Composers Naren Chandavarkar and Benedict Taylor discuss crafting the compelling score for Paatal Lok Season 2, blending regional influences and cinematic storytelling

Kabir Singh Bhandari

The highly anticipated Season 2 of Paatal Lok sees the haggard, unlikely hero, Inspector Hathi Ram Chaudhary (Jaideep Ahlawat), investigating a high-profile murder case that leads him to remote corners of North-East India. While we always talk about the lead actors of a show and the performance of others after a release, it is sometimes forgotten that an integral part of any series is its musical score. And with respect to Paatal Lok, this is where acclaimed music composer duo Naren Chandavarkar and Benedict Taylor step in, having composed for projects like Heeramandi, Kohrra, Trial By Fire, and Sherni, among others.

Naren is a Mumbai-based composer and sound designer, who has frequently collaborated with London-based violist Benedict Taylor. In an interaction with us, they revealed how they craft compelling background scores for mainstream cinema.

Q. You’ve collaborated on numerous projects. Could you tell us how this partnership began and what makes it so creatively rewarding?

A. It began first with friendship. A common friend put us in touch in 2007 when we were both in Mumbai, and we quickly discovered a similar taste and appetite for music and beer. We spent a lot of time hanging out, some of which was also improvising music and theatre together (but it was mostly beer).

Years later, we worked on our first film together—That Girl in Yellow Boots—and we discovered that similar taste in music translated into a very comfortable and exciting working process. We may have very different musical backgrounds and ways of creating music, but we’re almost always headed in the same direction, even if coming from very different places. This shared difference and similarity makes for a very rewarding process and friendship.

Naren Chandavarkar

Q. With films like Udta Punjab, Sonchiriya, Newton, and Ship of Theseus, your body of work stands out for its depth and niche appeal. Was this a conscious choice in curating your projects, or did it evolve naturally over time?

A. Thank you! There hasn’t been a conscious curation other than looking to work on projects that are interesting and offer a chance to push ourselves.

Q. How did your journey into the world of Bollywood and music composition begin? Were there any key turning points?

A. It began with working in theatre—both as an actor and musician. Musically, it first began with curating existing music into plays and, from there, into original composition. Being largely self-taught, there was a lot of self-doubt. So, the first turning points were when people first started commissioning work—and my imposter syndrome suddenly had a paycheck to contend with! The other was when Anurag Kashyap asked me to write the music for That Girl in Yellow Boots after hearing the music for a play, The Skeleton Woman, which led to my first collaboration with Benedict.

Benedict Taylor

Q. How did you become a violinist and a composer?

A. I learned classical violin, then viola, as a child, then studied at the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester, and the University of London to become a professional performer and composer. I had a lot of exposure to avant-garde music as a youngster, thanks to some amazing and visionary teachers, which I think influenced my choices at college level to immerse myself more in new music/modern music and, later, free improvisation.

Q. How has life changed post becoming a parent? Does parenthood influence your art in any way? (Benedict is married to actor Radhika Apte, and they recently became parents.)

A. It’s already changed drastically in terms of day-to-day logistics, let alone more intense work-life processes. I’m very early in my parenting days, so it’s hard to say overall, but it’s a big life change, which I’m sure will have a profound influence on my creative work.