Indian Jam Project frontman Tushar Lall: Background scoring is more demanding than composing soundtracks in Bollywood

Indo-western fusion music group The Indian Jam Project (TIJP) has been busy gigging across the country. But a concert that stands out for them is their recent candlelight concert that they performed in Mumbai. Sharing how the experience was special, the band’s frontman Tushar Lall says, “It was incredible. It’s rare to perform in a setting that looks so stunning, and the carefully curated setlists make it even more special.”

TJIP performed a sold-out show at the iconic Royal Opera House in Mumbai. Tushar adds, “We had an AR Rahman (composer) tribute and a Bollywood-themed set. For the final song of the Rahman set, we played the iconic Kun Faya Kun (Rockstar; 2011). It was absolute joy, not only because we loved performing it as musicians, but also because the ambiance was breathtaking. That’s what makes candlelight concerts so unique. They create an immersive, aesthetically beautiful experience that both the audience and performers truly enjoy.”

Meanwhile, besides immersing himself in non-film music, Tushar is also enjoying his Bollywood ride. Having debuted with the background score of Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva (2022), he composed the music for Curry & Cyanide: The Jolly Joseph Case (2023) and recently worked on the background music for Nadaaniyan. Ask if there’s a difference between working on the soundtrack of a project and working on just the score, and Tushar says, “In most cases, composing the background score is a far more extensive and nuanced process than creating the songs for a film. Songs can be seen as thematic elements, but in Indian filmmaking — especially in Bollywood — there’s a strong tradition of using songs as direct exposition, where characters explicitly sing about their emotions. In contrast, western cinema often relies on subtler exposition, where emotions are conveyed through instrumental themes within the score rather than lyrics. Songs are essentially thematic, and many times, the score is derived from the songs composed for the film. However, in terms of workload and sheer hours of music, scoring is significantly more demanding. For example, in Nadaaniyan, the total duration of the songs might be around 15–16 minutes, whereas the score runs for nearly 100–110 minutes. That’s a massive difference. Another key distinction is that scores must be intricately woven into the visuals. While songs often have more creative freedom, allowing them to exist independently, scores are bound to the narrative and must enhance what’s happening on screen. They also have to be highly adaptive — ranging from orchestral to electronic or even genre-bending approaches, depending on the scene.”

Ask about some of the challenges that are specific to scoring for the film, and not for composing the soundtrack, and Tushar says, “As a job, scoring is far more intensive and emotionally demanding. That said, I’ve worked on films where I’ve composed both the songs and the score, which is ideal because it allows the score to be seamlessly derived from the songs. But overall, as a body of work, the score is undeniably more intricate, extensive, and layered in its execution.”

Sometimes, the same artiste works on the soundtrack and background score of a project, while some projects see different artistes handle the two spaces. As someone who has treaded both the paths, is it more seamless when the same person handles both? “The ideal scenario is when the person composing the songs is also skilled in scoring the background music. In India, there are many composers who focus solely on songs and aren’t particularly interested in background scoring. However, there are also talented ones who excel at both. Salim-Sulaiman (composer duo) are a perfect example of this — they’ve mastered the art of seamlessly handling both songs and background music. Songs are essentially thematic in nature. When the same composer handles both songs and background music, they are essentially crafting the broader themes and then developing their derivatives within the score. This naturally leads to a more cohesive musical experience throughout the film,” says Tushar.

Sharing an example of Nadaaniyan, he adds, “Sachin-Jigar (composer duo) made the songs while I worked on the background score. In such cases, much of my work is already defined to an extent, as I need to derive certain elements of my 100-minute score from the songs. Whether I personally agree with those compositions musically or not is a different matter. When a different composer creates the songs, I don’t have the authority to change or reinterpret their work — I have to work within the framework that’s already been established. That said, when the song composers are exceptionally talented, it makes the process much more rewarding. Sachin-Jigar are phenomenal musicians, so it was a pleasure to build upon their work. However, when everything stems from a single creative vision, you can often hear a deeper sense of cohesiveness in the film’s music.”