What is India’s renowned vocalist Rahul Deshpande’s debut-making Marathi film Amaltash’s London connection? Rahul Laud seeks the answer
The growing connection between Marathi films and London is demonstrated in the latest Marathi film Amaltash which hit the theatres on 8 March. Reviews for the film are rave. Actor Chinmayi Surve (wife of actor Sumeet Raghavan) has gone on record saying that this film is unique to Marathi films – “a must-watch and a must to be heard in big halls for its rich experience,” she said. What makes the film Amaltash so unique? The background score to the entire film plays a significant role and is a character of the film which is composed by London-based Amol Dhadphale with additional music by Johann Matthew and music director Bhushan Mate. The background score, in particular, transcends the cinematic experience as the discerning say it’s not run-of-the-mill, typecast, stereotyped sound usually seen in popular Marathi cinema. Amol was briefed by the producer and director of the film   Suhas Desale who had a clear vision that inspired Amol to watch Japanese anime. The whole treatment is thus global giving it an international feel and beautifully synced with the images on the editing table. It was a challenging task for Amol to think creatively and compose orchestral music in a way that could resonate with Marathi culture, especially in a scenario where the film didn’t have the budget to use any live instruments. Amol composed and played the entire music out of his studio in London.
Amol is a London-based film composer, pianist, harmonium player, and an experienced mastering engineer. He has been a practitioner of classical, jazz, and pop music and has performed in over 500 live concerts across the globe. At a recently held concert organised by the SAJDA Festival for Performing Arts, he accompanied on harmonium Koyel Bhattacharya – a disciple of the late Ustad Rashid Khan.
By profession, Amol is recognized as a senior executive with a background in management consulting and has helped several Fortune 500 companies transform their business. Pune-born, he has lived across the globe in Tokyo, Amsterdam, Dubai, California, and London.n This has helped Amol to be exposed to the finer nuances of international music and cultures. It’s his passion for music that attracted him to an opportunity to compose film for Amaltash he admits. Amol had met Desale during his visit to Rahul Deshpande’s home in Pune where Amol and Rahul were ‘jamming’ together for a Facebook livestream session. This introduction led to Amol and Suhas working together on the journey of Amaltash.