Kolkata: In 1983, Mrinal Sen’s ‘Kharij’ had won a jury prize at the main competition at
Cannes
. The Grand Prix or the second best award had gone to Monty Python’s ‘The Meaning of Life’. Forty-one years later, a film with a Kolkata connection –
Payal Kapadia
’s ‘All We Imagine as Light’ - has won in the main competition at Cannes. This time, it is the Grand Prix and the film has a unique
Ray connection
too.
Its music director was born barely a month after Ray died in Kolkata and was named
Topshe
.
The 32-year-old was fondly named by director Anik Dutta after Feluda’s cousin who serves as a narrator for all the stories. “Ray died on April 23, 1992 while he was born a little over a month later in May. So Topshe was a choice for his nickname. The other name I gave him was Dhritiman – that too was a name with a Ray connection that was in currency then,” Dutta said.
The Mumbai-based debut feature film music composer, who has been working as a film editor for documentaries and web series and has released some pieces of music here and there, was back in Kolkata when he started doing the music for Kapadia’s feature. The Mumbai-base 32-year-old, who has been working as a film editor documentaries and web series by Mumbai and international directors and has released some music here and there, was back in Kolkata when he started working on the music for this feature.
Praising Topshe’s work, Kapadia told TOI from Cannes, “Topshe is a very sensitive person, which I think makes him a unique musician. He brought delight and melancholy into the film with his music and it has become the spirit of the film,” she said.
Ranabir Das, the film’s cinematographer and co-producer, is proud of his brother’s work. “His talent as a musician was clear for us to see from a very young age.” He said that Topshe’s scope of work “greatly increased” in this feature. “Payal can be quite demanding. What stood out was the patience and dedication with which he worked, trying very hard to understand the emotions that each scene needs. It was a wonderful working experience,” Ranabir said from Cannes.
“My personal connection with Payal and Ranabir was the primary reason for agreeing to the project. There were smaller opportunities before this but I didn’t feel the same way about working in them the way I did for this film. I made a few small pieces for Payal’s last documentary. This one was more than that,” Topshe said, underling that he appreciates the “effort” that Kapadia and her team has put in from the writing stage. “They made sure it is a great film from the beginning to the end,” he pointed out.
A self-taught musician, Topshe took piano lessons for two-three years from a classical music teacher at the age of 10. He listens to any kind of music, including contemporary music that has been done in the last 50 years. “I can’t talk about the advantages to being self-taught versus having mentorship. At the end of the day, it is about whether or not whatever you make is good,” he explained.
He followed in his brother’s footstep after studying at Don Bosco and then, the department of Mass Communication & Videography at St. Xavier's College. Unlike Ranabir, he stayed away from the Film and Television Institute of India. The personal connection with Payal and Ranabir was the primary reason for agreeing to the project. There were smaller opportunities before this but he didn’t feel the same way about working in them the way he did for this film. “I made a few small pieces for Payal’s last documentary. This one was more than that. I was the making the music at home in Kolkata and sending it to them. I had a medical procedure in Kolkata and I decided not to travel now,” he said. The process of work for this film continued over many months. “Before shooting, we tried out some ideas. During shooting, we did a little bit. Then nothing happened for a few months. When we got turbo-charged when the Cannes news came in and we had a fixed deadline. Emotionally, it was slightly melancholic and sad because of the story and plot. There are lots of loneliness and sadness in the film,” he explained.
He refuses to analyse why no film from India has made it to the main competition in 30 years. “I just hope there is another one soon. I see lots of talent all over the place. If Payal’s next film shows up at Cannes, I will definitely show up for it,” he said.
