lost in harmony is about losing yourself in nature and all the feelings that come with it. Described as an “experimental, non-verbal, musical short,” the film is drenched in greens, browns, and all the colors that only the earth can create. The film captures many of those earthly colors not only through the eyes of its protagonist (whose trek unexpectedly turns into a solo adventure) but also through music that underscores the magic and mystery of the wilderness.
The film’s concept, story and music is composed by Sanjeev Venkataramanan. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Produced by Sonic Sanctum Studios, the film’s concept, story and music score are composed by Sanjeev Venkataramanan, a violinist who identifies himself more as a composer and producer rather than a Carnatic music artist. Shot in the forests of South India, the film depicts many contrasts – sound and silence, light and darkness, safety and peril, wet leaves and dry rocks – to name a few.
portrayal of a multitude of emotions
The film depicts the myriad emotions that nature can evoke. Fear, wonder, curiosity, peace, love and ecstasy are some of them. A team of six members, including two cinematographers, a wildlife consultant, producer, actors and director, travelled nearly 3,000 kilometres in 15 days to get most of the footage.
The six-member team travelled for over 15 days to shoot the film. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
After covering the forests around Thekkady, Bhadra, Dandeli, Bandipur, Hogenakkal and other places, the team realised they needed more shots for which they ventured into the interiors of Puducherry, Senji and Pulicat. The shoot required trekking, camping and dedication to the rhythm of the jungle. This sometimes involved walking deep into the forest carrying equipment and supplies or camping in places surrounded by deep pits to keep elephants away. They also spent some nights listening to stories from forest rangers or being immersed in the symphony of sounds of the forest.
A stunning sight lost in harmony
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Music writing
“Lost in harmony It is inspired by all these experiences,” says Sanjeev, adding that he had to make changes to the story based on what the forests offered during the shoot. Sanjeev’s musical journey has always run parallel to his relationship with nature and love for wildlife photography. The inspiration for this film came from a movement of music he wrote. “Music can be used to express a lot of emotions. Even without visuals, music lends itself to a story. The first image that came to my mind was of a young man looking for peace,” he says. Keeping this in mind, he wrote the music, which later became the basis of the film, and not the other way round where music is composed for the visuals.
A senior Carnatic violinist and a long-time student of violin maestro A. Kanyakumari, Sanjeev found that as an accompanist in a classical concert one always had to “respond or answer” to someone (mostly the lead artist). Being more interested in instrumental music and curious about the emphasis on harmony in Western music, Sanjeev sought to explore his own musical vocabulary.
Sanjeev is a long-time student of violinist A. Kanyakumari. | Photo Credit: Prashant
Discovery of Gamkas
He says, “Western music hasn’t discovered gamakas and we haven’t discovered harmony.” Wanting to bring a fusion of the two, he started learning to write music using staff notation, for which, he says, it helps to have a basic understanding of swaras. He turned to orchestral music in his compositions, inspired by his musical icon Ilaiyaraaja, whose ability to create music in the most measured way he admires. “There is never too much music in Ilaiyaraaja sir’s compositions. Every note fits perfectly with the scenes,” says Sanjeev.
Sanjeev has been a composer for whom “lyrics have become of secondary importance”, he worked towards creating music that is not fusion (as that would mean having two separate parts) but music that is a whole.
Sanjeev says his main inspiration is his guru A. Kanyakumari, whose classes he has fond memories of. “Being a busy artiste, she could take classes only after 10 p.m. We used to learn in a small group and healthy competition strengthened our musical skills.” Probably from his musical practice, he developed a deep love for instrumental music, which he says allows a raga to be presented in a much more grand manner.
Scenes from lost in harmony It blends seamlessly with Sanjeev’s music. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
It is no surprise that Sanjeev’s orchestral score blends seamlessly with the stunning visuals of the jungle. lost in harmonyWhich has so far won 14 awards in the festival circuit, four of them international. The film is scheduled to premiere on the big screen on World Environment Day (June 5) at the Tagore Film Centre, Chennai. Music composer Vidyasagar will preside over the event.
From the movie lost in harmonyTo be launched on June 5 in Chennai. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
