Shubha Mudgal: I don't specialise in playback singing

Shubha Mudgal

Given the years of experience she has to her credit, Shubha Mudgal takes us off-guard when she says she's kept an arm's length from playback singing because she doesn't specialise in it. "Why not let those well-versed with it perform, while we sit back and enjoy?" she asks when we interact with her on the sidelines of her recital at the recently concluded CSMVS exhibition, India and the World. Having charted the growth of Bollywood music for close to three decades, the classical singer notices the diminishing place of the genre in the industry. In an interview with mid-day, she highlights the reason behind this trend, and discusses her upcoming ventures.

Why have you kept an arm's length from Hindi films?
Playback is a specialist's work. It's not something that I specialise in. So, why not let the specialists do their work, while we can sit back and enjoy listening to them.

Is there any film that you have worked on recently?
I have worked on Sridhar Rangayan's Evening Shadows. Sagar Gupta has penned the lyrics while I have done the composition. My student Shantanu Herlekar has arranged it. The track is sung by me and is used as part of the background score. I was happy to support the film because it addresses important issues related to the rights of the LGBT community.

What do you think about the classical influences seen in Bollywood today?
In the past, composers and singers working in the film industry were trained in classical music. Thus, it was possible to notice the influence of their craft in films as well. However, today, composers prefer to use non-Indian systems of music. So, the diminishing influence of classical music is evident, barring the odd exceptions. Having said that, I think elements of folk music from different regions of India, particularly Punjab and Rajasthan, are
still noticeable.

Are there any independent music projects in the pipeline?
Along with my husband Aneesh Pradhan, I am working with Australian saxophone artiste and composer Sandy Evans on a project called the Bridge Of Dreams. We are composing [tracks] for the project. These compositions will be recorded into an album. We also hope to tour with the project, along with our co-collaborators, namely members of Australian band, The Sirens, harmonium artiste Sudhir Nayak and tabla player Bobby Singh. The album should be ready by the end of 2018, but at this point, I don't have details
about the tour.

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