How Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy composed music for Mere Pyare Prime Minister

Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy

Rendering an upbeat soundtrack for a film that discusses child labour and rape couldn't have been a mean feat for Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, the musician trio currently enjoying accolades for their last release, Mere Pyare Prime Minister.

"While we retained the intensity of the music, the message was straightforward. So, even though the title song was breezy, almost happy sounding, the lyrics were grave. This was also the case with the track, Rezgaariyaan, which depicted the sad situation of kids in slums. Gulzar saab [lyricist] refers to them as loose change; the children who people don't bother about. But the song is upbeat; the feel is funky," says Shankar Mahadevan.

Training their focus on an upcoming web offering, Bandish Bandits, the trio is divided when referring to the project as a musical. The genre, they agree, hasn't particularly won favour in India, but argue that often, it is the film itself that has failed to earn appreciation.

"We did a Marathi musical called Katyar Kaljat Ghusali, which was tremendously successful. [In Bollywood] there was [Pritam composed] Jagga Jasoos, which was very well done," says Mahadevan, as Noorani adds, "Maybe, it was the film that didn't click."

The trio unanimously agrees that attempting the genre requires an approach that is distanced from making a regular movie. "Musicals come from the stage, so one must [comprehend] this other aspect. It's like hockey and football - both have goals, but are totally different games," Mendonsa says.

Also Read: Mere Pyare Prime Minister: The film shows the unbreakable bond between mother and son

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