Jhoome Jo Pathan to Pyar Hota Kayi Baar: The man behind the music decodes his success

Jhoome Jo Pathan got us grooving, Lutt Putt patted the hopeless romantic in us, and Pyar Hota Kayi Baar saved us kayi baar jab jab firse pyaar hua. The man behind the music, Meghdeep Bose, is the chart-topping producer and composer behind hits like The Fighter Anthem (in one of his latest). In an exclusive interview with Bizz Buzz, he talks about faith, fight, and finding his voice

Your father, Shri Dilip Bose, is the first independent music producer in central India, especially Madhya Pradesh. How did working alongside him shape your career aspirations?

Growing up in the shadow of a musical pioneer wasn't ordinary. During the 90s, the non-film music scene was majorly concentrated in the radio studios and their in-house productions. The studio sessions were generally improvised performances, which the artists pulled off after a few rehearsals (often done on the spot right before the take!). My father, instead of following the convention, took the road never traveled. He introduced the practice of producing studio sessions within the discipline of “arranged music”. Music arrangement means creating a fixed, complementary musical setting for a song's melody, bringing it to life with structure and emotional depth.

My father is also one of the most revered music composers and singers in the Hindi-speaking catholic communities across India thanks to his enormous contributions to the world of Hindi Gospel Music. That’s also where my foundational influence comes from.

My father blended traditional music from Bengal with music arrangements from Southern India and composed-produced several (roughly above 3000) catholic hymns. If there’s a Hindi Mass happening in a church in India, at least one hymn composed or sung by him shall be performed. We’re essentially Sanatani Hindus by faith, yet on every birthday, I was blessed by priests and nuns. We celebrate Durga Puja and Christmas with equal excitement.

So, my childhood was filled with powerful, spiritual music that combined rich harmonies with traditional Bengali melodies and lighter classical influences. My father regularly collaborated with a prolific music composer and arranger from Kerala, Jerson Antony, for a lot of his gospel projects.

What really pulled me in was the blend of music and technology. I was awestruck every time I would witness (and I was just 6 years old!) programming sessions ongoing under my father. He used to conduct them at home since the newly introduced sequencer synths, much rarer in MP in those days, made creating music anywhere possible.

Due to my father's work, my exposure to music was tremendous. By the time I decided to learn music formally, I had already developed a taste and a knack for appreciating, composing and producing music. I was introduced to my very first digital audio workstation (DAW) in my 9th standard. And I realized that I had suddenly found my voice. There was no looking back.

Despite securing a place at Berklee College of Music, you couldn't attend due to financial constraints. How did you navigate this setback and what did you learn from the experience?

It was November 2012, and AR Rahman sir had come to Bhopal for his concert. I sat outside his hotel room for almost 6 hours, hoping to meet him. I was just a fan back then and not a part of the mainstream film/music industry. When I finally had a moment with him, I told him about Berklee. He placed his hand on my shoulder and said, "Don't worry, even I couldn't make it to Berklee. Work here and work hard. You'll make it!" The rest, as they say, is history.

Transitioning from your father's guidance to apprenticing with Raju Singh must have been an adjustment. What were the key takeaways from this new direction?

Working under Baba was all about textbook lessons and principles. In stark contrast, working under Raju sir was a complete flip for me. It took me about a year and a half to learn, appreciate, and adjust to his unique working style. I assisted him for three years.

Baba taught me rules; Raju sir taught me to break them. Eventually I adapted myself into developing a balanced approach between the sweetness and the practicality of the two worlds. Today, I am grateful when I am appreciated for contrasting songs like “Kaun Tujhe”, “Khairiyat”, “What Jhumka?” and “Jhoome Jo Pathaan”.

You received training in diverse styles like Western classical piano, Rabindra Sangeet, and tabla. How do these seemingly different influences weave together in your compositions?

I believe I am simply blessed as a musician that I could learn and appreciate such diverse forms of music. It has really helped me to command the art of fusion. Today, when several cultures from across the world have ended up being interwoven, Pop music has become a multi-genre arena. And I feel that having a hold on multiple forms or technologies, and being able to deliver a fusion of disparate forms without compromising individuality of either comes really handy. Well, I can make beats that hit hard, but why not have some great harmonies too!

In one of your earliest collaborations, Amaal Mallik approached you for "Main Hoon Hero Tera." Could you describe that pivotal moment and its impact on your career?

Amaal and I were both at the beginning of our careers. He had composed for one film so far and I had also just begun music production. It was at YRF studios that he happened to overhear one of my tracks being mixed, which I had produced for a UK based artist. Just like him, I was new, approachable and full of “josh”, and so we aligned. Everything else thereafter was pretty organic. While, before Amaal, I had already collaborated with stalwarts like Salim-Sulaiman, Mikey McCleary, and A Sivamani, primarily on score and non-film music, working with Amaal opened a new door. Composers began to trust me with producing their songs as well.

Collaboration seems to be an important aspect of your work. How does it influence your creative process?

Two things I love about collaboration: Challenge - to reinvent myself for every project. Reinventing myself means challenging every principle I've set and scrutinizing everything I do out of muscle memory.

Learning - I am fortunate to arrange and produce for the biggest and hottest- selling songwriters of our country. It's no less than a fun ride to learn and understand the thought process behind every narrative they compose a melody for.

To sum up, every Bollywood song is made through collaborations between top-line melody and lyric writers, and music arrangers and producers like myself. Further, session musicians bring an entirely different yet beautiful color to our music with their performances. Music is an inherently collaborative game. We learn from others every day, and that's how we grow. Growth, to me, is the ultimate benefit of collaborations.

What is your creative process like for composing or producing a song? What tools or techniques do you use?

Every song has a different process. Some songs are melody-driven and some are driven by their production or beats. I first composed the topline melody of Boonda-Baandi with just a piano accompanying, and later on the lyrics were added and the instrumental composition happened.

On the contrary, Rangrezwa was composed on its beat. There’s no specific creative flow-chart for songs. In fact, I strongly believe that songs are a product of divine intervention. Every song chooses its composer, its process of production, and its mass-appeal. I strongly believe that we humans are simply a medium for the music being sent to us by the almighty.

You've composed for diverse genres like Bollywood, independent music, and documentaries. How do you maintain your unique style across them and what are the challenges and rewards?

My multi-genre attraction stems from my upbringing. However, the challenging part is that we're in a work-for-hire industry. When we make music for films/series et cetera, we don't create for our own pleasure but to support the director's narrative. Music in such cases becomes a narrative-based marketing tool. A song must not only support the story but also increase theater footfall.

However, the intent to connect with audiences stays. Every musician wants to be accepted by listeners, so the challenge to write "music that connects" doesn't diminish. The only difference is that we as independent artists create music for ourselves, for the soul, for the inner voice. It's a self-funded rabbit hole that we enjoy for the journey and we’re grateful to be able to do it.

How do you balance your various roles as producer, composer, and singer? Do you find any one more challenging or rewarding?

I earn and learn from producing Bollywood songs and I invest in my independent songs.

Every corner is rewarding. God is great!

You mentioned music producers creating most of the instrumental composition but not receiving proper recognition. Can you elaborate on the challenges music producers face in getting fair authorship splits?

Since 2016, I've been advocating for a fair authorship system in Indian music. The system of film music in India runs on a “work for hire” format where a music composer is commissioned to deliver songs for a film. They compose a melody (the one carrying the lyrics and performed by the singer) and share a melody in the form of a voice note (rarely followed by a rough sketch of harmonies or rhythm) with the music producer(s).

From that voice note, the music producers write and produce an entire instrumental track which includes writing riffs, signature bassline/groove, music pieces (interludes) as well as the arrangement of the entire song.

Music arrangers/producers in India (often referred to as “programmers”) end up writing most of the instrumental composition on a song and that technically entitles them to be recognised and compensated as the co-authors of the underlying musical work. The Indian film-music ecosystem refuses to recognise it (probably because of tightly knit contracts involving publishing and recording).

I’ve been working towards educating my colleagues and upcoming artists and composers to commit to a fair practice and several of them actually have begun.

My mission is in no manner intended to disregard the commissioned melody composer’s contribution, but only to get due credit in the metadata to whoever writes any parts on the song.

I have challenged a tradition that has been running as long as Indian Cinema has existed, and I hope that one day, there’ll be an ecosystem with fair IP practices. This same issue plagues the independent music world as well.

In fact, I often face ideological friction from my seniors and get labeled as “arrogant” and “high- headed”, but, hey… Shiva drank the poison for the world! Being labeled is the least I must bear in the best interests of the music community that has given me so much.

How would you describe your signature sound or musical style in your independent work?

I’ve been making efforts to normalize grandeur in independent music. Unfortunately, the idea of Indian independent music has been narrowed down to minimalism and a “singer-songwriter” or “band” format. Anything that sounds orchestral/theatrical is labeled “Bollywood” and I’ve been trying to break that stereotype.

You can hear a lot of production and multi-genre experimentation in my songs, but despite the packaging, I ensure my compositions remain rooted in Indian classical and folk music.

I believe it helps Indian musicians gain recognition internationally because after all, for the West, Indian music is International music!

What is your favorite independent work and why? Can you share any insights into this specific track, what inspired it, and how did you approach it?

The latest one! It’s titled “Shiv Mahadev” and released on the 15th of February. It stems from my faith in Shiva. The song is a cinematic/theatrical devotional track featuring a 20 piece choir singing the main lines of the song along with me. I cannot wait for the world to hear it!

Where do you see your music evolving in the future? Are there any specific directions you're excited to explore?

I am dipping my feet into modular synthesis and ambient music. Music has widely taken to consumerism and every kind of music has an audience now, so dominance of any specific genre doesn't exist. Solo piano playlists share streaming space with the biggest pop hits. We cannot predict what song, of which genre or which country, could blow up the internet next! And I love it!