Anurag Saikia says he doesn't chase big-ticket films: ‘I am the safest composer in Bollywood’

Anurag Saikia. Pics/By Special Arrangement, Instagram

Ek Tukda Dhoop, Aise Kyun, and Ishq Hai might be among the biggest songs that listeners associate with Anurag Saikia. But there is so much more to the musician. Originally hailing from Assam, he has carried within him varied sounds from different parts of India even before he entered Bollywood.

Those sounds have now come together to form Pardesi, his latest EP in association with the label Believe's new brand BL/UR. In a chat with mid-day, Saikia opens up about composing the album and bringing flavours of indie music to film songs.

Anurag Saikia recently composed for ‘Operation Safed Sagar'

Excerpts from the interview.

How did this EP come about?
I keep travelling and collaborating with artistes from different places. So, I got the idea of going to different pockets and creating original music with [local] artistes; not just picking up the folk music and recreating it. That artiste could be a musician, lyricist, or a singer. That was the gist of Pardesi. The thought [behind the title] is that, for example, if I go to Rajasthan to create music, I am a pardesi in that state.

How long did the idea of Pardesi brew in your mind?
I'm from Assam, jahaan pe bhar bhar ke sangeet hai. Even if I visit different places in North-east India like Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, or Manipur, I am able to create music. Our core is independent music. Film music is not that big; starting from Zubeen Garg and others, we have seen icons who are independent artistes. So, I thought after living in Mumbai for 16 years, it was time to release this EP.

Is it tough to balance independent music with film music?
It's nothing like that. Films are a different world. That said, if you listen to my film music also, you'll find an independent flavour in it because of the kind of directors I have worked with - be it Anubhav Sinha or Anurag Kashyap or Akarsh Khurana. They are not bent towards the ‘filmy sound'. So, I am lucky that I got to experiment with a lot of things. I also don't understand the term filmy. Now, I think the time is for diverse [music]. Film music also has hip-hop and R&B. I also feel that I am the safest composer in Bollywood.

Why do you say that?
There is no pressure that I am doing a superstar's film for which I have to deliver a big song and bring certain numbers. I come from a humble background. What I have realised is that even when I work with Prajakta Koli or Rohit Saraf in a YA series like Mismatched, if we work with honesty, that song too can become India's top song. So, I don't have this mindset where I feel that I have achieved so much in my career that I only want to do film music going ahead. Every day, I am evolving, as are my music and listener base. Tomorrow, even if I don't get a film, I won't start writing bitter things about the industry on X like, "This industry has destroyed me."

Anurag Saikia, who scored the beautiful ‘Aise Kyun' for Netflix's ‘Mismatched', revealed that he hasn't composed for its fourth and final season. He reasoned, "‘Aise Kyun' got so much of love. Then in season three, came ‘Ishq Hai', which became another [popular song]. So, I have given everything to this series. Now, if I get associated with it again, I will either make something out of pressure or something artificial because once you taste blood with numbers, it affects your psyche. So, I decided to leave this beautiful project on a good note"