For a globally acclaimed songwriter-composer, who has collaborated with names like Mohsen Makhmalbaf, Emma Thompson, Aparna Sen and Rituparno Ghosh, Kolkata-born Tajdar Junaid’s music feels oddly homely and comforting. Now, the musician can add another feather to his cap with his latest project, Writing With Fire, getting nominated in the Best Documentary Feature category of the 94th Academy Awards. Junaid composed the score for the documentary that follows Khabar Lahariya, India’s only newspaper run by Dalit women. My Kolkata had a short chat with the Calcutta Boys’ School alumnus about his work on the project, his vision, challenges, and reaction to the nomination...
MK: Congratulations on the Oscar nom! How did you come on board this project?
Tajdar: In 2019, I got a call from Sushmit (Ghosh, co-director with Rintu Thomas), explaining the nature of the film. I immediately connected with this project, which speaks about the powerful women from the Hindi heartland of our country. Most city folk don’t know about these female Dalit journalists who have been quietly working and achieving results at the ground level – without any fanfare. I felt that this was an important story to tell and be associated with, and decided to work on the entire soundtrack.
Which aspect of the film spoke to you?
The courage of these women reporters struck me the most. They are very inspiring and have persisted with their work against all odds, be it their familial or societal pressures. Their devotion to their profession and their fearlessness in speaking the truth is commendable.
Was it tough to give life to the directors’ vision musically?
As a music composer, I had to merge into the film like a character, making sure that the score does not overpower the scenes. I had to be sensitive with the compositions.
Seems like the project required a lot of finesse. What were the challenges you faced?
Since the nature of the documentary is very delicate, I had to ensure that I was emotionally balanced while working on a few crucial scenes. The goal was to not get too attached to the characters, and yet try and reproduce what they were going through my music.
The Academy and many film festivals have clearly seen what you saw in this story. Did you expect this response?
We were simply working on giving our best for the film. No one expected this to happen. We all feel overwhelmed and blessed. Hopefully this will open up more doors for Khabar Lahariya, and other filmmakers of the country.