Kesari composer Arko: I get annoyed with the sheer bulk of remixes coming out!

Music composer cum lyricist Arko Pravo Mukherjee has been hitting all the right notes lately. Hailing from Kolkata, a city known for its rich musical culture and history, he moved to Mumbai a decade back. After making his debut as a composer with Pooja Bhatt’s Jism 2, he hasn’t looked back ever since. Arko is one of the most promising new sensations in the music scene with a flurry of fresh albums under his name. Arko also wrote and composed hit songs for Kapoor & Sons, Yaariyan and is now back with a bang with his biggest release till date.

The theme song of Akshay Kumar’s Kesari has been composed by Arko. The song, Teri Mitti, has been garnering a lot of love and appreciation for the fans. Recently, we had a tete-a-tete with the multifaceted musician and spoke to him about all things music.

How did your musical journey start?

I come from an academic family with no-one even remotely related to the movie business. I was always interested in writing music even though I had no formal training in music. I never thought I could make a career of it. It took me a while to muster the courage to leave medicine and move to Bombay to pursue music. It has now been 10 years in Bombay. I have sustained myself in the industry.

How did you get your big break with Jism 2?

In 2011, I met Mahesh Bhatt sir and he asked me to play some songs for him. Over the next couple of hours, my life changed. He loved my two songs and instantly called Pooja Bhatt and Dino Morea telling them he has found the composer for Jism 2. I met Pooja after that and we locked the project.

You compose music for regional films too. What’s the difference between working in Bollywood and working in regional cinema?

Well, the musicality is not much different in regional movies. But the technicians here in Mumbai are definitely a notch above the rest. You have better writers, technicians, sound engineers in Mumbai, the best of the best. In the regional industries, there are commendable works but only a few screens to showcase them. So there are some logistical problems.

What was the brief given for Kesari?

So, Teri Mitti is my first patriotic song ever. About a year back,  I sat down with Karan Johar and the team and went over the film in detail. After understanding what was required, I had submitted a different composition to Dharma a year back. That song was going to be in the middle of the movie. Post the shooting of the film, during VFX work, they decided they wanted to use Teri Mitti song as the theme of the movie in the end. The new composition needed a fresh lyrical approach. I usually write my own lyrics, but this time I got my friend Manoj Muntashir on board, who wrote the mind-blowing lyrics you hear today.

Who has been your musical inspiration?

I didn’t hear any Hindi music till I went to college. During my schooling years, I was heavily influenced by The Beatles and U2. This is where my writing and composition style comes from.

How things have changed for you since 2012?

Now that I understand the industry well and with the exposure that I am getting, I feel every artist needs to decide what their individual graph should be. It’s very individualistic. For me, if one of my songs is amongst the Top 5 tracks of the year, I am happy with that. I have managed to achieve that in last four years.

Which actors you would like to compose for?

Anil Kapoor is one of the best lip syncers and my favourite actor. I would love to be able to compose for Anil and Irfan Khan.

Who are the contemporary composers you look up to?

One of my favourite film directors and composers is Vishal Bhardwaj. His music is so good in his own films that I don’t think he needs me or anyone else to be honest. But he is someone I look up to. I also love Pritam da songs.

What frustrates you the most about Hindi music industry?

We have such amazing talents like Rahman sir, Pritam da. But I get annoyed with the sheer bulk of remixes coming out. I don’t have an issue with the idea of a remix, I have done remixes too.  But if 70% of the songs that are coming out are remixed, then where is the place for mind-blowing composers like them? It is just a business decision and it’s a trend. They are riding on the current trend for as long as they can. Putting one Kala Chashma in a movie works, but that’s enough. The entire album can’t be remixed.

What’s your end goal?

Eventually, I want to be an independent artist and find success in that. My songs are pretty serious.  I have a lot of songs that don’t fit in films.  I have a number of single releases (two with Zee and then a couple with Gaana).