Music plays an important role in cinema, theatre and even television. Not only are complete musical scores important, background scores also play a very important role in setting the temperament of a movie, sometimes they are as important as dialogues especially during emotional or comedy scenes. Background scores can be used in a sophisticated subtle way or may be over the top and loud depending on the genre of the film. It is essential that background scores aide in narrating the story and to take it forward as well. Indian film music has evolved over time and the background scores in films these days have improved several notches into a league of its own.
Background scores not only supports the ongoing narrative but also echoes the emotions being played out on screen. It is used to enhance the story line and make the overall movie going experience more dynamic. Background score is the emotional part of the sound design and helps in getting the feel and experience of the story. It affects the energy of a scene and highlights the mood it is presenting as well. It can convey emotions and take the story forward without the use of any dialogues or verbal exchange between the characters. It adds an additional layer of emotional depth to a scene and makes leeway to what is coming next on the storyboard.
Background music also serves a practical purpose by drowning out unwanted sounds around the location during filming and also makes the switching between scenes seem continuous and seamless. It is sometimes used to introduce important elements of the plot to the audience. Background score is at times also used to intentionally confuse or mislead the audience into reading something more or different into the scene than what is actually there-only to further dramatize a script. At times background music emphasizes a plot point more than dialogues can.
Background music is highly important in films today and is deemed as a necessary part of the plot. It is essential to the storytelling process as it creates an even more convincing atmosphere for the narrative to go forward. It makes the motion picture more interesting and allows for greater connect with the audience as music has the ability to evoke strong emotions. It also helps in reinforcing the story or message being enacted on screen and hence in achieving the desired effect upon the audience. It helps in enhancing the ambience of the film and pulls the audience further into the story. Since the time full length feature films are being made, background music has always played a prominent role in them. A compelling soundtrack can keep the audience interested into the screenplay. It is an integral part of the movie watching experience.
The Indian film industry has a host of musicians in its conduit. The artistes have gone on to win international accolades and the music they write and create stirs emotions in the listeners sparking their brilliance and genius. Some of the best music directors with astounding background scores to their credit include Viju Shah for Gupt, Sandeep Chowta, Randeep Barot, Salim-Sulaiman, Amit Trivedi, Pritam, Monty Sharma, Anupam Roy, and of course A.R. Rahman. A.R. Rahman has won the most number of Filmfare Award for Best Background Score since its inception in 1998. He has won four of them for The Legend of Bhagat Singh, Swades, Guru and Jodhaa Akbar.
This article was featured in our June 2017 issue: http://bit.ly/2sGBsC3
