‘Slickness of action films excites me to experiment’: Mannan Shaah

After a love story, Namaste England last year, composer Mannan Shaah is scoring for an out-and-out actioner — Vidyut Jammwal’s Commando 3. He has jumped genres not only in films but also the two tracks he has scored — a soft romantic duet titled Akhiyan Milavanga and a dark, pop-rock one. Another interesting part is that he has collaborated with an Armenian artiste Rasa-Lila Buniatyan, who has played a folk bowed string instrument Qamancha (kamancheh) for the former. Mannan says, “I’ve always believed that instrumentalists have their own voices that speak through their instruments. Rasa expresses herself through hers.”

Rasa was referred to Mannan by music arranger, Sourav Roy. “I wanted a tone that gave me an East Mediterranean vibe along with the main melody. And the Qamancha serves that. I love its sound,” he tells us. 

BEYOND COMFORT ZONE

Mannan credits the Commando franchise for giving him an opportunity to experiment. “It’s like a  practice pad when it comes to re-inventing myself as a musician every time,” he states. Just like in the previous two parts, he has gone beyond his comfort zone. “It’s my first collaboration with director Aditya Datt. I always wanted to work with him as I am a fan of his musical sensibilities. Aashiq Banaaya Aapne (2005) was a game-changer. I also loved Table No 21 and its soundtrack,” he informs. With the album, Mannan is also introducing a lyricist, Saahil Sultanpuri. He’s an exceptional writer and someone I believe will be in demand soon. The guy has a superb sense of poetry and a great command over the language. He is here to stay for a long time,” he enthuses.

SCORING FOR ACTION FILMS

Mannan believes that every action requires an equally strong emotion, and that’s where music plays an important role. “It creates a feeling to perform the action,” says he. The Ziddi Hai Dil hitmaker is a big fan of albums of thrillers like Maachis, Sholay, Don, Omkara, Lakshya, the Dhoom franchise, etc. “Of course, composing for an out-and-out love story like Namaste England has always been my first love, but the slickness and thrill of an action film excite me to experiment. I may find success here or fail. What’s the fun without taking risks?” he avers.  

A still from Commando: A One Man Army

GLAD TO BE INDIE, TOO

Given the changing soundscape in Bollywood, do composers have a wider scope to experiment? “It is actually quite a debatable topic,” he observes, adding, “Composers creating for films do not have that extreme level of creative liberty to achieve what they are capable of when it comes to the final product. There are too many people involved in a film song apart from the music team. And that is completely fair. This is the reason why exploring independent music is the new (and welcome) trend. I’m glad to be a part of it, too.” 

IN THE PIPELINE

Though he started his career with Kucch Luv Jaisaa (2011) as a singer, he has only composed for the Commando franchise and Namaste England. “That’s because I believe in doing one thing at a time. 

I give all my energy to it. So, I take time to pick up projects,” he explains. Currently, he has a new-found fascination for the ad world and has scored for brands. “I am also scoring for a film. It has an interesting take on friendship and relationships in general,” he concludes.