I am proud that my son Ranjit

Mother's envy

Ranjit Barot in New Delhi. Photo: S. Arneja. HE IS the son of Sitari Devi, one of the greatest Hindustani classical exponents. So, when we see him as a music director of reckoning, we understand that it is the genes that have chased him well into the arena. But then, unlike the mother, Ranjit Barot never underwent any formal training in music. And, he has no qualms about it either. "I had an ear for it but. Since childhood I had heard greatest of classical exponents. It was through this osmosis that I learnt about classical music without taking any formal training." Barot, who had made many swing to his tunes through his background music in the Shah Rukh Khan flick Main Hoon Na and as music composer of Amitabh Bachchan starring Aks, is pacing up in life having already composed the scores of the soon-to-be-released Brides Wanted of K. Ganesh. All keyed up about it, Barot says, "The best thing in the songs of Brides Wanted is that I did not use any electronic music. I have used Belgian orchestra especially guitar and keyboards. I am really lucky that the director Girish Acharya allowed me a free hand to do my innovations." He says, "While for the last 10 years I had been shouting from the rooftop that it is high time we used Belgian orchestra because it has higher quality but no one paid heed to me." Barot, who was earlier a drummer before getting into music composing, says, Electronic music is "killing." "I was starving as a drummer. I would not sleep at nights thinking of what will I do tomorrow. But now the young generation who takes Western classical music seriously, is a ray of hope for people like us who do not want to use electronic gadgets to sell the music," he states. Having preferred music to academics, Barot did not bother to complete his college education. "My mother wanted me to complete college first but I told her she was wasting money on me. Being into music herself she understood my passion and gave me some money. With that I bought drums, opted out of studies and dived into music," says this Mumbaiite. Though he never stops praising choreographer-director Farah Khan for being energetic and allowing him freedom in Main Hoon Na though he had to compose its background score "within the popular idiom," it is Aks, which he thinks brought him glory. And so, he never forgets to mention that even abroad people recognise him because of Aks. "Those who want me to compose music for their films, ask me to give them something like Aks only," he says. Having done his job in Brides Wanted, Barot is now ready to work with Ismail Darbar for Subhash Ghai's Kisna. A happy man, naturally, Barot adds, "Now I sleep nicely." RANA SIDDIQUI

Copyright 2000 - 2006 The Hindu

Ranjit continues to defy description with his unique blend of sound. A bedrock foundation of raw creative force. There is a seamless blending of style, detail and culture that makes his music at once belong to everywhere. His work illustrates how relocating sounds from one environment to another redefines them, giving them new acoustic meanings.

Ranjit is now concentrating on exploring his instinctive song writing and the use of his own voice as a vehicle

'Seduction' 1995 (Music Today )- This New Age album produced by Ranjit featured his own compositions and his intrinsic flair of blending traditional folk and classical Indian melodies with sounds and instrumental arrangements learnt from other world cultures. The groundwork for this milestone work was a trip through the rural cultures of Rajasthan in India, recording folk singers and musicians, with only a microphone and recorder, as separate pieces, unconnected until it was brought into the studio and strung together into a song. His other album projects at that time include those by Suneeta Rao and Shiamak Davar which were produced and arranged by Ranjit.

Background Music Composer
Aryan - Unbreakable (July 7, 2006) (Post-Production)
Tathastu (May 12, 2006) (Released)
Dus (July 8, 2005) (Released)
Rishtey (December 6, 2002) (Released)
Hathyar (October 18, 2002) (Released)
Fiza (September 8, 2000) (Released)
Tera Jadoo Chal Gayaa (2000) (Released)

Lyricist
Brides Wanted (2006) (Post-Production)

Music Director
Holiday (February 10, 2006) (Released)
Brides Wanted (2006) (Post-Production)
Dus (July 8, 2005) (Released)
Chupke Se (September 12, 2003) (Released)
Mumbai Se Aaya Mera Dost (August 22, 2003) (Released)
Fiza (September 8, 2000) (Released)
Oh Darling Yeh Hai India (August 11, 1995) (Released)
Raakh (1989) (Released)

Sound Design
Tera Jadoo Chal Gayaa (2000) (Released)

Playback Singer
Aryan - Unbreakable (July 7, 2006) (Post-Production)
Pyare Mohan (April 21, 2006) (Released)
Brides Wanted (2006) (Post-Production)
Chupke Se (September 12, 2003) (Released)
Oh Darling Yeh Hai India (August 11, 1995) (Released)

Thanks Qwestda.

I think once he was a guest along with Sitara devi in a saregamapa show. He had arranged the muisc for movies like Fiza & aks right???