After composing the background score for films like Peepli Live, The Fakir of Venice and Finding Fanny, French composer Mathias Duplessy was back in India for a musical tour. On the anvil were performances in Delhi, Bengaluru and Udaipur. He was also recently involved with director Syed Ahmad Afzal’s Yeh Laal Rang, which is based on the “blood mafia”.
Interestingly, Mathias composed the scrore sitting in Paris — via a jamming session on Skype. “I’ve used a lot of instruments, like the electronic guitar, for the score, it was a really interesting session,” says Mathias, of composing for YLR.
“My favourite composition from the film is Aye Khuda. Syed explained to me the feelings he wanted. Even after six hours (of jamming), I wasn’t happy. So I was trying to get the mood he described, and immediately got the melody in my mind,” he says. Mathias plays a range of instruments and doesn’t believe in ‘digitised’ music — all his scores are recorded with live instrumentation. Here’s a rapid fire round with Mathias, on his musical choices.
Song on repeat on your iPod?
I am totally into classical music these days – recorded music or live concerts.
What do you listen to when you’re feeling blue?
Song from Mongolia, Don’t Worry Be Happy.
Music I loved growing up but I’m now embarrassed by?
The music of The Police — and I’m not embarrassed by it!
How would you describe your taste in music as?
Encompassing everything acoustic.
What’s your favourite time of the day to listen to music? How do you prefer listening to it?
Since I’m a musician, I never have a ‘specific’ time for listening to music, I enjoy it whenever I want to.
The one live act you would love to see at least once in your life?
Stevie Wonder!
— As told to Rohit Bhatnagar
