'Ajit Varman's music was sensitive, nuanced'

NEW DELHI: Music director Ajit Varman, known for his sensitive and minimalist compositions in iconic films such as Govind Nihalani���s Aakrosh and Mahesh Bhatt���s Saaransh in the early 1980s, passed away in a Mumbai hospital on Thursday. He was 69.
���He died of complications caused by malnutrition,��� his son Varun, a cricket coach based in Singapore, told TOI on phone from Mumbai. The composer lived alone.
His tunes effortlessly captured troubled, dark moments in a film.Two of his most his memorable songs are: Saans mein dard (film: Aakrosh) and Andhiyara gehraya (film: Saaransh). Varma���s compositions also reveal his proficiency in Indian classical music; Man anand anand chayo (film: Vijeta), a semi-classical duet sung by Asha Bhonsle and Satyasheel Deshpande, being an apt example. ���Asha loved the tune and congratulated him,��� recalls Nihalani, who directed the film.

Photos courtesy: Varun Varman
Background score was among Varman���s forte. In several scenes in Aakrosh, the music creates a sense of foreboding without ever being overbearing. ���I had seen some Japanese films and suggested the use of koto, a traditional stringed instrument, in a scene. He said, we can opt for the sarod to create the same effect. And he did it with his own arrangement,��� remembers Nihalani.
Varman loved playing the drums and the bongo. Unlike many composers, he arranged his own music. ���He was a one-man army,��� says Bhatt. The film director also points out that Varman was a rare composer who could understand what the director exactly wanted of him.
���For the song Andhiyara gehraya soonapan ghir aaya, I told him, your reference is the chant, Buddham sharanam gachhami. That���s the tune���s bedrock. If you listen to the song carefully, you will find a deep silence in the composition. Few music directors could have touched its deep core,��� says Bhatt.
Most films that Varman worked for had tight budgets. Nihalani says he could make rich and nuanced music within the constraints. ���He always wanted to do something fresh. That was inherent in his nature,��� he says.
Varman also composed music for Bhatt���s autobiographical telefilm, Janam. The song, Zindagi zindagi (sung by Amit Kumar), works like the film���s sutradhar. ���Unsung, Unnoticed, Unpraised! Yet one of the most talented music directors I ever worked with. Saaransh & Janam were his babies,��� Bhatt tweeted on Friday.
Nihalani agrees. ���He deserved much more,��� the film director says. Then he adds, ���I went to the hospital a few days back but couldn���t meet him. Ajit was on respirator. Every year, he would wish me on my birthday on Dec 19. This time the call won���t come.���