The Bollywood film industry is renowned for its legendary output.
But the strenuous workload is not only shared by actors and filmmakers; the industry's film composers are perhaps the hardest workers of the lot.
While actors, writers and directors have the luxury of time to develop and refine their artistic approach, Bollywood film composers not only have to create a unique score capturing the film's essence, they have to do it at break-neck speed to keep up with the demand.
For the formidable Indian music trio Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, widely known as SEL, this has meant recording more than 50 soundtracks across four languages over the past 15 years.
The group also managed to somehow squeeze a few regional and world tours in between; part of which will see the group return to the UAE to play their Bollywood hits at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre on Friday.
That is if they make it out of their Mumbai studio first.
"Sorry about this," says the group's distracted guitarist Ehsaan Noorani on the phone. "We are just here working on a score to a film, so it is pretty hectic at the moment."
Indeed, in the background there is a combination of noisy instruments and other group members and studio hands engaging in spirited debate.
The film score at the centre of discussion is Bhag Milkha Bhag - translated to Run Milkha Run - a forthcoming biopic on the famed Indian athlete Milkha Singh.
And the way the trio work, to hear Noorani tell it, can be somewhat similar to a sprint.
"The composition process could change depending on what the film is," he explains. "Sometimes, we can write a song in 10 minutes or two days depending on what the feeling is like."
What Noorani alludes to is the chemistry he shares with the singer Shankar Mahadevan and the keyboardist Loy Mendosa.
The group's endless creative stream stems from each member's differing musical background, which includes playing in clubs as well as for films and television.
Mahadevan, a former software engineer, was the frontman of the jazz-fusion band SILK and is known for his vocal contributions to the quintet Remember Shakti, which toured globally, playing traditional Indian music using indigenous instruments.
Noorani and Loy's muses were more western-oriented with the former receiving formal music education in the US while Loy composed television jingles as well as scoring local theatre productions including Godspell and West Side Story.
After meeting each other in concerts and theatre performances, the trio began composing jingles for TV together (their most high-profile being an advertisement for Pepsi) before branching out into film in 1997.
Noorani explains that like advertising, composing a film score is a conceptual exercise.
"You have to really get into the script and that is where the creativity comes from," he says. "With each script you get a chance to create something totally unique. We first must read the script before we get into the studio and start jamming. Our aim is for the music to fit beautifully within the film."
The trio's dedication to musically complement the film's tone as well as the script resulted in an eclectic body of work spanning genres and indigenous musical styles.
Their soundtracks have touched upon local musical traditions ranging from Hindustani (north Indian), Carnatic (south Indian) as well as western classical music. Their popular soundtracks, including the films Dil Chahta, Salaam-e-Ishq and the Shah Rukh Khan blockbuster My Name Is Khan, were lauded to the point that some were more popular than the actual films.
Last year the group made their first international foray by composing the soundtrack to the British multicultural comedy West Is West, a sequel to the 1999 cult hit East Is East, about a mixed-race Pakistani family living in London.
With the Oscar and box-office success of Slumdog Millionaire and its heralded soundtrack by AR Rahman, Noorani believes the world is finally acknowledging India's great songwriting history.
"The international recognition, I think it's more to do with Indian songwriters than just Bollywood," he says. "This is superb because it makes us feel like we are also part of this whole global thing."
But Rahman's success also highlights the topsy-turvy nature of the film-soundtrack business, in that unlike solo or group artists, a film composer's fortunes are often frustratingly tied up with the film's success.
"Everything is done in synch with your film, so when the film does well it is really a great feeling," Noorani says. "But sometimes you do good work and the film just goes down the drain. There is nothing much we can do when that happens. You just move on and work on the next one."
Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy are playing at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre on Friday. Doors open at 6.30. Tickets are Dh95 and available from www.boxofficeme.com
sasaeed@thenational.ae
The Brutalist
Director: Brady Corbet
Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn
Rating: 3.5/5
A little about CVRL
Founded in 1985 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory (CVRL) is a government diagnostic centre that provides testing and research facilities to the UAE and neighbouring countries.
One of its main goals is to provide permanent treatment solutions for veterinary related diseases.
The taxidermy centre was established 12 years ago and is headed by Dr Ulrich Wernery.
Napoleon
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Recent winners
2002 Giselle Khoury (Colombia)
2004 Nathalie Nasralla (France)
2005 Catherine Abboud (Oceania)
2007 Grace Bijjani (Mexico)
2008 Carina El-Keddissi (Brazil)
2009 Sara Mansour (Brazil)
2010 Daniella Rahme (Australia)
2011 Maria Farah (Canada)
2012 Cynthia Moukarzel (Kuwait)
2013 Layla Yarak (Australia)
2014 Lia Saad (UAE)
2015 Cynthia Farah (Australia)
2016 Yosmely Massaad (Venezuela)
2017 Dima Safi (Ivory Coast)
2018 Rachel Younan (Australia)
THE SPECS
Touareg Highline
Engine: 3.0-litre, V6
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Power: 340hp
Torque: 450Nm
Price: Dh239,312
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
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THE LIGHT
Director: Tom Tykwer
Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger
Rating: 3/5
Vidaamuyarchi
Director: Magizh Thirumeni
Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra
Rating: 4/5
Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
How Alia's experiment will help humans get to Mars
Alia’s winning experiment examined how genes might change under the stresses caused by being in space, such as cosmic radiation and microgravity.
Her samples were placed in a machine on board the International Space Station. called a miniPCR thermal cycler, which can copy DNA multiple times.
After the samples were examined on return to Earth, scientists were able to successfully detect changes caused by being in space in the way DNA transmits instructions through proteins and other molecules in living organisms.
Although Alia’s samples were taken from nematode worms, the results have much bigger long term applications, especially for human space flight and long term missions, such as to Mars.
It also means that the first DNA experiments using human genomes can now be carried out on the ISS.
'THE WORST THING YOU CAN EAT'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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If you go
The flights Etihad (www.etihad.com) and Spice Jet (www.spicejet.com) fly direct from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Pune respectively from Dh1,000 return including taxes. Pune airport is 90 minutes away by road.
The hotels A stay at Atmantan Wellness Resort (www.atmantan.com) costs from Rs24,000 (Dh1,235) per night, including taxes, consultations, meals and a treatment package.
BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES
SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities
Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails
Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies
Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
The specs: 2018 Maxus T60
Price, base / as tested: Dh48,000
Engine: 2.4-litre four-cylinder
Power: 136hp @ 1,600rpm
Torque: 360Nm @ 1,600 rpm
Transmission: Five-speed manual
Fuel consumption, combined: 9.1L / 100km
TO A LAND UNKNOWN
Director: Mahdi Fleifel
Starring: Mahmoud Bakri, Aram Sabbah, Mohammad Alsurafa
Rating: 4.5/5
The biog
Favourite films: Casablanca and Lawrence of Arabia
Favourite books: Start with Why by Simon Sinek and Good to be Great by Jim Collins
Favourite dish: Grilled fish
Inspiration: Sheikh Zayed's visionary leadership taught me to embrace new challenges.
The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh135,000
Engine 1.6L turbo
Gearbox Six speed automatic with manual and sports mode
Power 165hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque 240Nm @ 1,400rpm 0-100kph: 9.2 seconds
Top speed 420 kph (governed)
Fuel economy, combined 35.2L / 100km (est)
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
