Amit Trivedi (born 8 April 1979) is an Indian music composer, record producer, singer, songwriter, musician who works primarily in Hindi films. After working as a theatre and jingle composer and composing for non-film albums, he debuted as a film composer in the 2008 Hindi film Aamir,[1] he gained prominence for his work in the Hindi film Music for Dev.D (2009).[citation needed]
During his early days, an electronic musical instrument fascinated Trivedi and he ultimately, in his college days, along with Amartya Bobo Rahut, Shriram Iyer and fellow members Ram and Vish started a band known as Om the Fusion Band, who performed at local gigs, small shows and live performances. They struck gold when Times Music took notice at one of their shows, and offered to launch their album. The album however did not fare well, due to lack of promotion.[5] Eventually, Trivedi went on to compose for theatre (Hindi, English and Gujarati plays), background music for television shows, programming for some Marathi films, live performances, dandiya shows, orchestras etc. He also had a brief stint composing advertisement jingles, for brands such as McDonald's and Airtel.[6] After sound engineer and Audio Garage Recording Studio owner Arvind Vishwakarma introduced Trivedi to Sony BMG, he began composing music for non-film albums. As a part of his two-year contract, Trivedi composed some tracks for Abhijeet Sawant's Junoon and one song in Prashant Tamang's debut album. He arranged for many musicians including Rahut, once for a Marathi film, Uttarayan, in 2004.
Film music eventually came his way, when friend and playback singer Shilpa Rao recommended him to Anurag Kashyap, who was in search of a new composer with a distinct vision for his next film. After meeting Trivedi, Kashyap offered him the chance to compose the soundtrack to Dev.D. Although it was scheduled to be his debut, Dev.D ran into production delays and was shelved for some time.
Upon Kashyap's recommendation, Trivedi was roped in to score Raj Kumar Gupta's directorial venture Aamir. Trivedi and Gupta worked on making the soundtrack fuse with the film narrative, resulting in an effort that garnered critical recognition.[7]
By the end of 2008, Dev.D was finally released. The soundtrack, released in December, consisted of 18 tracks of different genres. Trivedi dubbed the soundtrack the "baap (father) of different genres". He sang five songs on the soundtrack, and wrote the lyrics for one ("Aankh Micholi"). He shot to fame with the unusual music of Dev.D, giving many chartbusters like "Emosanal Attyachar", "Saali Khushi", "Pardesi", "Nayan Tarse" and many more. He was conferred with both the Filmfare R. D. Burman Award for New Music Talent and the Best Background Score at the 55th Filmfare Awards, in addition to his first nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Music Director,[citation needed] before receiving the National Film Award for Best Music Direction, the highest recognition for Indian composers. Trivedi wrote the score for Wake Up Sid (2009) and one of his compositions "Iktara" was also included in the soundtrack. In 2009 itself, Trivedi was roped in by Anshu Sharma to compose the team anthem "Game for More" for Royal Challengers Bangalore, a team owned by liquor baron Vijay Mallya. Between scoring for films, Trivedi also wrote the title track for the reality show Big Switch aired on UTV Bindaas. He also provided the music and background score for the ensemble romantic comedy-drama Aisha (2010), which also had him providing vocals for two songs, "Suno Aisha" and "Sham". He then composed the songs and score for Ishaqzaade (2012) and Lootera (2013) which earned him his second and third nominations for the Filmfare Award for Best Music Director.
He then composed the soundtrack for Vikas Bahl's highly acclaimed Queen (2014), which earned him his fourth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Music Director.
He then earned three consecutive nominations for the Filmfare Award for Best Music Director for his diverse compositions in Udta Punjab (2016), Secret Superstar (2017) and Manmarziyaan (2018).
He won Best Song for "Naina Da Kya Kasoor" at the News18 Reel Movie Awards from Andhadhun (2018). Apart from "Naina Da Kya Kasoor", he also sang "Laila Laila" for the film. In 2019, Power Brands honored him with the Best Music Director of the Year award for Andhadhun at the Bollywood Film Journalists Awards (BFJA).[8]
Trivedi again earned two consecutive nominations for the Filmfare Award for Best Music Director for his compositions in Haseen Dillruba (2021) and Uunchai (2022).
Indradhanush is a live concert series by renowned Indian music director and singer Amit Trivedi, known for his genre-blending and innovative approach towards music. The concert is named after the Hindi word for "rainbow," symbolizing the variety of emotions and musical styles that define his work which have had various emotions in the music he has created over the years.
Concept and Music
The Indradhanush concert series takes audiences on a journey through the diverse musical landscapes of Amit Trivedi's career. Each performance mirrors the many "colors" of human emotion, much like a rainbow, and features a seamless blend of his Bollywood compositions and independent works. Drawing from films like Dev.D, Lootera, Queen, Ishaqzaade, Udta Punjab, Manmarziyaan, Fitoor, Qala, Andhadhun, Udaan, and many more, the concerts showcase a range of emotional depth, from soulful romance to intense drama and rebellious energy.
While his film music often reflects the narrative complexities of the stories, Trivedi's independent compositions offer a glimpse into his experimental and more personal musical expressions. This combination of well-known cinematic hits and non-film projects reflects his versatility and ability to connect with audiences across genres and moods.
Performances
Supported by a live band and an ensemble of vocalists and instrumentalists, the performances offer an immersive experience, where acoustic, rock, orchestral, and electronic elements come together to create a rich musical tapestry. Each song is enhanced by elaborate stage designs and visual effects, adding a layer of spectacle that elevates the concert experience. The dynamic energy of the musicians, combined with the powerful emotional resonance of Trivedi’s compositions, creates an engaging atmosphere for the audience.
Reception
Indradhanush has been lauded for its diverse musical repertoire and the electrifying energy of its live performances. Both critics and audiences have praised the concert for its ability to merge genres seamlessly and for its high production value. Fans especially appreciate the inclusion of popular tracks from Trivedi’s landmark films, as well as the opportunity to experience his lesser-known, more experimental works in a live setting.
Legacy
The Indradhanush concert series has further cemented Amit Trivedi’s status as one of India’s most versatile and innovative composers and singers. By combining his Bollywood compositions with his independent music, the series has expanded his appeal to a wide range of audiences and stands as a testament to his enduring impact on contemporary Indian music.
He is currently managed by Tarsame Mittal Talent Management for his live shows.[citation needed]
Controversy
Amit Trivedi has been accused of plagiarising music more than once.[13] He was accused of copying the background score for Lootera from Rachel Portman's "We Had Today" track from One Day (2011)'s original soundtrack.[14] Despite clear evidence that a section of the musical score was directly lifted from Portman's composition, Trivedi as well as Lootera's director/producer Vikramaditya Motwane and producer Anurag Kashyap defended the allegations as a mere coincidence.[15] Again, in 2015 Trivedi was accused of plagiarism. His composition of the ballad "Nazdeekiyan" for Dharma Productions' Shandaar (2015) was suspiciously similar to popular alternative-rock band Coldplay's "Oceans" from their sixth studio album Ghost Stories (2014). Trivedi claimed coincidence once again and said, "I swear on my music, I didn't copy it at all. I will quit music if I would ever do plagiarism. There are seven music notes, which are used in the entire world. It's purely a coincidence that my song is similar to this one. I don't even know about this song. I will surely listen to Coldplay-Oceans after this."[16]
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