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Dhruv Ghanekar is at the helm of one of India’s most popular live music clubs, is renowned for his jingles and has recently turned music director. He speaks to Mathures Paul about his forthcoming solo album

If a list of young achievers needs to be drawn, the little-known Dhruv Ghanekar will feature in the top ten. In music circuit he is known as the co-founder of Smoke Music Productions (with Ashuthosh Phatak) that has recently become Blue Frog, one of India’s most popular clubs for live bands and has given birth to a record label featuring some of India’s most talented musicians, and a few veterans from abroad. Ghanekar, perhaps, would be better defined as India’s foremost background music directors, an aspect most overlook. With Drona, he made his debut as music director. In 2009 we would find his next album.
“There were no briefs as such from Goldie Behl. I was narrated the film and she spoke in details about the themes involved. Some songs were composed even before shooting had even started. Frankly, the discussion we had revolved around nothing specific. Goldie is known to create an atmosphere that is congenial to creative people,” says Ghanekar.
Ghanekar’s Smoke Music Productions has done pioneering work in the field of advertising, television and feature films. In a period of nine years, he has nine feature films, over 3,500 advertising commercials, and numerous albums to his credit. He also performs live across the country, playing progressive jazz/rock with his band. Besides, Ghanekar has played at three editions of the Jazz Yatra. Among his best known jingles are those for Cadburys, 7UP, Surf, Colgate, Videocon, Whirlpool and Asian Paints, as for background scores, it include Tamanna, Bombay Boys, Tapish, Snip!, Get Connected (a short film of 15 minutes), King of Bollywood, White Noise and MP3.
“Background scores are still not taken seriously in India. There are a few films you can recall by humming the background score. Abroad, background scores make films. At times films turn out to be flops but background scores remain memorable. Composers proficient in certain styles of music are called on for specific projects. In India there are a few good musicians who score great background scores. Here films are all about actors.”
Drona, in fact, features 116 minutes of music during its running time of 166 minutes. Thus, it took tremendous effort on Ghanekar’s part to come up with a score that would hold attention and make the plot unfold dramatically. The release of Drona will not stop him from creating jingles. He finds it challenging to come up with new ideas every day. One day it’s jazz and on another he sets a few words to a blues number. Besides, he gets to work with some of the most creative minds in the industry.
The conversation soon took a turn towards the process Ghanekar follows while recording in the studio. “Songs rarely get recorded after the first take. There was a time when musicians and singers practised for days before a take. Technology has spoilt us. What you hear as a long take on your stereo system is actually modified using computers, etc. Nowadays we talk about perfection, forgetting the sweetness of imperfection that made Rafi, Kishore and Lata legends.”
Ghanekar had a band in the 1990s but then he got involved in advertisement jingles. “Last two years I have gone live. Blue Frog is creating opportunities to make rock, blues, jazz popular.”
His album releases tentatively in January. “We haven’t decided on the final title. For the time being we are calling it Distance. It’s quite difficult to explain the feel of this album. The album doesn’t have a language. Think, music without lyrics.”
The musician studied in America, where he learnt jazz in school and college. He has proved many a point since the release of Bombay Boys. Going forward, most music enthusiasts are looking forward to his solo album.