Amar Mohile: Fine acting makes my job simpler

Code Name Abdul composer Amar Mohile says nuances of characters play a crucial role in enhancing a project’s background score

Attribute it to the parallels he draws between Marvel films and his desi cop universe, but Sooryavanshi director Rohit Shetty indeed managed to evoke the kind of exhilaration that the American franchise does when its leading faces ‘assemble’. If Shetty’s skilful handling of the Akshay Kumar starrer is commendable, Amar Mohile, who shares credit as background score composer, also played a vital role in enhancing the film-watching experience.

Tanishaa Mukerji headlines Code Name Abdul

While Shetty’s films — including Singham, Simmba and Golmaal Again — frequently feature on Mohile’s resume, his ability to weave magic into thrillers like 1920: The Evil Returns and Laxmii, is also noteworthy. His recent offering, the Friday release Code Name Abdul, is an espionage drama with Tanishaa Mukerji at the fore. “[Director] Eshwar Gunturu was clear about his requirements. He told me that he wanted [the song and score] to sound new-age. He wanted the song to be melodious; something that he could lay the lyrics over, [if needed]. For the score, he desired something minimalistic,” he says, adding that the opportunity to serve as both song and score composer gave him the scope to use a tonality that was consistent across the entire narrative.

Unlike composers who like to sink their teeth into a project from the word go, Mohile says his work essentially commences when an initial draft of the film is presented to him. To streamline the process, he picks one section to work on in accordance with the brief given to him, and subsequently seeks the inputs of his director. “This section will establish the musical palette and themes. Once that has been zeroed in on, we create the remaining score.”

He acknowledges the role that the film’s characters play in fine-tuning his work. “All the roles, including that of the main actors, and the [other] characters are very important. The simplest expressions and mannerisms make me alter the score, and very often, they make a great difference. I can highlight the importance of an actor’s [calibre] by discussing my work in Tamil and Telugu cinema. Even though I may not understand the language well, or that a scene is explained to me in advance, it is the characters’ expressions that play an important role when it comes to creating the score. Their expressions help me get a stronger grip on what is unfolding. When they do a fine job, they make my work simpler.”

For aspiring musicians, he also has another piece of advice. “Let your personality reflect in your work. None of my films sound similar, and I do not have an established process with which I approach a film. However, it is easy to point out that a film has been composed by me, when a viewer watches it.”

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