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MUSIC INTERVIEW: RAM SAMPATH

Aamir Khan’s ‘Delhi Belly’ the Perfect Playground for Ram Sampath to Institute Changes

By: Ashika Sengupta
June 20, 2011

When Delhi Belly opens on July 1st, Bollywood fans may notice something different, with tracks such as “D.K. Bose“ and “Saigal Blues.” Film composer Ram Sampath used Aamir Khan’s production of Abhinay Deo's Delhi Belly -- which stars Imran Khan, Vir Das, and Kunal Ray Kapoor -- as a playground for musical experimentation.

 
Essentially, Mr. Sampath wants to change the way Hindi film interacts with its music.
 
Other experimental tracks to pay attention to include “Jaa Chudail,” “Nakkaddwale Disco, Udhaarwaley Khisko,” and “Switty tera pyaar chahida.”
 
Mr. Sampath says he really made an effort to take certain liberties (for the better) in crafting the music of Delhi Belly.
 
“It was a conscious effort to have a soundtrack that is a little different, as this is not a conventional Bollywood film. We were also trying to reinvent the way we use music in our films,” Mr. Sampath told a member of the press. “I was also looking for an opportunity to move away from Bollywood’s typical synthesized sound, and this movie gave me the perfect opportunity to do something new.”
 
Already an established named in the business with films under his belt such as Khakee, Family, Aagey Se Right, and Luv Ka The End, Mr. Sampath drew rave reviews for his composition of “D.K. Bose,” which is receiving quite the significant amount of attention and airtime.
 
“It’s fair to say we were expecting a response, but not the kind of overwhelming response we’ve received. I'm totally blown away by just how much it connected with people,” Mr. Sampath told the media about the amount of attention “D.K. Bose” has received.
 
Through it all, the composition closest to Mr. Sampath’s heart is “Saigal Blues,” which is an homage of sorts to the acclaimed K.L. Saigal.
 
“I’m particularly proud of ‘Saigal Blues’ because people think it’s actually an old K.L. Saigal song, when actually it’s my original composition,” the film composer told the press.
 
With Mr. Khan helping out on the scoring, Mr. Sampath acknowledged that he was not alone in crafting such a wonderfully tuned soundtrack for Delhi Belly.
 
“I started working on the songs on my own initiative, and when he heard them, he was excited. He could see what I was trying to do and guided us along the way. He gave us a lot of ideas, and those sessions were a lot of fun,” Mr. Sampath told the press. “Director Abhinay Deo, writer Akshat Verma, producer Jim Furgele, and Kiran Rao all gave their input as well. Everyone added value to the soundtrack.”
 
Hopefully the team effort pays off and Bollywood film fans will be mesmerized with the music of Delhi Belly. If the music is indeed a hit, expect Delhi Belly and Ram Sampath to go down as two of the most influential elements in the progression of Bollywood as a business and an art.