Composing 'sonic motifs' for Salman in Tiger Zinda Hai, Julius Packiam says it's time background score got its due
Julius Packiam
A sonic motif is a very fancy way of describing what I do," laughs composer Julius Packiam when ask how he is it that he's the only one in the country doing such work. Going by the definition, a sonic motif is a repetitive audio — which produces a theme for a character or situation.
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"The Pink Panther tune is a sonic motif, as are the Bond and Mission Impossible themes. So, every time Bond comes on screen, so does that music." Ask him why most Bollywood movies don't pay attention to theme music and he says, "Hollywood movies never had songs, unless it was a musical, and the only way songs seeped in was because of the themes. But, Hindi movies have always had songs, so the takeaway of the moviegoer is not the background but the songs."
The 48-year-old, who has worked on various ad jingles and movies (Dhoom 3, Gunday, Kick, Bajrangi Bhaijaan, Sultan and Tubelight), first worked on a theme for a certain character in Ek Tha Tiger, for Tiger, the character played by actor Salman Khan. But, that was five years ago, and Packiam understands the importance of keeping with the times.
A still from the film Tiger Zinda Hai
"The millennials are already old now! Everything changes at such a fast pace, and there is a new generation in place already, so you need to give them more. So, the themes for Tiger Zinda Hai have a brand new sound and feel," he says.
Which is why Packiam is now creating a hybrid soundtrack that is a mix of electronica and orchestral, much like the Hollywood big tickets like Avengers. But, this theme is specific to Salman's character, that of a spy agent. "It's about grit and has a certain belligerence to it. It's about strength and skill, all the qualities that an agent possesses. Basically, it's smart and racy, and has an edge to it."
The melody, he says, is piercing and will have different versions according to whatever situation the character is in. "There are two parts to the melody, and they will be used according to the scene. They will also be composed of different instruments. For example, when during a tense scene or a chase sequence, the theme is made up of cellos, where the edge of the bow is hitting the strings, and hence, creating an aggressive noise. If it's a calm scene, where Tiger is watching a landscape in the morning, then it could be only a saxophone. It's the same melody though."
As he gets ready to make a bang with Tiger Zinda Hai, slated for a December 22 release, Packiam says every thing that sounds good is an inspiration to him. "I used to be very specific when I was younger about what I heard. But now I am much more open. I want to know what's working with the younger generation, because they matter. I want to get into the head of the millennial and know why one song works and why another doesn't. That's the most important thing."
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