Lip-syncing a rarity in films now: Amit Trivedi

By Sandeep Sharma

New Delhi, June 4 (IANS) Rajesh Khanna-Kishore Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan-Sudesh Bhonsle and Shah Rukh Khan-Abhijeet Bhattacharya are some of the famous actor-singer 'jodis', who gave Bollywood some of its hit songs. But this is a rarity nowadays, says musician Amit Trivedi, who feels it's because of a lack of songs which need lip-syncing.

He, however, says this is also giving musicians a chance to experiment with new voices.

"People are more aware about the singer behind the actor these days. Earlier, they used to feel that the actor is singing his own song. Now people know that an actor is just doing lip-sync and actually there is a singer who is doing playback for him," Trivedi, who has composed music for films like "Dev.D", "Wake Up Sid", "Udaan" and "Queen", told IANS.

"Also, I feel these days lip-syncing happens very rarely in films. On a very rare occasion do you see actors lip-syncing songs. So when there are no lip-sync songs, the picturisation is in a montage style, and songs then become a part of the film's narrative.

"That's where we (musicians) can experiment with voices. Because of this, one doesn't need to match the voice with the star. If there is a lip-sync scenario, then we need to take a special care of the voice for actors," added the National Award-winner, who has composed the album for forthcoming film "Udta Punjab".

Trivedi, known for his unusual and new sound techniques in music, finds it more liberating to compose for a private album than for a film.

"Film music always has a certain restriction and boundary within which you have to work and show your talent. There is always a brief that will dictate things to you. An artiste has the liberty to try to experiment with new things when he comes out with his own single or an album.

"Whereas, the music of a film first needs to satisfy the screenplay and the vision that a director has for the film."

Are albums and singles getting the attention they deserve?

"They don't get that much attention because a lot is taken over by film music. So, independent artistes sometimes get lost somewhere. It has happened till now, but it can change any time, I feel."

He has high hopes from the internet, which he says, is playing a big role in promoting independent music.

"Internet is a superb medium and a powerful one where you can explore your creativity and do whatever you want to. It is a big boon for not only established artistes but aspiring ones too," said Trivedi, who is currently garnering appreciation for his compositions in "Udta Punjab".

(Sandeep Sharma can be contacted at sandeep.s@ians.in )