Breaking into Bollywood as a music composer is no easy feat. It requires years of dedication, persistence, and creativity. Harsh Upadhyay, a rising name in the Indian music industry, shared his experiences and insights in an exclusive conversation with MoneyControl.
From his struggles in Mumbai to composing for blockbuster films like Street Dancer 3D and Uri, Harsh talked about the reality of making a name in Bollywood.
When asked about his journey and whether entering the industry was easy, Harsh emphasised that it wasn’t just a struggle but a necessary process. “You have to take so much experience if you want to make good music. You have decided that you will become a music composer, and you have become one. It is not like that. According to me, there should be a journey of a person who inspires him to make good music. And inspires him that his life journey should also be seen in his songs. I have a very strong feeling like this. So yes, there is a struggle. Even after making 5-6 films, there is a struggle. There is a struggle in the first film also. But in a good way. How you take it depends on your struggle.”
Harsh shared that he spent 16 years in Mumbai before getting his first big break. “If I got my first break today, I got exactly what I wanted. It is not like I have only one or two songs in this film. There are 12 songs in the whole album. So, this is a very big break for me. And all the legendary singers on this album, they liked my songs and sang along with me. That is a very big thing for me.”
Harsh has worked on several prominent films, and each one required a unique approach to composition. When asked about his thought process as a music composer, he explained how challenging it is to create songs that align with the film’s theme.
“If I am making a particular song for a particular film… For example, I am talking about a Ganpati song, ‘Raja’. It is a very big Ganpati song. How many things do I have to think about to make that song? First of all, will it suit the film? How will it look? Its director is Remo D’Souza. He has such big songs of Ganpati. Now how big should his next Ganpati song be? Who will sing it? How will it be different from the other songs? How many songs will Ganpati sing in a year? How will it be different from that? How will it be bigger than that? You have to think all this before making it. And it will be good.”
Talking about his experience with Uri, he highlighted the importance of background scoring. “Sachdev is the composer who was producing the music. He was one of the music producers. But I learned so many things from him at that time that I was a part of the background score in Uri. So how does he elevate the background score of the film? Or when not to do the background score? When to keep the film quiet? When to talk about the dialogues? Or when the dialogues are not being talked about, there are war scenes, then how to talk about the background score? So all these elements come from so many years of experience.”
Harsh also shared how he studies films to refine his craft. “For example, if a Christopher Nolan film is released, I go to watch it five times. First time, I go to watch it as a normal audience. Second time, I just go to listen to it. I close my eyes and sleep and take that experience. Third time, I go to watch it in Hindi. So that I can actually understand it. Christopher Nolan’s film, you can understand it once or not. So that is the school. From where do you learn? I don’t know. If you are watching a cartoon, you can learn something from there. In terms of music, especially. So that is not fixed. But whatever project you are doing, you get everything from that. I believe so. From that script, you get all the music, all the songs, everything. If you connect with it from the heart.”
Advice for Aspiring Music Composers
For those aspiring to break into Bollywood, Harsh emphasized the importance of persistence. “I am the newest artist. Have you ever heard of Harsh Upadhyay? No.”He pointed out that despite being relatively unknown, he was about to release a 12-song album, proving that anything is possible in the industry.
“Anything can happen here. While doing this film, after the release of ‘We Happy,’ this release is happening after a year. So in that one year, the associate in this film gave me another film. From that, I got another film. Now, I am working on three films at the same time. One is of Ajay Devgn Production. The other is of Kajolji, which was announced yesterday. So, the people who were working on ‘We Happy,’ I got this work through them. Now, Ajayji, how can I watch a film without knowing it? It is not like that. He watches the work. So here, if I am getting three films at a time, two films at a time, without any numbers, without any known, I am not even a face. I am nothing. I am a small music composer in the Bollywood industry. But still, I am releasing a 12-song album. So, it is a big deal for me. Anything can happen with anyone.”
His pro tip for new artists? “You have to stay here. You have to get up every day. You have to work hard every day. You have to create all the opportunities every day. No one will call you and say, yes, you can do my film. You will have to go to everyone. You will have to show your work. You will have to work very hard. Everyday is the first day in Mumbai. I say this. If I have been here for 15-16 years, every day, I say this, this is day 1. Do as much as you can every day. Rest, everyone will see. If you are making good music, it will reach people. If not today, then tomorrow.”
Harsh Upadhyay’s journey is a testament to perseverance, passion, and the ability to create opportunities. His advice to aspiring composers is clear: keep working, keep learning, and believe that the right break will come at the right time.
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