Before I get into the technical and analytical beat of it, I would ask you to pump off some of your hidden oozing craze and “imagine” things!
Yes, imagine! Be delusional, create that bubble, and play a song.
Your favourite song, from your playlist. Maybe, ‘Yeh Ishq Hai’ from ‘Jab We Met’ or ‘O Sanam’ by ‘Lucky Ali;’ quite a vibe, right? And as you immerse in the song, you almost feel you are part of some movie, doing some ‘main character’ stuff.
Or just tell me, every time you are out for a long drive, do you not play some mandatory songs, ‘Chala Jata Hoon,’ ‘Hum Jo Chalne Lage,’ ‘Musafir,’ ‘On The Road Again,’ or any other, while on the trip? Why do you do that? Just to minus the boredom? Or to add in the spice?
Yes, it is definitely all about the ‘feel.’ You know, ‘setting the mood.’
So, I recently came across this terminology called, ‘Thalassophobia,’ people who are scared of larger water bodies. And I figured out I apparently have it.
No, I am not scared of beaches, duh!
However, just like you all I also have a habit of scrolling on the Instagram reels, and at the stroke of the midnight I always land on videos that showcase the ocean’s monstrosity. And call it the darkest hour, these videos are always up with a typical BGM.
I now call it the ‘Ocean Anthem.’
But trust me, the sound makes the videos, rather the ‘waves’ bloodcurdling.
I almost feel like I’m getting gorbed by a Leviathan.
That is exactly what ‘Background Music’ does to a particular scene. PS: Ignore the ‘Dhin ta nana’ daily soaps.
Background music is like the roasted masala in your favourite curry, adding flavour and depth to every scene. Think about iconic Bollywood movies like “Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge” or “Lagaan.” Can you imagine Raj and Simran’s epic train scene without the soul-stirring melody of “Tujhe Dekha Toh Yeh Jaana Sanam” playing in the background?
Or let’s talk about Singham’s grand fighting scene, I still can’t imagine the sequences without ‘Mann bhanwar uthe, Tan Sihar uthe, Jab Khabar uthe, Ke aave Singham.’ Or ‘Animal,’ that churned so much controversy the past month, followed by earning a huge number at the BO, also has BGM playing a pivotal role. We also have Kabir Singh’s ‘Wana wau wau.’
But do not think that BGM is limited to Bollywood only. But yes, ‘melodrama’ somewhere is.
Hopping across the pond to Hollywood, where background music is the unsung hero of cinema. From the heart-pounding beats of Hans Zimmer’s “Inception” soundtrack to the iconic “Star Wars” theme by John Williams, Hollywood knows how to use music to elevate a movie to legendary status. Imagine Darth Vader’s menacing presence without that ominous “Imperial March” echoing in the background.
It’s like having a superhero movie without the heroic theme music—utterly unthinkable!
That says enough, that, why BGM is the ‘secret sauce.’
After all, without background music, it would be like watching a movie on mute—a crime against the senses!
What say?