Do you know that the year of Salil Chowdhury’s birth remains an eternal question? While some who knew him say he was born on 19 November 1923, others insist that the year was 1925. Trapped in this confusion, it would be safe to state that he perhaps stepped into his 100th year on 19 November this year. The relationship between the visual and auditory components in cinema is both active and dynamic, affording a multiplicity of possible relations that can evolve, sometimes dramatically as the narrative unfolds, sometimes naturally, as a natural extension of the actions taking place, and sometimes to heighten the given mood of the situation or lighten the mood depending on the demands of the script and the approach, perspective, and treatment of and by the director.
Taken holistically, considering the aforementioned paradigms, film music is an inclusive concept, especially with reference to Indian cinema which defines, elaborates, and explores the ability of a filmmaker to explore and use music and songs in the most creative way to add to the aesthetics of the film and the unfolding of its narrative. “Film Music has evolved its own culture over the years. So, even if films are made in different languages, the songs are popular even among those who do not know or understand the language.
I have given the music for songs in 13 different languages and have observed that never mind the lyrics of the songs, listeners take on to the music, and this gives film music a distinct, uni.