Sohail Sen

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Sohail Sen
Born (1984-06-24) 24 June 1984 (age 39)
GenresPop, classical music, soft rock, retro, world music
Occupation(s)Composer, record producer, singer, instrumentalist, music director, programmer
Instrument(s)Vocals, guitar, percussion, tabla, piano, dholak, drums, bongos
Years active2008–present

Sohail Sen (born 24 June 1984) is an Indian film composer, musician and singer who works in Bollywood. He debuted as a film composer with the Hindi film Sirf (2008), which went majorly unnoticed.[1] Later, he gained fame as a Hindi film composer, with his acclaimed work in What's Your Raashee? (2009).[2][dead link][3][4][5] He is also known for composing the popular soundtracks of Mere Brother Ki Dulhan, Ek Tha Tiger, and Gunday.[6]

Early life

Sen comes from a family of musicians who have worked in the film industry and his entry into the film composing world marked the fourth generation of his family to do so. His father, Sameer Sen (of the music director duo Dilip Sen-Sameer Sen) has always been a strong influence in his life, as was his paternal grandfather Shri Shambhu Sen's singing.[7][8]

Sen started learning music at the age of six. He learnt to play the tabla as a child, and then went on to learn various musical instruments including the piano and percussion and rhythm instruments. He learnt classical music from his grandfather Shri Shambhu Sen. He began his career as a music director at the young age of thirteen when he composed the music for a telefilm titled Roshni and for which renowned singer Kavita Krishnamurthy provided playback.[9] He then decided to assist his father for nine years to fine-tune his skills as a film composer.[8]

Career

In 2008, Sen began his career as a film composer, with the Hindi film Sirf, however, the film was supposed to be released in 2006, but it got delayed badly and was released in 2008 and eventually the music went unnoticed. He also composed the music for The Murderer (2009),[10] which also got delayed and the music went unnoticed.[8]

In 2009, he got a turning point, in his career as a film composer, when director Ashutosh Gowariker approached him for his film What's Your Raashee?.[11] Initially he wanted his all-time favourite composer A. R. Rahman to compose for the film, but Rahman couldn't do it, because he wanted to compose for Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire instead.[12] So, he started looking for someone who is capable and can contribute all his time for composing in his film alone. Sen was always keen to work with Ashutosh Gowariker and incidentally his father Sameer Sen knew him from before and knowing that Gowariker was looking for someone to compose for his film, Sen asked his father to fix a meeting with him. His first meeting with Gowariker was a casual one at his office, it was where he told him that he would like to make him listen to some of his compositions. Gowariker immediately agreed to visit his studio the next morning. The next day, when he went to Sen's studio and heard some of his tunes, he really liked what he heard and after a couple of weeks later, Gowariker called up Sen and said "You are on for this project". For Sen, it was a dream come true.[8] At first Sen was thrilled of getting the offer, but when he was told that there would be 13 songs in the movie, one song for each of the 12 zodiac signs and then one song in which the lead protagonist makes the final choice, he was taken aback, since nowadays its quite rare to hear 13 different songs in one album and that itself was a difficult task, and again, it was an equally difficult task to create 13 distinct songs, each for one particular zodiac sign and then incorporating the flavor of all these 12 songs into that final song, was the most toughest task, however he took it up as a challenge and started working on the music, which took more than one and a half years in the making.[13]

The soundtrack of the film, was released in August 2009 and irrespective of the box office status of the film, it has been able to garner mostly positive critical responses.[5] Bollywood Hungama quoted the album as "interestingly done" and "an experience not to be missed".[2] BBC Music praised Sen's work and quoted him as "Sen shows he can successfully compete with the best in Bollywood".[4] Besides composing the soundtrack and the film score, Sen even sang most of the songs in the film.[3][14]

In 2010, director Ashutosh Gowariker roped him again, for his period piece film Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey, based on the Chittagong Uprising of 1930.[7] The soundtrack of which met with positive critical responses.[15][16]

In 2011, he has had a major release with a top banner Yash Raj FilmsMere Brother Ki Dulhan, the music of which got appreciation from both critics and masses. The songs "Dhunki", "Isq Risk" and title track were chartbusters.[17] In 2012, he replaced Pritam as the music director for Salman Khan's next film Ek Tha Tiger, since Pritam had date problems with both Yash Raj projects Ek Tha Tiger and Dhoom 3.[18] The soundtrack received unanimously positive reviews. In 2014, Sen will team up with Ali Abbas Zafar once again after Mere Brother Ki Dulhan for Gunday, which features Ranveer Singh, Arjun Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra, and Irrfan Khan.[19] While Sen will become music composer for the Hindi theatrical release of Gunday, Bappi Lahiri will compose full Bengali songs for the film, as it is also to be released in Bengali.[20] This marks the first time Bappi Lahiri will work with Yash Raj Films.[21]

Discography

As music director

Year Film Notes
2008 Sirf All songs Collaborating with Shibani Kashyap[1]
2009 What's Your Raashee? All songs
2010 Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey
2011 Mere Brother Ki Dulhan
2012 From Sydney with Love
Ek Tha Tiger 3 songs: "Lapata", "Saiyaara", and "Banjara"
Won BIG Star Entertainment Award for Most Entertaining Music, along with Sajid–Wajid
2014 Gunday All songs
2016 Housefull 3 1 song: "Taang Uthake"
Happy Bhag Jayegi All songs
2017 The Test Case Composed Title Track for web series on the AltBalaji
2018 Love per Square Foot Released on Netflix
Happy Phirr Bhag Jayegi All songs
Baazaar 1 song: "Adhura Lafz"
2019 Fraud Saiyaan 4 songs: "Ishq Ishq Tera", "Fraud Saiyaan", "Mashoor Hazoor - E - Aala", "Ladies Paan"
Romeo Akbar Walter 1 song: "Bulleya"
Housefull 4 3 songs: "Ek Chumma", "Shaitan Ka Saala", "Chammo"
2020 Guns of Banaras All songs
2021 Velle 2 songs: "Raakh Ka Dariya", "Khayali Ishq"
2022 Double XL 3 songs: Taali Taali, Rangelo Manva, Tumse Mila Doon

As playback singer

Year Song Title Film Title Co-Singer
2008 "Tujhpe Fida" Sirf Tarannum Mallik
2009 "What's Your Raashee? – Pal Pal Dil Jisko Dhoonde" What's Your Raashee? Solo
"Bikhri Bikhri" Marianne D'Cruz
"Pyaari Pyaari" Alka Yagnik
"Su Chhe" Bela Shende
"Salone Kya" Tarannum Mallik
"Jao Na"
"Dhadkan Dhadkan"
"What's Your Raashee? – Chehre Jo Dekhe Hain" Solo
2010 "Yeh Des Hai Mera" Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey Solo
"Sapne Saloney" Pamela Jain
2012 "Feeling Love in Sydney" From Sydney with Love Solo
"Pyaari Pyaari" Brooklyn Shanti
2014 "Gunday" Gunday Solo
2016 "Taang Uthaake" Housefull 3 Mika Singh, Neeti Mohan, Mamta Sharma
"Aashiq Tera" Happy Bhag Jayegi Altamash Faridi
2019 "Ek Chumma" Housefull 4 Altamash Faridi, Jyotica Tangri

Awards and nominations

Year Category Nominated work Result Ref(s)
Filmfare Awards
2012 Best Music Director Mere Brother Ki Dulhan Nominated [22]
Stardust Awards
2010 Standout Performance by a Music Director What's Your Raashee? Nominated [23]
2011 Standout Performance by a Music Director Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey [24]
New Musical Sensation – Male
Mirchi Music Awards
2014 Album of The Year Gunday Nominated [25]
Best Song Producer (Programming & Arranging) "Tune Maari Entriyaan" from Gunday

References

  1. ^ a b Toolsee, Gianysh (24 August 2009). ""All the tunes were made fresh according to the script." – Sohail Sen". Planet Bollywood. Retrieved 6 October 2010.
  2. ^ a b Tuteja, Joginder (19 August 2009). "What's Your Raashee?: Music Review". Bollywood Hungama. Retrieved 21 February 2019.
  3. ^ a b Ojha, Ankit. "What's Your Raashee? – A Musical Extravaganza!". Planet Bollywood. Retrieved 7 October 2010.
  4. ^ a b Mulji, Priya (16 September 2009). "Sohail Sen – What's Your Raashee?: Music Review". BBC Music. Retrieved 15 October 2010.
  5. ^ a b Indo-Asian news service (24 August 2009). "Sohail Sen's music impresses in 'What's Your Raashee?' (IANS Music Review)". Thaindian News. Retrieved 24 September 2011.
  6. ^ Yount, Stacey (24 January 2014). ""Composer Sohail Sen and the Music of Gunday – Exclusive interview!"". Bolly Spice. Retrieved 17 December 2015.
  7. ^ a b Toolsee, Gianysh (30 November 2010). ""I am never completely satisfied with my work" – Sohail Sen". Planet Bollywood. Retrieved 8 October 2011.
  8. ^ a b c d Ramsubramaniam, Nikhil (26 September 2009). "Musically Yours: Sohail Sen". Bollywood Hungama. Retrieved 7 October 2010.
  9. ^ Yount, Stacey (14 August 2011). ""I make my music from my soul and like to touch the soul of people who listen to it." – Sohail Sen". Bolly Spice. Retrieved 24 September 2011.
  10. ^ "The Murderer (2009)". Bollywood Hungama. Archived from the original on 11 June 2008. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
  11. ^ Indo-Asian News Service (17 June 2009). "Gowariker picks new composer over Rahman for '...Rashee?'". Thaindian.com. Retrieved 6 October 2010.
  12. ^ "Trivia for What's Your Raashee?". IMDb. Retrieved 10 October 2010.
  13. ^ Indo-Asian news service (25 August 2009). "Comparing me to Rahman not fair: Sohail Sen". Thaindian.com. Retrieved 6 October 2010.
  14. ^ Vijayakar, Rajiv (4 September 2009). "'SIGNS' Language". Screen India. Retrieved 6 October 2010.
  15. ^ Indo-Asian news service (30 October 2010). "Patriotism takes centrestage in 'Khelein Hum...' album (IANS Music Review)". Thaindian.com. Retrieved 28 September 2011.
  16. ^ Verma, Sukanya (29 October 2010). "Khelein Hum... has beautiful music". Rediff.com. Retrieved 29 October 2010.
  17. ^ Nahta, Komal (9 September 2011). "Mere Brother Ki Dulhan Movie Review". Koimoi.com. Retrieved 18 September 2011.
  18. ^ "Pritam chooses Dhoom 3 over Ek Tha Tiger". Bollywood Hungama. 15 September 2011. Archived from the original on 23 September 2011. Retrieved 15 September 2011.
  19. ^ "Yash Raj Films". Yash Raj Films. Retrieved 17 February 2014.
  20. ^ "Bappi Lahiri sings Bengali song in Ranveer Singh, Arjun Kapoor's 'Gunday'". Indian Express. 9 December 2013. Retrieved 17 February 2014.
  21. ^ "Bappi Lahiri sings Bengali song in Gunday | Bollywood News | Hindi Movies News | News". Bollywood Hungama. 9 December 2013. Archived from the original on 19 December 2013. Retrieved 17 February 2014.
  22. ^ "Filmfare Awards 2011 Winners - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
  23. ^ Hungama, Bollywood (5 December 2013). ""It was like being in a horror movie" - Javed Akhtar on his temporary paralysis - Bollywood Hungama". Bollywood Hungama. Archived from the original on 19 January 2010. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
  24. ^ Hungama, Bollywood (13 August 2014). "Check out: Bangistan actors Pulkit Samrat, Jacqueline Fernandez and Riteish Deshmukh lunch together - Bollywood Hungama". Bollywood Hungama. Archived from the original on 24 January 2011. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
  25. ^ "MMA Mirchi Music Awards". MMAMirchiMusicAwards. Retrieved 27 March 2018.

External links