'South composers experiment, B'wood sticks to formula'

CHENNAI: Released on Netflix for Valentine’s Day, Dhoom Dhaam is still receiving huge appreciation from the audience. Featuring Yami Gautham and Pratik Gandhi in the lead roles, the film is directed by Rishab Seth. A quirky film that seamlessly blend comedy and drama, music played a major role in the film’s success.

To delve deep into the musical part of the film, music composer Clinton Cerejo, singer Bianca Gomes and lyricist Siddhant Kaushal talk to DT Next about their experience in the film, the most challenging part, how the Bollywood music industry is evolving, the views on south Indian music landscape and more.

Q: Can you please share a few memorable moments while composing for Dhoom Dhaam?

Clinton - Yami brings so much light to the room whenever she comes. We became a family and started to look forward to those sessions. However, the work went on smoothly.

Bianca - I mean overall it was an exciting process writing everything because we were doing it together with Aditya Dhar, Yami and Rishabh. It's almost like you're a band and every member is contributing.

Q: Which song was the most challenging to compose and why?

Clinton - I think they were all challenging in a way. To come up with this album, we did at least 15 to 16 different songs before we zoned in on these six songs.

Bianca - But one song, staged at a strip club, was challenging and took a long time to crack with Vishal Dadlani. Of the many ideas we discussed, something more rocked out- more like a Beyonce kind of idea. It was both fun and challenging.

Q: You have sung a few iconic songs in Tamil. But it's been quite some time since we heard you here. Any reason behind it?

Clinton: No one calls me anymore and I wish they would. To be honest, there was a time when I didn’t focus on that much and I wanted to explore more in Bollywood. The world moves on so and that's exactly what happened. And now, I think it's kind of reached a stage where today’s generation wouldn't really have an in-depth knowledge of all the songs that I have sung back in those days. So, I don't blame them for not calling me. We are working on a Telugu film and hopefully, as composers we might end up singing a few songs ourselves.

Q: When can we expect a composition or a song in your vocals in Tamil?

Clinton - This is a Telugu film but we would love to do something in the Tamil industry as well. One thing leads to another always.

Bianca - Both of us really love the music composition in the south and it is quite different from what we do in the Hindi film industry. In south, composers experiment a lot, whereas in Bollywood people follow a formula.

Q: You all have worked with a range of music composers. What are your biggest learnings from each of them?

Clinton - I believe learning from different composers is invaluable. For example, when working with AR Rahman, I had such a level of trust that I’d often fly to Chennai to record a song, only to find out he wasn’t even in the city he might be in LA or London. The engineer would play me the track, and I’d figure out what it needed, record my part, and head back home. That kind of trust from a composer pushes you to be bolder with your ideas and helps shape your own sound. Another composer who had immense trust in me was Vishal Bhardwaj. When I started composing my own projects, I had to consciously move away from his influence to find my own identity. Music is a two-way street, and you can never stop being a student. I’m always happy to learn from musicians half my age, some of whom have been in the industry for as long as I have. That’s the beauty of music, it keeps evolving, and so do we.

Bianca - I think just as artistes we're constantly learning from each other. We always gain inspiration from other artistes- watching them in concerts and listening to what kind of genres they do. It's just a learning process throughout.

Siddhant - For me, making music feels like stepping into a new playground every day—just having fun and staying excited. I’m like that eager kid walking into different studios, constantly learning from everyone.

For instance, in Dhoom Dhaam, the line "Lub dub lub dub karke ji" from How Are You came from a casual chat with Aditya Dhar. I had originally written something like "Dhak dhak dhak dhadke ji", and during a coffee break, he asked me if I knew what doctors call the sound of a heartbeat. I didn’t, so he told me it’s called Lub dub. That stuck with me, and I shaped it into the song. It just goes to show that if you’re always listening, inspiration can come from everyday moments.

Q: Bollywood music is constantly evolving. How do you see the role of lyricists changing in today’s industry?

Siddhant - My writing has definitely evolved over time. Language itself keeps changing as new words become part of everyday vocabulary. If a song requires a conversational tone, it’s important to pick up on the lingo used by the current generation. The key is to craft lyrics that effectively communicate the message, no matter the language mix. At the end of the day, the essence of language is communication. For lyricists, the most important thing is to convey their thoughts clearly in a way that resonates with the audience, in whatever style feels natural to them.

Q: How did you approach blending different musical elements to match the film's vibe?

Clinton - I believe that the film dictates the vibe. If you have been involved in music production for many years, you start learning how to blend different genres seamlessly. This is more about creativity; once you figure out the direction, executing it becomes quite simple. If you're an experienced music producer, you realise that it's not merely about how to blend, but rather understanding why the film requires an injection of a black on alaap, tabla, or something unusual for that matter. If it does not align with the film's vibe, then it would make more sense. I think if you can answer that question of why from a creative or cinematic perspective, then executing the idea becomes very straightforward.