Bickram Ghosh says he brought rock and roll music to Bengali film industry

Celebrated percussionist Bickram Ghosh, who composed music in the crime thriller 'Byomkesh Gowtro', has claimed that he has introduced rock and roll music for the first time in Bengali film. 

"The director Arindam Sil wanted a western classical slash metal effect and a cabaret song which would reflect the era of the 1950s. But I insisted he should use rock and roll effect in the film," Ghosh told PTI. Rock and roll made inroads in the western musical shows in Kolkata in 1952, Ghosh said. 

"To my knowledge, it is the first use of rock and roll in a Bengali film," he said. Ghosh, who had collaborated with Sonu Nigam to compose the music of 'Jal' and also scored music for a Mira Nair production, 'Little Zizou', said he recreated sound with instruments like saxophone and cello in the upcoming Byomkesh thriller, based on the popular fictional sleuth of Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay. 

"I had previously composed music in two other Byomkesh Bakshi films 'Har Har Byomkesh' and 'Byomkesh Pawrbo' using Hindustani classical music instruments like Sarangi and folk instruments like Dhamsa, Madal respectively," said Ghosh, who also played in "Full Circle" with Pandit Ravi Shankar. 

"But there remained a synergy in music in all three films. You might call it the signature tune in all Byomkesh Bakshi thrillers in Bengali films directed by Arindam Sil, the 'Rhythmscape' creator said. Director Arindam Sil said he interpreted the film, based on the 1956 novel 'Rokter Daag', in his own way and a musician like Bickram Ghosh was needed as "he understands my brand of cinema, my craft of cinema and what I want to narrate." 

Singer Ujjaini Mukherjee has lent her voice to the rock and roll number in the film which starred Bengali hero Abir Chatterjee in the lead role, along with Arjun Chakraborty and Sohini Sarkar. 

The film will be released during the Durga Puja next month.

(With inputs from agencies.)