In an industry increasingly driven by spectacle, scale, and sound, filmmaker Anand Pandit offers a grounded, perspective on the growing buzz around background scores. Drawing from decades of cinematic history, from the evocative soundscapes of classics to today’s high-decibel blockbusters. Anand argues that what many see as a “new” trend is, in fact, deeply rooted in Bollywood’s storytelling tradition. For him, background music has always been more than an accessory; it is an invisible force shaping character, emotion, and audience memory—only now amplified by technology and changing viewing habits.Excerpts from an interview…You have been in the industry for decades, what do you feel about background music? Do you think background music today is no longer just supportive but a decisive storytelling tool shaping audience perception and hero imagery? How has its role fundamentally changed from earlier Bollywood practices?Well, I grew up in an era where the background music of ‘Aradhana’, ‘Bobby’, ‘Shalimar’, ‘Sholay’, ‘Don’, ‘Shaan’, ‘Qurbani’, ‘Karz’ , ‘Satte Pe Satta’ and many other films became immortal. Please remember, this is not a new phenomenon and our veteran music directors like RD Burman, Laxmikant Pyarelal and Kalyanji Anandji understood the importance of background music as a storytelling tool. Watch Amit Ji’s introduction scene in ‘Don’ to see what I mean. In fact, even if you revisit vintage classics like ‘Saheb Bibi aur Ghulam’ (1962), you will see how intricate the sound design was.The cult elevation of heroes through powerful themes in films like KGF Chapter 1 and the stylised soundscape of Pathaan that heightened Shah Rukh Khan’s screen presence suggest that background scores are now central to a film’s commercial identity. Has Bollywood entered an era where music is driving the spectacle as much as the script or star power?As I said before, this is not a new phenomenon. Do watch how Amit ji was introduced in films like ‘Coolie’ and ‘Don’. His star power and the music in the background would send audiences in a frenzy. In ‘Karz’, the theme music was a very important part of the story about rebirth and vengeance. And background music is not just a big part of action films like ‘Sholay’, ‘Ghulami’, ‘Ghayal’ and more recently, Yashraj’s Tiger franchise. But also love stories. Remember ‘Hero’ (1983) and the flute notes that became as popular as the film itself? Films like ‘KGF Chapter 1’ and ‘Pathaan’ are simply taking forward our cinema’s well-documented passion for BGMs. How do you view the growing investment in background scores and theme tracks? Is this shift a creative necessity, a marketing strategy to create viral moments, or a response to changing audience expectations — especially among younger viewers?Makers like Raj Kapoor, Guru Dutt, V Shantaram, Satyajit Ray, Yash Chopra, Bimal Roy, K Asif etc always made sure that every aspect of sound design in their films was impeccable. The world still remembers the iconic theme music for Satyajit Ray’s ‘Pather Panchali’ (1955) which was composed by Pandit Ravi Shankar. The only difference today is that technology has made the sound and visuals more tactile. Today technology and VFX have created larger-than-life cinematic experiences but yes, the audience is still looking for conviction-led projects that our cinema was once known for. Also signature tunes help add traction to teasers, reels, and short-form content even before a film releases. A striking background theme can travel independently across platforms and generate curiosity. So yes, BGMs do serve marketing, but they must originate from storytelling needs. Given that strong theme music and title tracks — such as the widely discussed “Saiyaara” title song — are becoming cultural talking points even before a film’s release, do you see background music evolving into a standalone brand-building tool for films? Does this put new pressure on composers to deliver commercially impactful soundtracks alongside narrative depth? Let me again take you back to the past. A film’s music was always a big factor in drawing audiences to a film. India’s first countdown show ‘Binaca Geet Mala’ on radio would showcase hit songs which in turn created curiosity about a film. Then there was ‘Chitrahaar’ where the songs of ‘Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak’ before the film’s release created a sensation. Theme music and title tracks have been brand assets always. In fact Farhan Akhtar took the keynotes from the original Don’s theme track and used it in the modern version. If makers are doing this again, it is good for pre-release narrative building.
