Anand Tiwari, Chaitanya Tamhane on Creating Stories Based on Classical Music

When asked if he wished to promote classical music through his film, he said, “No, that was not a burden that I carried on my shoulders. I wanted to tell a story set in this world, which is what I have done.

“And films operate differently for different people. Oftentimes I have been very fascinated about a topic after watching a film and done my research about new cultures and new worlds via films. If somebody does that, then it is great, but I just wanted to tell a story rather than promote an art form. Because that is a big responsibility.”

Chaitanya, too was careful about authenticity.

“I had lots of collaborators on the film. We had music supervisors on set every time we were shooting. I collaborated with Anish Pradhan, who is a tabla maestro, historian and a writer. We had sound designers Naren Chandravarkar and Anita Kushwaha. They also recorded the music for the film. Then we mixed it in Germany in Dolby Atmos.

“Because the film jumps across a few different periods, we had to create a different Bombay with production design. So it was quite an elaborate process in that sense and a huge responsibility to do it correctly. People who grew up on classical music, who attended concerts and who have seen that are still very much alive and attached to it. So, we did not want to depict it in an inaccurate manner. It also had to be authentic, not only in terms of realism but also evocative and cinematic on screen,” he concluded.