Basic albums harness an artiste: Somlata

“My basic album last year was not as much taken as the film playback tracks. This could be probably due to the factor that the audience are used to hearing the same set of singers in film playbacks around the same time. This does not augur well for the music industry,” Somlata said in between recording for Bengali film ‘Conditions Apply’ here.

The dusky crooner was perhaps alluding to her album Khola Hawa cut last year.

“On personal front this might not hit me hard as many of my other tracks are getting popular, but what about other aspiring, young talented musicians! We also went through the same phase. And even if you refer to people like Rupankar-da (Rupankar Bagchi), Lopadi (Lopamudra Mitra) or likewise they had all put greater emphasis on basic album. We need to revive audience interest,” she said.

Admitting that physical sale of CDs are on the decline, Somlata said, “Nowadays people are more tech savvy and don’t take the trouble of buying an audio CD for Rs 100. On the other hand they don’t think twice before whipping off a Rs 500 note in a restaurant. The priorities need to be sorted out.”

Happy with the audience connect with present day Bengali films – as evident from the success of Belaseshe, Family Album to Open Tee Bioscope, Somlata said, “We are all basking in the success of Bengali cinema in very recent times. With our films sharing the same occupancy rate in multiplexes like Hindi films. But as I said this must percolate down to music, giving breathing space to non-film albums. The feel-good factor must not be confined within one format.”

Somlata, who has no wish to face the camera despite getting numerous offers, identified with the basic spirit of ‘Conditions Apply’, about dusky, plump girls slotted as ‘ugly ducklings’ and receiving jibes and taunts all along.

“Slotting someone - from an unfair woman to a third gender heroine – is in other words delivering a deadly blow to her self esteem" she said.

Music poignantly reflects the sensitive issue broached by the film as 'Conditions Apply' captures the struggles of Chitrangada (Mumtaz Sorcar), a famous actress who identifies herself as "gender neutral".

The music complements this theme, the physical, emotional and spiritual pains she goes through, the rejection she faces from a society that believes, "You are only a human being if you are male/female".