and probably one recreated track. So we are certainly not short on original tracks. Yes, it has become a trend lately because that’s the safest route to take. People have instant connection with old songs so half the battle is won. Some films justify that but some others do it just for the sake of it. Personally, I don’t like to touch old songs unless it’s done very-very tastefully. “The music that touches your heart and soul,” is his final remark on the type of music that cannot perish.