KOCHI: Watched any new movies yet? After a break, a couple of films has hit the screens. The themes of the disenchanted drug dealer and his fight for survival in the Malayalam crime thriller Ranam are apparently the talk of the town now. What makes the film memorable is its original soundtrack (OST) totally in sync with its concept and dialogues. And the man behind this is Jakes Bejoy, who was the music director for Ranam.
For Jakes, this is his biggest project to date. “It was comfortable working with everyone,” he tells Express. “The film gave me space to explore the soundscape, especially since it was shot in the US and a new genre. Usually, Malayalam films don’t have the need to explore the soundscape.”
That’s when he thought of the idea of using an international orchestra, just like a Hans Zimmer OST in any superhero movie. When Jakes expressed his desire to work with an international orchestra, Prithviraj, the director and the producers insisted on pursuing it. “Because the film was shot in the US, there is no harm in bringing in an international orchestra,” says Jakes. Consequently, Jakes hired Budapest Scoring, a music recording company, to work on the film. “It is probably the first time in Malayalam,” he says.
“I sent in the score that I composed. A couple of musicians from the Hungarian Philharmonic Orchestra were brought in. After a two-hour-long live session, we were able to record the track which was used in the film for about a span of 20 minutes. The track was used in the prominent scenes of the film.”
Though Jakes wasn’t present in Budapest during the recording session, he was reviewing and leading the session remotely from Chennai. “I wanted to be in Budapest in person. From Chennai, I was giving tips and cues during the recording session,” he says. According to the music director, the reverberation in the hall they were recording also made the difference in the output.
Ranam is Jakes’ 10th film. He has already worked in south Indian films such as Swathanthryam Ardharathriyil, Queen, Kavi Udeshichadhu, Monsoon Mangoes and Dhuruvangal Pathinaaru. He is also the music director for the upcoming Telugu film Taxiwala which will be released soon.
Music came naturally to Jakes. “Ever since I was a kid, I was interested in music,” he says.
“I used to sing in school as well. And then, someone told my father that my singing would improve under training. I began training in Carnatic music after that. When I joined a boarding school later, I was part of the choir there. My identity was associated with music even then. After my schooling, I wanted to get a degree in music. But that was not an option here. So I graduated in electronics engineering.”
Soon after his degree, he left for the US to learn about music scoring. With a postgraduate degree in film scoring and compositions, he consequently began working in the audio division of the Walt Disney company. When Jakes felt he had enough exposure to international music, he returned to his place of birth to compose and make a mark in the music and film industry.