Kolkata based filmmaker Samik Roy Choudhury has now shifted his talents towards composing music with a new single called ‘Atmohotyar Khoshra’. Literally translating to ‘suicide draft’, it refers to the suicide notes that sometimes people write before taking their own lives. Released under Bangla Rock label, the video is a short film in itself.
Coming in the midst of the furore and controversy over Bollywood
actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death, such a song is important. It
tackles the topic of suicide in a healthy manner. The video starts with
a message from Bengali rock band Fossils’ frontman Rupam Islam:
‘Remember you have a greater reason to live’.
The protagonist, played by Samik, is contemplating suicide and is writing his suicide letter in the middle of the night. He is determined to end his life and won’t be afraid of death.
However, he is very tired and sleep takes over. Later, when he wakes up, the fear of death has returned and he ultimately cannot take his life because it is dear to him.
The black and white prisma effect present throughout the video adds an eerie edge to it. The visuals show guns, rope nooses and knives over a grisly, grey background. In the end, the noose comes near the protagonist’s neck but it becomes a fluttering flame which he blows out.
The music has been handled by keyboardist Shibasish Banerjee and guitarist Chayan Chakraborty, who plays in the folk rock band Fakira. The sound has been given a slow, minor blues treatment. The shuffle is carried by the keyboard on which the guitar paints ominous pictures with exquisite bends, fuzzy chords and mournful licks. Though the blues is definitely not new, such treatment is! Especially as the vocals is sung in a hip-hop style. Slow grooves, bluesy music and funky Bengali vocals turn up the heat. Such an organic blend of diverse styles will definitely pave way for a new musical direction for the indie scene, especially in the Bengali music circuit.
The daring music creeps up on the listener while the slightly demented singing style alarms equally. In the final chorus, a whole wall of sound rushes up from the previously sparse soundscape. This takes the song into a whole different dimension, adding a slight tinge of hope for life amidst the dreary gloom of the 2-minute song. All in all, this song is a heady affair which takes on an important topic while the music can kickstart the exploration of a whole new genre altogether.
Verdict: Pioneering musical blend of the blues and hip-hop.
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