Alipurduar musicians debut in Bollywood: 'All India Rank' features songs composed by brothers
Telegraph | 24 February 2024
Mayukh and Mainak, two brothers from Alipurduar who have been composing songs for years, have made their debut in Bollywood as music directors.
All India Rank, a Hindi film written and directed by Varun Grover, features five songs set to tune by the siblings.
The film was released on Friday. It stars Bodhisattva Sharma in the lead role, and others like Shashi Bhushan, Samta Sudiksha, Geeta Agarwal and Sheeba Chaddha.
“Today, the film was released. This is the first time we worked as music directors in a Hindi film,” Mainak told The Telegraph over the phone from Mumbai on Friday afternoon.
The brothers had stayed at Babupara in Alipurduar town till they passed the higher secondary exams. Moloy Mahalanobish, their father, was a teacher at Alipurduar Boys’ High School.
“After my higher secondary exam in 1990, I, along with my elder brother Mayukh, left for Calcutta to learn how to play musical instruments like guitar and piano. In Alipurduar, I used to play tabla only,” Mainak said.
In 1996-97, the brothers attended a programme for Calcutta Doordarshan. Gradually, they started composing music and worked on some Bengali albums.
“In 2018, we reached Mumbai. We did not know anybody and initially, started making music for visual ads. In one ad, the lyricist was Varun Grover," said Mainak.
The duo expressed their gratitude to singer Suvendu Maity and musician Avik Lahiri of Calcutta. “Both of them have helped us a lot build our career,” the younger brother said.
In Mumbai, the brothers struggled during the Covid-19 pandemic and there was virtually no work then. "But somehow, we clung to our aspirations. After the pandemic, Varun Grover told us that he was making a film and wanted us to join as music directors. The film was screened at several festivals and finally, released across the country today,” said Mainak, who is three years younger than Mayukh.
In the film, Mayukh and Mainak have come up with soulful tunes and a captivating background score. It has five diverse songs, which show the duo’s versatility.
Vishal Bhardwaj has lent his voice to one track, adding his signature touch to the musical tapestry.
“It’s always a fun journey to work with one of the finest and most sensible artistes of our country, Varun Grover. We learned a lot and hopefully, we were able to attune ourselves to the temperament and the texture of this beautiful film,” said Mayukh in a statement.
Their debut in the Hindi film industry has left Alipurduar residents elated. “We are excited that two from Alipurduar have worked as music directors in a Bollywood feature film. Both of them have struggled for years to reach there. We hope people will enjoy their music,” said Somshankar Dutta, a childhood friend of Mainak in the town.