Charting a different trajectory

Shashank Arora

You would assume an intriguing story awaits you when you inquire what led to naming a song Kya Iss gaane ka naam hai, but Shashank Arora brushes the question with a pithy: "It was impulsively named." Fortunately, the track in itself is more promising than this lacklustre response. In his first attempt at creating electronic music, Arora manages to hold attention with mid-tempo beats in a genre generally associated with fast-paced numbers. "I usually create acoustical sounds with the ukulele or flute, and vocals, but have been creating electronica and hip-hop with a classical twist, of late."

The Made in Heaven 2019actor has enjoyed as much attention as a musician as he has for his prowess before the camera, but it was for Anurag Kashyap-s co-production, the Indian crime drama, Moothon 2019 that he first turned composer. "In the past, [while working on] Brahman Naman, India-s first [series] on Netflix, I was playing Bikhre in the vanity van. The makers walked in and bought it instantly," says the actor of his celebrated number.

Currently on his plate is Dibakar Banerjee-s next, Freedom, a Netflix offering that pairs him with the likes of Naseeruddin Shah and Divya Dutta. "I was called for a screen test by Dibakar, and thought the script was incredible," he says of Gaurav Solanki-s story on an Indian middle-class family, set 25 years in the future. "Dibakar is one of my favourite directors. He liked what he saw in the screen test. This is the first time that I will work with Naseer sir. And I am ecstatic."

Catch up on all the latest entertainment news and gossip here. Also, download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel @middayinfomedialtd and stay updated with the latest news