‘Independent music gives you identity’
Ankit Tiwari, popular for composing songs for films such as Aashiqui 2 (2013), Ek Villain (2014) and Aiyaary, recently released a single that features him alongside actor Amy Jackson.
The composersinger feels that the independent space is something that every artiste should explore. “Somehow, it doesn’t get promoted enough. This is a fact. Non-film or pop music videos do not feature big heroes or heroines, and the singers themselves feature in it. This is the way we artistes get to establish our identity,” says Ankit, who goes on to compare the Western and Indian music scene.
“In the West, there are no songs [in films]. Pop music apne aap mein ek alag space mein hai (pop music is a space/ genre in itself). However, in Bollywood, film songs are given more importance. This is because it makes a big impact when you see a big star in a song,” he adds.
Ankit also feels that the independent arena has given him much more space to experiment than Bollywood. “There are a lot of things that you want to do in a film, and you even get the desired situation, but the director might point out that it isn’t going with his film. Aap bahut jagah bandh jaate ho (you get restricted at various levels).”
There have been stories about how some actors show interest in how the film’s music should be, etc. Asked if he has ever faced such a situation, and he says, “It has never happened to me. But everyone associated with a film wants that the music should catch on with people fast before its release. If an entire album gets picked up, like in the case of Ae Dil Hai Mushkil (2016) and Aashiqui 2, then it’s even better,” he says.