Music composer Shreyas Puranik took the industry by storm with his incredible track Satranga from Animal. So much so, it also won him the RD Burman Award for Upcoming Music Talent at the 69th Hyundai Filmfare Awards 2024. While the song established him as a bankable talent in Bollywood, Shreyas believes that there is a lot more to explore in terms of his craft. He does not want to remain a 'one-hit wonder' but believes in working harder to make his own path. We sat with the composer, who shared details about his career, interactions with Ranbir Kapoor during the making of Satranga, and his upcoming project, Dhadak 2. Excerpts from a hearty chat:
Congratulations on Satranga! You have also won a Filmfare award for it. Did you anticipate the success?
As an artiste, every time I make a melody, I hope it reaches the right audience. It is not about the success but about the audience's love, which we get from the songs. For Satranga, I feel like everything fell into place because the film also did well. Ranbir (Ranbir Kapoor) has acted the best. Sandeep Reddy Vanga has done magic. The side cast and the secondary cast have also gathered so much love and success from that film. All the factors worked in favour of the song, and I'm grateful that I have received so much love from the entire world.
How did you get involved with the project?
There's a small story behind it. I had made this song for a different film, but it did not fit it. We had a Diwali party at my lyric writers, Siddharth and Garima's, place. They are best friends with Mr. Vanga, so he was also there at the party. We were disappointed that the song did not get through, and I was just sitting on the balcony and humming the melody. Mr. Vanga overheard me and asked me about the meaning of the song. He appreciated the song and made me sing it around five to six times during that party. Then he called me after the weekend. He asked me if he could use the song in the film Animal. Later, he showed us the way he's shooting the song, and the later half was written according to the script. To my surprise, it eventually became Ranbir Kapoor's favourite song. My friends Siddharth and Garima told me that Ranbir liked the song very much the first time he heard it. He asked Mr. Vanga if he could take it home and play it with Alia as well. It was a dream to compose a song for Ranbir Kapoor, and it happened with Animal.
Did you get a chance to meet Ranbir Kapoor and discuss the song in person?
I didn't meet him initially, but we met before the release. Since the song was dubbed in my voice before Arijit Singh sang it, Ranbir complimented my voice. He also thanked me for giving him the song. I was a little enthralled by that gesture because a superstar like Ranbir Kapoor appreciating the song in our first meeting was overwhelming. However, we kept on meeting for some promotions, and every time, he was very nice and generous to me. When we were in Hyderabad for promotions, he publicly acknowledged that Satranga was his favourite song.
How did you have Arijit Singh on board for the song?
I have known Arijit Singh since 2012. Once, I called him after the release of Phir Le Aaya Dil and Raabta. He knows my gurus, Suresh Wadkar ji and Padma Wadkar ji, so I got his number from them. I actually wanted to assist Arijit. So, he called me to his studio at around 12 o'clock, and I stayed there till 5.30 in the evening. I was just waiting and trying to call him. After 5.30 pm, he told me that he forgot about our meeting and had taken a flight to Kolkata. So, that was my first call with Arijit. I still wanted to assist him in music, but eventually he became big and we lost touch. But with Satranga, we happened to work together for the first time. He was very happy. He recorded the song a couple of times because the director was expecting a specific feel. Also, I feel that he can sing anything, and the kind of versatility he has shown over the years is incredible. He has evolved as a musician, and he creates magic with his voice. It was a great experience working with him.
After Satranga's success, did you feel any added pressure on you as a composer?
I think the pressure is from people around you expecting too much. The expectations definitely increase. I guess you have to make sure whatever is coming out is great because you don't want to be a one-song wonder. But I believe in taking it sportingly and creating nonetheless. I believe in hustling because that's what our career is about. You have to keep working and give something new to the people.
You were the solo composer in Dukaan. What are the aspects that you considered while putting the album together?
Dukaan is a very special film for me because it was completed before Animal happened. That was my first film as a solo music director. The directors, Siddharth and Garima, wanted me to do the entire music. It was a Gujarat-based film, so I had to stick to the Gujarati flavour. I also tried to add in a little folk. If you listen to all the songs, you will find a mix of today's sound plus the ethnic sounds of India. Also, I did not want to create something that did not sound familiar to the film. I was sticking to a lot of Indian instruments that we have used. I have also used a lot of ragas, which define the core of Indian music.
You have worked on the music of Bajirao Mastani, specifically the song Gajanana. Did you have any interactions with Sanjay Leela Bhansali about the song?
I have been assisting Sanjay Leela Bhansali with music for a decade now. It started off with Bajirao Mastani. During that phase, he asked me to compose a Ganesh aarti for the film. He was kind enough to credit me for the song. I was elated because I was being credited as an individual composer in a big film. Sanjay Sir is a very knowledgeable person. I learn something new every time I meet him. People generally know him as a very strict person, but I know him as extremely fun-loving. He is also comical at times. His jokes are bang on. He is fun to work with. I still go and assist him after doing Satranga. I really want to keep learning from him.
How did you come about becoming a musician?
I was three when I started to sing. My first audiences were my parents and my relatives. It began with me singing at home. Then I shifted to Mumbai to learn music at Suresh Wadkar Ji's music school. It excited me, and a career in music eventually happened. My parents were sure of that as well. So, I just made the decision that I wanted to become a singer. However, I started composing because I was interested in it. I had a responsibility to prove myself because I had been in Mumbai for three-four years. I needed to do something, so I started making songs. I started selling those songs. I started to assist Mr. Bhansali. Yeah. I did many independent musicals and had to wait for eight years to get a song like Satranga. Yeah. So that's how my journey has been.
The music industry in our country is rapidly changing. Do you think that these changes are leading to something positive?
It's subjective. We have to keep adapting to the changes. It depends on people, but we have to keep adapting to the upcoming changes. We have to keep modifying our art according to technology, but technology can never go ahead of human brilliance. We have to keep ourselves updated with new sounds, new technologies, and new schemes.
Who are your role models in music?
I listen to more Indian people. I listen to a lot of classical music, but as a child, I grew up listening to Sonu Nigam. I listen to a lot of Arijit Singh songs because they just calm my soul. I also listen to artists like Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, and Ed Sheeran. For classical music, I would have to say Ustad Rashid Khan sahib and Ustad Bade Gulam Ali Khan sahib. It's a mix of everything.
We recently came to know that you are also composing for Dhadak 2. What kind of music can we expect in the movie?
I cannot reveal much because I don't know if I'm allowed to say it right now, but I can talk about the theme. Azeem Dayani developed the theme. He is the music supervisor at Dharma. He approached me, and he asked me to compose a song for Dhadak 2. I made my tune, and they were in a rush to make an announcement theme. So, we created a beautiful theme out of the song I made. As you have heard in Dhadak music, it was a vast orchestral theme. We had to stick to it. So, we have tried to incorporate the same grandness into the new songs.