Scoring suspense with silence

Aval’s composer Girishh, whose score for the horror film has been well-received, is looking forward to the release of the Hindi and Telugu versions of the film on November 10.

“Aval was my first film in a genre which has always excited me. I was able to give my best thanks to the freedom given to me by producer-actor Siddarth and director Milind Rau, who both knew quite a bit about music,” says Girishh, who adds that the icing on the cake for him is the possibility of there being a sequel.

Girishh, who debuted as a composer with Marina, and hit his stride with Vidiyum Mun and Sadhuram, says composing for Aval was a special experience. “My instructions were to keep the audience in suspense. I did this by the careful use of silence in a lot of portions. The thumb rule in horror scores is to not get carried away with too much music.”

The composer says the piece de résistance of his effort is the opening number, a Chinese song rendered by Chen Yu Mag Lin, a singer-writer based in Liverpool. “She set the Chinese lyrics based on the tune I had sent her. It is a lullaby song with a tinge of sadness,” he says, happy that the song has been appreciated by the audience.

He is also proud of the Yarada climax song, which also won over the audience. “It features the harsh voice of Mark Thomas, well-complemented by the soft tone of Andrea. The lyrics by Muthamizh were perfect for the song.”

For Girishh, who had put a few offers on hold in order to give Aval his full attention, it is time to open shop again. “While I really enjoyed working on a horror film, I would like my resume to have a good mix of all genres,” he concludes.