‘We can’t compose a Jalebi Bai’

They have composed music for films such as Black Friday (2004), Hulla (2008) and most-recently Masaan. However, Delhi-based band Indian Ocean is yet to compose music for a big banner Bollywood film. Bassist

Rahul Ram (right) explains that the band is open to making music for Hindi films, and not restricted to composing only for socially relevant projects.

“Indian Ocean is open to composing music for all kinds of films in Bollywood,” Rahul says, adding, “The only problem is that I don’t think we have the musical diversity to compose for a Bollywood film. I mean, I will not be able to do justice to item numbers if they ask us to compose one. We are musicians, so we certainly can dish out a song, but composing a Jalebi Bai or Sheila Ki Jawani? I don’t think we’ll be able to do a good job as a band.”

Ram, who composed a parody of the popular Mere Samne Wali Khidki (Padosan, 1968) recently, further explains that unlike popular music composers such as AR Rahman and Vishal-Shekhar, they don’t have a wide range. “You listen to Kabhi Kabhi Aditi (Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na) by AR Rahman. Then you listen to Pappu Can’t Dance Sala from the same film. His songs are all awesomely spectacular, and he has such a wide range of music. Similarly, Vishal-Shekhar. Vishal comes from a rock ‘n’ roll background, while Shekhar is a classically trained musician. So imagine the variety they have. We don’t have that... that’s why I think we’re not offered many films,” he signs off.