Arjun Kanungo has a peculiar way of describing his music in director Ashish Chanchlani’s new series Ekaki. According to the composer, the three songs in the series don’t “try to behave”. “Ekaki is a horror comedy, which means nothing is supposed to behave properly, including the music. I let the scenes guide me and trusted instinct more than planning,” he elaborated, when we got on a call with him.
That fluidity is audible across the soundtrack. Porancha Ranga marks Kanungo’s debut Marathi composition. While it’s a new language in his discography, it isn’t an unfamiliar one. “I’ve grown up in Mumbai, and even though I’m not Maharashtrian, Marathi has always been around me. I grew up hearing it constantly, so it felt familiar even though I hadn’t composed in it before.”
A still from ‘Ekaki’
Market is a hip-hop number reworked from an original by MC Sandy. The composer recalled, “My label owns the rights to the original song, and we thought this would be a good opportunity to support raw local talent like MC Sandy.” Kehne Ko Kya Raha, meanwhile, is the kind of emotional track listeners associate with Kanungo.
As he crafted the songs, he was careful that the spotlight stayed on the story. “This was Ashish’s concert, not mine. I wanted the music to lift the scenes, and then step out of the way. If the scene landed, the music had done its job. Ashish and I have been good friends. With Ekaki, we merged our creative spark,” he shared. Before signing off, he had one request. “Now please interview Ashish so he can admit what a good friend I am to him.” We know whom we’re calling next.