The Master of Melody- Amit Trivedi

He is someone whose tracks feature regularly in the list of chartbusters. He is someone who won the National Film Award for the Best Music Director in his second year as a composer in Bollywood. He is the person who is being dubbed as the next A.R. Rahman of Bollywood. He is Amit Trivedi.

Right from the buzz-generating track of ‘Emotional Atyachaar’ in DevD that was responsible for driving audiences to theatres to see the film to soulful melodies in Lootera and Ishaqzaade, Amit Trivedi has delivered a wide range different songs ranging from poignant folk tunes to rock and jazz tracks for parties. He is also widely known for introducing folk music into Bollywood and blending classical instruments with modern ones to create a totally different kind of style. It is not just his music that is magical, but his voice has also caught the attention of one and all.

Before foraying into B-town, Trivedi worked as a theatre and jingle composer and composed for non-film albums. From a very young age, he displayed inclination towards music. He was fascinated by classical music and began composing music by the time he graduated from high school. He became part of the band ‘Om’ and performed at local gigs. Simultaneously, he started composing the background score for television shows, orchestras and other cultural shows. He then worked on jingles for brands like Airtel and McDonalds. His talent was noticed and he was offered a two-year contract with Sony BMG where he composed some tracks for Abhijeet Sawant’s known album ‘Junoon’ and one song in Prashant Tamang’s debut album.

However his big break came when singer and friend Shilpa Rao suggested his name to director Anurag Kashyap. He was offered the album that would change his life forever and establish him as a music director in Bollywood- DevD. But due to production issues, the film was put on hold and Trivedi debuted with the album Aamir that gained critical acclaim. In 2009, DevD was finally released. The music of the film took all by surprise, as it was different and melodious at the same time. Trivedi gave Bollywood some of its best chartbusters in the form of ‘O Pardesi’ and ‘Emotional Atyachaar’. His songs were appreciated by people of all ages, thus making him a sensation overnight. He was conferred with the R. D. Burman Award for new talent in music and the Best Background Score Award at the Filmfare Awards in 2010.

Since then, there has been no looking back for this young music director who has redefined music and given classical music its due in Bollywood. He has delivered hits in the form of albums like Wake Up Sid!, Ishaqzaade, Kai Po Che and Lootera. This man with many memorable melodies believes in working hard to achieve one’s dreams. This is the reason he stays up odd hours at his garage-studio to make his music.

He stays away from limelight and avoids any interviews with the media; but his presence is always felt through his music. He has dared to venture into unknown territory by trying to use Hindustani classical instruments such as sitar, esraj and sarangi as well as those from the folk genre like iktara and dholak in his compositions. He is always experimenting trying to find ways to make his songs better. What’s more, he carefully scrutinizes the script of a film before deciding to compose for it because he believes that the script should be exciting, otherwise there is no point in working half-heartedly.

Those who have worked with him have only words of appreciation for him. ‘Amit is deeply rooted and innovative. His music ethic is superb… there is no clutter in his sounds. It takes a lot of courage and conviction to create such music in the age of noise pollution,’ says lyricist Swanand Kirkire. ‘Amit grasps mood very well and sometimes fixes a scene with his melody. For him the setting of the film is most important,’ says director Vikramaditya Motwane.

Amit Trivedi has proven his mettle as a composer and singer across a variety of genres. We hope that he continues to enthrall us with his soulful compositions and melodious voice.