MUMBAI: Composer Karan Kulkarni has showcased versatility in his music composition through the scoring of his first Marathi film ‘Happy Journey’. Kulkarni has previously composed for films ‘Shahid’ and ‘Peddlers’, both of which were shortlisted for the Toronto International Film Festival and Cannes Film Festival.
There are three tracks in the film and for each Kulkarni has worked with a different lyricist. The first is called ‘Fresh’ and is sung by Filmfare Award winner Shalmali Kholgade (known for the song ‘Pareshaan’ from film ‘Ishaqzaade’) with lyrics by Omkar Kulkarni. As the name suggests, the song resonates the fresh sense of the film with its quirky feel and fast-paced vocals. Speaking on the conception of the song, Kulkarni said, “While briefing me about the song, the director asked me to compose a song that feels like getting up at eight in the morning, and going to KFC for fried, crispy chicken.” So, based on that pitch, Kulkarni came up with a track that wakes you up and “fills your stomach”.
The second song, ‘Ka Sang Na’ is the film’s sole romantic song. “This is not the kind of song I would normally compose or listen to,” said Kulkarni. However, Kulkarni also stated that it was a great new experience for him and says the song seems best to “work in monsoon”. Kulkarni credits Kshitij Patwardhan’s lyrics as “poetic” and goes on to say that Patwardhan was the “best lyricist for the song”. The song also features vocals by five-time National Award winning chanteuse Shreya Ghoshal.
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The final track is a soft lullaby called ‘Akash Jhale’. Kulkarni states that this lament of a track is his favourite from the film. Kulkarni had already composed the tune and the guitar rift of the song before the lyrics were added. “This song is more organic and it comes straight from the soul, kind of like writing,” Kulkarni said. He also stated that Tejas Modak’s lyrics blended beautifully with Kholgade’s anguished yet painful vocals. Showcasing Kholgade’s versatility, Kulkarni said “Give her anything, and she will do it brilliantly.”
The film, ‘Happy Journey’ is directed by two-time National Award winner Sachin Kundalkar and releases on 19 September.
