Shantanu Moitra/ Songs Of The River - Ganga

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR

Shantanu Moitra with guests/ Songs Of The River - Ganga

Genre: Music for OTT documentary series/ folk 

Rating: *****

Besides Hindi film soundtracks, Shantanu Moitra is known for his thematic concerts. His shows inspired by the Himalayas and the Chandrayaan moon mission have met with success.

As someone who loves travelling and adventure, he took upon himself the mammoth task of cycling along the river Ganga from Gaumukh in Uttarakhand to Gangasagar in West Bengal. This journey has been converted into Songs Of The River - Ganga, a Disney Hotstar documentary series produced by the JSW Group in six episodes.

Moitra was accompanied by a team travelling on road. And while the series has many interesting tales, lots of geographical trivia and breathtaking photography, this blog looks at its musical content. After all, being a composer, Moitra had to be inspired to create some new tunes.

The first five episodes thus feature guest artistes, and there is footage on how the songs were conceptualised and composed. The final episode uses a traditional Bengali song. The streaming platforms have two sets - one containing the songs and the other with the background score.

The songs have been composed by Moitra, who blends guitars with an assortment of Indian instruments. The sound mostly has a folk flavour, though it varies as per the geographic region. Lyricists Tanveer Ghazi and Swanand Kirkire use the Ganga as the theme and inspiration. A travelling recording studio set-up was used to capture sounds naturally.

Mohit Chauhan begins the proceedings in his trademark style with 'Main Chala'. He's shown singing in front of a group of happy villagers in the hills. Tanveer Ghazi's lines are, "Zindagi mujhko udaake, le ja rahi hai, main chala; Door se awaaz koi aa rahi hai, aur main chala, main chala". A lovely harmonica part is used at the end.

Ghazi also writes 'Natkhat Nadiya', featuring the folk fusion group Maati Baani and Arunachal Pradesh singer Taba Chake. The coordination between singers Nirali Kartik and Taba is fantastic, and Kartik Shah is seen producing rhythms on a bicycle. A line in the north-eastern language Nyishi adds variety, and the vichitra veena gives a period feel. The song is shot in Kannauj, Uttar Pradesh.

One of the highlights is Bombay Jayashri's 'Jaag Uthi Usha', which blends the shloka "Tryanbakam Yajamahe Sugandhim Pushthivardhanam" with Swanand Kirkire's motivational lines that begin "Jaag uthi usha, ek nayee usha". The sarod and bansuri add to the charm of this track filmed in the lanes and river banks of Varanasi.

Also in the motivational space is Sid Sriram's 'Aye Nadi Chali Kahan' where he sings Ghazi's lines, "Jo kabhi nahin hua, aaj woh hum kare zara zara, khaali sa aasmaan badalon se bhare zara zara". This is followed by a surprise from Kaushiki Chakraborty. One of the leading classical vocalists today, she sings a pure folk song in 'Bhagirathi', written by Kirkire. Violinist Ambi Subramaniam comes up with an earthy melody, and vibrant dhak and dhol provide the rhythm. There is an interesting segment on how this song was created.

The final episode shows Moitra and team reaching their destination of Gangasagar in the Ganges delta. Here, Rathijit Bhattacharjee's rendition of the traditional Bengali folk song 'Amar Haath Bandhdibi' goes perfectly with the mood. 

The soundtrack is just under 30 minutes long, but the six songs capture the folk sounds of the entire Ganga path. While the melodies are beautifully constructed, the words and voices match the visuals in the documentary. Both the film and the music are highly recommended. It's easily one of Shantanu Moitra's best creations.