‘It’s been a privilege to assist Sanjay sir’

Young composer and singer Shreyas Puranik has come a long way. The talented musician is known for assisting Sanjay Leela Bhansali in composing music for films like Bajirao Mastani, Padmavaat and Malaal. He has now composed and sung a track titled Naad Khula and has sung the Marathi rap in the song Aila Re, which is a chartbuster.

Puranik, who has learnt classical music from eminent singer Suresh Wadkar, has also lent his voice to the song  Ab Tohe Jaane Na Dungi. He made his presence felt in Marathi film industry with films like Photocopy, Lapachhapi and Faster Fene, which have won several awards and accolades. He has also composed the title track for Riteish Deshmukh’s reality show Vikta Ka Uttar. 

Excerpts:
- We haven’t heard a Marathi rap before. How did the rap come through in Malaal?
Rap culture has taken over the music scene in India and it helps to connect with the youth. Thus, Sanjay sir decided to add rapping to Aila Re and also the story is based in Mumbai, so adding Marathi rap makes it sound more authentic. 

- Tell us about Naad Khula? How easy or difficult is it to sing the song you compose?
The meaning of Naad Khula is being crazy about something and in my song it means ‘crazy in love’. The song is based on Raag Bhimpalasi. I have been working on the song for the last two years and have given my best to it. As a composer, who has also sung it, I connect with its soul and thus add more value to the song as compared to any other singer. 

- You have collaborated with lyricist Prashant Ingole in the past. How would you describe the collaboration?
Prashant is an exceptional writer and has a different vision in terms of writing for any situation. We have worked on a lot of projects including Gajanana from Bajirao Mastani which was also mentioned in the Guinness Book Of World Records 2015.  He cracked Naad Khula in such a short span — within 15 minutes, we were ready with the tune. Though the entire process took more than 2 years. 

- You have assisted Bhansali for the music of his previous films too. How much have you grown as a musician since working with him?
It’s been a privilege to assist Sanjay sir on the music of Bajirao Mastani, Padmaavat and now Malaal. This is my third movie with him and his vision and knowledge about different cultures is on a different level which reflects in each and every composition.

His songs are nourished well with lot of reworking and experimenting which helps me to widen my horizon and polish my craft. 

- What is the biggest lesson that you have learnt from him?
He is extremely focused and hardworking. Films and music are his life and he is completely dedicated to his art. He listens to a variety of music which is highly inspiring for me as a musician. 

- You have composed music for Marathi films too. How different are the two industries in terms of music?
There are some amazing films being made in Marathi. The industry is a growing market. I am looking forward to doing more work. Both the industries cater to different audiences. Musically, Hindi songs have a wider reach than the Marathi songs. But in Bollywood, there are lot of recreations of Marathi songs like Zingaat, Chikni Chameli etc. Both the film industries have a huge amount of talented singers, writers and composers. I think there can be some unbeatable music if these artists collaborate.