A Suitable Boy (soundtrack)
| A Suitable Boy | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Soundtrack album by | |
| Released | 23 October 2020 |
| Recorded | 2019–2020 |
| Genre | Soundtrack |
| Length | 1:38:45 |
| Languages | English, Hindi, Urdu |
| Label | Silva Screen Records |
A Suitable Boy (Original Television Soundtrack) is the soundtrack album to the British television drama miniseries A Suitable Boy directed by Mira Nair and Shimit Amin and adapted by Andrew Davies from Vikram Seth's 1993 novel of the same name, starring Tanya Maniktala, Tabu and Ishaan Khatter. The album featured original score composed by Alex Heffes and Anoushka Shankar, and ghazals by Kavita Seth. The album was released through Silva Screen Records on 23 October 2020.
Development
The music for A Suitable Boy featured original score created by British musician Alex Heffes who reunited with Nair after Queen of Katwe (2016) along with sitarist Anoushka Shankar, as well as ghazals composed and performed by Kavita Seth, who voiced Saeeda Bai's character.[1] Shankar was initially chosen as the sole composer as Nair felt her music suited the ambience of the story and wanted a strong Indian sound with global sensibilities. Though she was impressed on her role, she was hesitant to be available as she was touring at that time, which interrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Later, Heffes joined the team as per Nair's suggestions. Both composers had to find the diversity of the cultures and the musical genres, and took time to utilize the different instruments and sound palettes that would work for the characters.[2][3]
Nair approached Seth after listening to her album Main Kavita Hoon and discussed about, the type of ghazals they wanted and the situations the songs had to be placed. Seth added that Nair had a clarity on the music, regarding her requirements and the emotional aspects for the music, which made it easier to work with while adding that she elaborated on the setting and ambience of the 1950s.[2] Seth had composed and pre-recorded the tunes which would be used for rehearsals as the songs had to be recorded live. Seth focused on tunes based on classical ragas following the period music structure.[4] She had composed, designed and recorded those songs within 3–4 days, due to the live recording sessions, as normally it would take two weeks. Kavita sang most of the ghazals for Tabu's character, with retaining the songs in order to cater the international audiences as well.[5][6]
As much of the songs were recorded live, it was efficient for Heffes and Shankar to integrate the songs into the score, but the incorporation of Indian musical elements were a logistical challenge.[2] The theme for Latha was focused on sitar, to which Shankar wrote a melody that Heffes orchestrated it. Together, Heffes worked on the orchestral pieces while Shankar wrote melodies on top of it. Due to the pandemic restrictions much of the composition and recording process had to be supervised virtually.[7] They recorded bansuri, flute, violin, tabla and other Indian instruments which were done by musicians remotely through Zoom call at various time zones. The orchestral pieces were recorded in Budapest.[8] For the opening credits, they composed a tune on the swarna raga created by her father Ravi Shankar for the 50th Independence Day in 1996 which suited the mood and context they wanted to achieve.[2] The series' supporting actor Namit Das also composed few songs for the series, marking his debut in composition.[9][10] Other featuring composers included Namit's brother Yamini Das, Ustaad Shujaat Khan, Rhys Sebastian.[11]
Release
The soundtrack album featuring 45 songs was released on 23 October 2020 in digital and physical formats.[11]
Reception
Aseem Chhabra of Rediff.com said the characters' lives are "beautifully accompanied by ghazals sung by Kavita Seth, the score composed by Alex Heffes and melodious sitar pieces played by Anoushka Shankar."[12] Tanul Thakur of The Wire wrote "The background score (by Alex Heffes and Anoushka Shankar), filled with prominent sitar strains, conveys the feeling of an exotic foreign documentary, where you expect to see snake charmers, yogis, and spices any minute."[13] Devansh Sharma of Firstpost wrote "Alex Heffes’ music and Anoushka Shankar’s sprightly sitar, accompanied by Kavita Seth’s unblemished vocals, do not allow the viewer to only appreciate the peripherals."[14]
Stutee Ghosh of The Quint wrote "the exquisite music by Alex Heffes and Anoushaka Shankar, making the proceedings richer".[15] Susannah Butter of London Evening Standard wrote "The music adds to the romanticised vision — heavy on the sitars with a jaunty theme tune."[16] Fenil Seta of Bollywood Hungama called it as one of the best theme songs of web series in 2020, adding "though it has a strong Indian sound; it also has the global sensibility" while praising the use of sitar which "enhances the charm and appeal and also goes well with the 1950s era shown in the series."[17]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Prologue" | Alex Heffes, Anoushka Shankar | 0:53 |
| 2. | "Lata's Theme" | Alex Heffes, Anoushka Shankar | 2:30 |
| 3. | "Your Sister; My Brother" | Alex Heffes, Anoushka Shankar | 1:25 |
| 4. | "You Too Will Marry a Boy I Choose" | Alex Heffes, Anoushka Shankar | 1:34 |
| 5. | "Lutf Woh Ishq Mein" | Kavita Seth | 4:02 |
| 6. | "Mehfil Barkhaast Hui" | Kavita Seth | 3:00 |
| 7. | "Smitten Kitten" (Meenakshi's Theme) | Alex Heffes, Anoushka Shankar | 1:44 |
| 8. | "Holi" | Alex Heffes, Anoushka Shankar | 1:23 |
| 9. | "Quedgevelim Sunset" | Bombay Brass, Rhys Sebastian | 2:06 |
| 10. | "No Time, Lover or Friend" | Alex Heffes, Anoushka Shankar | 2:51 |
| 11. | "Raaq Khamaaj" | Ustaad Shujaat Khan | 3:30 |
| 12. | "There is No Harm in Dawn" | Alex Heffes, Anoushka Shankar | 1:18 |
| 13. | "The Floating Temple" | Namit Das, Yamini Das, Alex Heffes, Anoushka Shankar | 1:34 |
| 14. | "Pillow Talk" | Alex Heffes | 0:42 |
| 15. | "Let's Go Away / I Never Want to See You Again" | Alex Heffes, Anoushka Shankar | 2:04 |
| 16. | "Na-Rawa Kahiye" | Kavita Seth | 6:48 |
| 17. | "What Happened & Maan Delirium" | Alex Heffes, Anoushka Shankar | 1:55 |
| 18. | "Muddat Hui Hai" | Kavita Seth | 3:15 |
| 19. | "Kabir's Letter" | Alex Heffes, Anoushka Shankar | 1:09 |
| 20. | "Unsuitable Tango" | Alex Heffes | 0:57 |
| No. | Title | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Railway Theme" | Alex Heffes, Anoushka Shankar | 2:41 |
| 2. | "One Loves You" | Alex Heffes | 1:51 |
| 3. | "Your Parakeet is Well?" | Alex Heffes | 1:41 |
| 4. | "Are You Making Fun of Me?" | Alex Heffes, Anoushka Shankar | 0:53 |
| 5. | "Farewell to Rasheed" | Alex Heffes | 1:21 |
| 6. | "Are You a Lipstick Girl?" | Alex Heffes, Anoushka Shankar | 2:46 |
| 7. | "Are We French Now?" | Alex Heffes, Anoushka Shankar | 1:44 |
| 8. | "Dil-E-Nadaan" | Kavita Seth | 6:22 |
| 9. | "Make Lata Love Me" | Alex Heffes, Anoushka Shankar | 1:34 |
| 10. | "I Can Make Any Shoe" | Alex Heffes, Anoushka Shankar | 1:19 |
| 11. | "Think Beyond Your Friends" | Alex Heffes | 1:53 |
| 12. | "Fluke of a Catch" | Alex Heffes | 1:50 |
| 13. | "Christmas in Prahapore" | Alex Heffes | 0:48 |
| 14. | "Free India's First Election" | Alex Heffes | 1:07 |
| 15. | "Raag Jhinjoti" | Ustaad Shujaat Khan | 3:14 |
| 16. | "Raag Lalit" | Anoushka Shankar | 1:37 |
| 17. | "Maan in Turmoil" | Alex Heffes, Kavita Seth | 1:39 |
| 18. | "Loss" | Alex Heffes | 2:48 |
| 19. | "The Fever Bird" | Alex Heffes | 1:39 |
| 20. | "Maan in Prison" | Alex Heffes, Anoushka Shankar | 2:10 |
| 21. | "An Unfortunate Accident" | Alex Heffes | 2:18 |
| 22. | "Love Has Run Its Course" (Mehfil Barkhaast Hui Duet) | Kavita Seth, Sharvari Deshpande | 1:36 |
| 23. | "A Suitable Boy" | Alex Heffes, Anoushka Shankar | 1:58 |
| 24. | "Lata Chooses her Suitable Boy" | Alex Heffes, Anoushka Shankar | 3:02 |
| 25. | "Monkey Wisdom" | Alex Heffes, Anoushka Shankar | 3:07 |
Personnel credits
Credits adapted from liner notes:[18]
- Score composers – Alex Heffes, Anoushka Shankar
- Song composers – Kavita Seth, Namit Das
- Engineer – Gabor Buczko, Neil Stemp
- Recording – Jonnie Berlevy
- Protools recordist – David Lukacs
- Mixing – Rupert Coulson
- Mastering – Rick Clark
- Music supervisor – Ankur Tewari
- Score coordinator – Hilary Skewes
- Executive producer – David Stoner, Reynold D'Silva
- Management – James Borrer
- Artwork – Momoco, Thao Nguyen Phan
- Design and layout – Stuart Ford
- Orchestra
- Orchestra – The Budapest Art Orchestra
- Orchestrators – Rebecca Dale
- Conductor – Peter Pejtsik
- Contractor – Hilary Skewes, Jenny Plant, Miklos Lukacs, Peter Rotter
- Instruments
- Bansuri – Ashwin Srinivasan, Praveen Prathapan
- Duduk – Pedro Eustache
- Electronic wind instrument – Steve Tavaglione
- Esraj – Arshad Khan
- Ghatam, mridangam, morsing – Pirashanna Thevarajah
- Guitar, bass, percussion – George Doering
- Percussion – Sanket Naik
- Sitar – Anoushka Shankar
- Tabla – Gurdain Rayatt
- Tanpura – Balu Raguraman
- Violin – Manas Kumar, Philippe Honoré
Accolades
| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Nominee | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ivor Novello Awards | 21 September 2021 | Best Television Soundtrack | Alex Heffes and Anoushka Shankar | Nominated | [19] [20] |
| Royal Television Society Craft & Design Awards | 23 November 2020 | Music – Original Title | Alex Heffes and Anoushka Shankar | Won | [21] [22] [23] |
References
- ↑ Chotiner, Isaac (7 December 2020). "How Mira Nair Made Her Own "Suitable Boy"". The New Yorker. ISSN 0028-792X. Archived from the original on 7 December 2020. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 Aiyyappan, Ashameera (2 November 2020). "A suitable song". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 13 November 2020. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
- ↑ Suhasini, Lalitha (7 September 2020). "Anoushka Shankar: "There's anger and heartbreak set in a mood together"". Vogue India. Archived from the original on 28 March 2025. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
- ↑ Tagat, Anurag (2 November 2020). "Vocalist-Composer Kavita Seth on Balancing Her Worlds, 'A Suitable Boy' and More". Rolling Stone India. Archived from the original on 1 May 2021. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
- ↑ Irani, Shaheen (22 October 2020). "DNA Exclusive: Kavita Seth talks about being Tabu's voice in 'A Suitable Boy', working with Mira Nair". Daily News and Analysis. Archived from the original on 24 October 2020. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
- ↑ "Kavita Seth is still on cloud nine after composing music for Mira Nair's web series A Suitable Boy". The Tribune. 24 October 2020. Archived from the original on 29 November 2021. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
- ↑ Lulla, Sonia (26 October 2020). "Made the lockdown work to our advantage for A Suitable Boy: Alex Heffes". Mid-Day. Archived from the original on 20 March 2026. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
- ↑ Qureshi, Bilal (7 December 2020). "'A Suitable Boy' Finally Finds Its Perfect Match: Mira Nair". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 19 January 2024. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
- ↑ "Namit Das turns composer for Mira Nair's A Suitable Boy". Cinema Express. 18 January 2020. Archived from the original on 26 February 2021. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
- ↑ Khandelwal, Heena (13 July 2020). "Exclusive: Namit Das on inheriting music, composing for Mira Nair's A Suitable Boy and plans for his next EP". Indulgexpress. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
- 1 2 "A Suitable Boy (Original Television Soundtrack)". Apple Music. 23 October 2020. Archived from the original on 20 March 2026. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
- ↑ Chhabra, Aseem (27 August 2020). "A Suitable Boy review". Rediff.com. Archived from the original on 21 October 2020. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
- ↑ Thakur, Tanul (23 October 2020). "'A Suitable Boy' Was a Sprawling Saga, but Mira Nair's Version is Bland and Tedious". The Wire. Archived from the original on 31 October 2020. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
- ↑ Sharma, Devansh (24 October 2020). "A Suitable Boy review: Mira Nair's marriage of the personal and the political is a patchy road to mild fulfilment". Firstpost. Archived from the original on 28 October 2020. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
- ↑ Ghosh, Stutee (17 September 2020). "Review: 'A Suitable Boy' Scores in its Frames, But Falters in Pace". The Quint. Archived from the original on 2 October 2022. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
- ↑ Butter, Susannah (24 July 2020). "Settle down for an Indian summer of love with A Suitable Boy". London Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 29 January 2021. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
- ↑ Seta, Fenil (29 December 2020). "#2020Recap: 8 Best theme songs of web series in 2020". Bollywood Hungama. Archived from the original on 16 July 2025. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
- ↑ Alex Heffes; Anoushka Shankar; Kavita Seth. A Suitable Boy (Original Television Soundtrack) (Media notes). Silva Screen Records.
- ↑ Kaufman, Gil (10 August 2021). "Harry Styles, Lewis Capaldi, Dave, Celeste Top 2021 Ivor Novello Award Nominees". Billboard. Archived from the original on 17 November 2021. Retrieved 21 November 2021.
- ↑ Sutherland, Mark (21 September 2021). "Harry Styles, Bon Jovi Win Big at 2021 Ivor Novello Awards as Universal IPO Provides Sideshow". Variety. Archived from the original on 22 September 2021. Retrieved 21 November 2021.
- ↑ "Nominations for the RTS Craft & Design Awards 2020 announced". Royal Television Society. Archived from the original on 28 July 2021. Retrieved 4 November 2020.
- ↑ "CRAFT & DESIGN AWARDS 2020". Royal Television Society. Archived from the original on 18 January 2021. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
- ↑ Ramachandran, Naman (23 November 2020). "Michaela Coel, Lenny Abrahamson, 'The Masked Singer' Win at Royal Television Society Craft and Design Awards". Variety. Archived from the original on 20 January 2021. Retrieved 1 March 2023.