Bhansali to make music with Monty

Bhansali to make music with Monty

Favourite Ismail Durbar is missing from Saawariya

Subhash K Jha

Change is a natural part of growth. I've changed almost the entire team for my new film Saawariya," says Sanjay Leela Bhansali. His last film Black has just won itself a truckload of Filmfare awards. "It feels good. When you struggle to create something, the fruits of success taste sweeter," he adds. His beautifully appointed home is flooded with symbols of congratulations. "I'm essentially a recluse. When people reach out to me in my time of joy, like this, I feel grateful and exhilarated."

Exhilaration is the predominant mood in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's scheme of creation. The song recordings for Saawariya are on. Various singers have been tested and tried out. Yes, Sanjay is an experimental mood.

He has made an extremely bold and adventurous move by signing Monty to do the entire music score for Saawariya. "After doing two films, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and Devdas with Ismail, it wasn't easy to move away," sighs Sanjay. "But like I said change is an inevitable part of growth. When Monty did the background music of Devdas and Black I realised he has the capacity to go beyond the theme in search of unexpected musical experiences. He's equally capable of doing Indian and Western styles. For the background of Black we shot with stock music and wondered how Monty would equal the work of great composers that I used to shoot my scenes with. But Monty stunned us. He lived up to every expectation."

The praise for Monty's worth came from the highest quarters. "Amitji, with his powerful sense of music, called Monty a genius. Monty comes from a family of great musicians. He's Pyarelalji's nephew and was trained by Pyarelalji's father who has trained half the musicians in the industry. Monty started playing the piano at the age of five."

Sanjay lights up as he plays a haunting love melody by Monty for Saawariya. "There's a kind of beauty, spirituality and sensuality to his music," says Bhansali. "It's not about telling the world, 'Main dikha doonga, hila doonga, phaad doonga.' (I'm going to shake up the world). Monty has a sense of commitment. He stood by me and composed the theme when the Devdas score was left incomplete."

One can expect a totally unique music score in Saawariya. "It isn't anything like the music in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam or Devdas," he says. "I just hope people like what we're attempting here. After A R Rahman, I think Monty is the only complete music composer."


The Full Monty
Monty started off as a keyboard player in Ismail Durbar's team. Today, he heads the team that will compose music for Saawariya. So who's Monty? He is composing maestro Pyarelal's nephew, and now, Bhansali's protege. He became acquainted with the notes at the age of five, a time when his uncle's violin used to be his wake-up call. Now, he wants to be a creator of 'epic' sounds. Will Saawariya pave the way for similar success?