Prateek Rajagopal: Music can truly make or break a movie

You are entering Indian cinema at an interesting time for film music globally. What have you noticed in the way scores are being created and how do you see film music evolving?

Film music has never been in the spotlight in the same way actors or directors are. When you think of composers, you can usually name only a handful — maybe Hans Zimmer. Even then, people often remember songs more than scores.

One of the people I worked with early in Hollywood was Ludwig Göransson. He is potentially on his way to winning his third Oscar, he’s won multiple Grammys, and has huge command and presence in music. He is still not exactly a household name. Within the industry he’s quite respected and has shaped culture and cinema in many ways — but composers rarely get mainstream visibility. That said, it is an exciting time.

With OTT booming in India, audiences have become much more experimental with sound and score. What I am trying to do is push that even further, because music can truly make or break a movie. It can take a decent film and make it excellent.

After working on major global productions, what drew you to composing for Indian films?

I did not expect myself to come back so soon because most of my work has been in Hollywood. But globally, film and television are evolving. Tech companies have taken over in many ways, and with social media, attention spans are shrinking. For me, it became important to lean into my interests and work on projects that feel exciting, wherever they came from.

When Adarsh Gaurav called and said, “I think you should do this movie,” I said sure — introduce me to the director and let’s go from there. It has to be mutual; he should want me too. Bijoy Nambiar liked my early demos, and it progressed naturally.

I don’t like predicting where my career should go. I just want to have fun and lend my voice to any industry that wants it.

You mentioned shrinking attention spans. With short-form content everywhere now, how can films still hold an audience’s interest?

Short-form content is inevitable now. It is coming from machinery much bigger than all of us, and we’re all used to it.

So the only goal for movies and music is to get super creative — make it so good that it becomes a conversation people want to keep alive. Also, stop assuming you know what the audience wants and the practice of giving them rehashed versions of old ideas.

That is something franchises such as Star Wars and Marvel have struggled with. Audiences eventually push back.

What differences have you noticed between Hollywood scoring workflows and Indian film productions?

Hollywood has extensive infrastructure because budgets are better and it dominates much of the global film landscape. They have music editors, orchestrators, copyists, union musicians, mix engineers — entire teams dedicated to music. Here, I found myself wearing every hat in about two months.

It is definitely a heavier load and not always conducive to giving your absolute best. That is something I’ll think about differently next time.

Creatively though, the stories and technical capabilities of both industries are absolutely at par.

Are audiences becoming more conscious of film music today?

I think so. After my recent release, I was curious about how the music sounded and how people were reacting overall. The response has been amazing — people have actively tagged me, and many articles mentioned the music and background score. So audiences are noticing.

The next step might be curiosity about the people behind the music. In the West, if people notice a score, the composer becomes part of the conversation.

Here, it is still more star-driven, but that seems to be changing slowly.

You mentioned social media. Do you feel composers today have to engage with it more than before?

I’ve been having a lot of thoughts about that. I was already doing it during my band days here with Gutslit, and I feel like in India there has always been a more positive outlook toward putting yourself out there.

When I moved to the West, a lot of it was about keeping your head down and working — the idea being that your break will come eventually.

There’s almost this 48 Laws of Power-mindset where you don’t outshine your boss and you post minimally, even if you don’t always get the credit you deserve. Returning to India and seeing peers from seven years ago who have been consistently active online with their numbers up, and more visibility, I realise it is something I need to keep up with too. It is inevitable; social media is the new currency in many ways.

What about technology, especially AI? Has it democratised composing or made it more competitive?

Music has always been one of the first industries affected by technological change. We have been dealing with this for years. AI is just another shift. It might reduce some jobs, but that is happening everywhere.

You either adapt or you don’t. Technology should be a tool. If the tool becomes better than you, then you have to get better than the tool. AI processes information, but it doesn’t have human emotion.

That is where creativity will always win. Artistes who use technical tools in service of their voice will always stand out. Those who rely solely on presets risk blending into the crowd.

Do you think AI will affect originality standards in film scoring?

It depends on audiences as much as creators. If audiences accept AI-generated music easily, it will shape the industry. If artistes use it intelligently rather than depend on it, creativity will still win. Music doesn’t lie. People can sense authenticity.

Has being Indian shaped your musical sensibility, especially while working internationally?

Being Indian definitely shapes your sensibilities. At home, you grow up absorbing so many different influences. We’ve historically been exposed to Western music by default, but at the same time we have such a strong culture of our own that really pulls you in.

My dad would always play old Bollywood songs, my mom would play stotrams, mantras and Carnatic music at home, and then I was exploring metal music because I saw artistes doing that in India too. So just where we are on the world map — our past, our history, our present — makes us receptive to different ideas and raw creativity.

When you go to the West, especially America, it can feel more insular. You don’t immediately think of Indian people in Hollywood, so sometimes they don’t quite know what to do with us. I will, however, give credit where it’s due — it is a place that is quite open to talent. If they see someone talented, they’ll nurture them. Growing up Indian gives you a global perspective.

Where do you see yourself now in your career?

I’m happy — though as artistes we rarely feel fully satisfied. I am trying to enjoy the moment more. Scoring can sometimes be tiring and not very rewarding.

So the only thing you can do is make the process interesting for yourself and change how you work.

Do you ever find it frustrating?

Not really. I love what I do. Of course, you sometimes wish recognition came faster. You are always learning, always growing — and that is what makes it exciting.

My career has had several “reset buttons,” sometimes unexpectedly. Recently I’ve felt another reset, both with Indian projects and developments in the West. I see myself as a global composer, working across industries and formats, and I’m curious to see where that leads.