'CTRL' composer Sneha Khanwalkar on creating 'postmodern' music for the Ananya Panday-starrer

Sneha Khanwalkar

When Sneha Khanwalkar asked CTRL director Vikramaditya Motwane the reason behind his decision to bring her aboard the Ananya Panday-fronted project, she was attempting to decipher what the filmmaker was seeking as far as the film's soundtrack was concerned. "He wanted a postmodern sound; something experimental," she recalls, pointing to the narrative that sheds light on the use of artificial intelligence. "Vikram wasn't fixated on any particular genre of music, so I could explore a different sonic [space]; use a bit of synth, and sample recordings. It's not the kind of film for which he could say, ‘Let's use hip-hop or rock.'

"The film is about one's relationship with technology, and each of us is building our own. It's evolving every day. So we didn't have a set direction. Also, melodies reveal one's thoughts and feelings. They can tell you how futuristic you are as a thinker, and also reveal a lot about a character. So, we stuck to certain kinds of melodies, sounds, and instruments," says Khanwalkar, crediting her teammates, Venkat Iyer and Yash Sahai for helping her bring the soundtrack to life.

Vihaan Samat and Ananya Panday feature in CTRL

Considering her previous works, Khanwalkar says she has found herself being bracketed as a folk musician, but establishes that none of the three songs that she has crafted for the film, employs the genre. "Absolutely zero folk," she reiterates, adding, "B(h)adass is a badass song that Ananya has rendered. It's spoken word. I love working with non-singers. Anybody who sings truthfully and makes sense of what is being [considered], is perfectly fine to work with. Ananya is quick and zippy. I had opined that the process would take a long time, but it was breezy. She didn't let [the fear] of not knowing how to sing affect her."

The other track, Ainwayi yunhi, was rendered by Anika Bharwani, whom Khanwalkar describes as "a cute girl with a guitar". "She called me to get inspiration, and I ended up getting inspired by her because she was making her albums and writing her own music." Ulfat, a number that the composer describes as crucial for the narrative, was rendered by Mary Ann Alexander. "I had been following her since the lockdown. She primarily sings in English and Tamil or Malayalam. I asked her if she would be interested in singing this Hindi song, and [she agreed]."

Among the most prominent names in the music industry, Khanwalkar is now training attention to her new initiative, Soundcake. Calling it a space created to offer more opportunities to aspiring artistes, the platform has been designed to address issues that the composer faced in her journey. "By the time I could get [a foot in the door], I had spent seven years in the industry; that's all of my 20s. [It is a cumbersome process to] network, and then get recognition for your work. So, even though the right person is available [for] an artiste, there is a massive gap between them. Not everyone can put a song on Instagram and get recognition. This start-up focuses on [bridging the gap] by offering a space where creative people can come together."