Sanjay Dutt’s Support Helped Shape ‘Kaante’ Soundtrack, Anand Raj Anand Says

Mumbai — Music composer and lyricist Anand Raj Anand has revealed that Sanjay Dutt played a crucial role in bringing songs into the 2002 crime thriller “Kaante,” which was initially conceived without a traditional soundtrack.

Speaking on an upcoming episode of “Indian Idol,” Anand said the film’s all-male ensemble cast and lack of a female lead initially left little room for songs.

“There’s a fascinating story behind ‘Kaante.’ The film featured an ensemble cast of heroes who were all above the age of 45, and there wasn’t a female lead. So initially, there wasn’t much scope for songs in the film,” he said.

Anand said the inclusion of “Rama Re” opened the door for more music. Knowing Dutt’s interest in Sufi music, he suggested that filmmaker Sanjay Gupta arrange a private musical gathering in Juhu.

The composer first played “Ishq Samundar” and “Maahi Ve” for Dutt and Gupta. While Gupta questioned how the songs would fit into the film, Dutt supported their inclusion.

“Sanjay Gupta felt that these songs wouldn’t fit into the film, but Sanjay Dutt said, ‘We’ll make it work, the songs are really good,’” Anand recalled.

Gupta later asked him to create a signature theme comparable to those associated with the James Bond and “Mission: Impossible” franchises.

Anand said Gupta described a scene in which the characters sit in a cave with their collars raised, smoking cigarettes and planning a robbery. That description inspired the opening line of the title song.

“I picked up my pen and thought, ‘You’ve already given me the opening line, “Collar ko thoda sa upar…”’ That’s where it all began,” he said. “It took me about a week to complete the song, and that’s how the title track of ‘Kaante’ came to life.”

Anand composed, wrote and sang the film’s title track. The soundtrack later became one of the most recognizable elements of the cult crime drama. (Source: IANS)