Alokananda Dasgupta on composing music for grim documentary, Kicking Balls

In Kicking Balls, Guneet Monga Kapoor showcases the courageous journey of young girls in Rajasthan, as they fight against child marriage, and abuse, to chase their athletic dreams. Vijayeta Kumar’s directorial venture—fittingly backed by an all-women’s crew—showcases the resilience of 300 girls, who turn to football as a tool for empowerment. Grim though the documentary’s narrative may seem, composer Alokananda Dasgupta shares that it is a celebration of their untameable spirit. In this interview, she shares why the music was at odds with the pain reflected in their stories. 

Edited excerpts from the interview:

Did you have a word with Guneet on the idea behind the documentary’s music?
I had the first conversation with Guneet during COVID, and I knew this was special. I spoke to Vijayeta extensively. When she described it, it did not seem like this would be just another film about the crisis. The tables turn and it becomes fun in the end. I’ve wanted to explore the format of documentaries and docu-fictions because I’ve grown up watching them. As for this film, I loved the narrative, and how the girls talk about their story.

Guneet Monga

As they share their stories, you can see their expression change. It’s different when they play and run about. I also love that the storytelling fits the game [of football]. We haven’t seen something so real in a long time. We didn’t want the music to imitate the sorrow [that was part of the theme]. There’s a famous folk song included. To add a twist to it, I [included] a North African style of strumming. The idea behind doing so was to ensure that we didn’t create the perception that this is only a regional [tale].

You must have had to walk the tightrope to create music that was upbeat but still aligned with the narrative, which is at odds with it. 
You’re right. It was basically playing with opposites. But, I found the characters upbeat. I found their way of speaking, their diction, and the way they share their stories refreshing. They almost do the job for you. It has a certain vibe. At the same time, the makers show the real picture—you see a girl cry as she shares how she was almost raped many times, and her husband was an abuser. When she says that there hasn’t been a day that she hasn’t cried, you can see that [she has faced the] harsh reality of life. When you see their faces, you can also see the contrast that I’ve attempted to musically create. They are gentle and young girls. But you can see that they have had to grow up very early in life. Then you see them singing on the bus, celebrating the little moment of joy that they have. That is the contrast I wanted to showcase with the music.

Alokananda Dasgupta

Of course, I could only exercise so much liberty because we know these girls live tough lives. They only have a few occasions to let their hair down. We used some ethnic instruments, such as the sarangi. Normally, I do not use the acoustic guitar. But, I felt there was something about the way it was being strummed that worked for the narrative. Cyli Vivek Khare sang the song. She has a very raw voice. We kept the integrity of the song alive with her vocals. Tanmay Pawar was the guitarist who gave me ideas on the different arrangements that we used. The process of working on the music was rather beautiful and stress-free. 

What, according to you, are the primary differences that come into play when composing for a documentary and a film? 
I don’t normally recite technical examples, but there is a technical difficulty relating to the voice-over. Here there was no voice-over, but [several aspects relating to] the dialogue, narrative, and speech had to be attended to. It is a theatrical format—the protagonists are facing the camera and telling a story. The music has to be cleverly used. You need them to be heard without the bias of music. And in some places the film really begs for music. You also use silence intelligently. 

Could you tell us about your upcoming work?
There is a horror series called Khauf, and a Yashraj series. There’s also a Bengali project, Puratawn, starring Sharmila Tagore. It is my first Bengali film since Baba’s [filmmaker Buddhadeb Dasgupta] passing. My last Bengali films were Urojahaj and Tope, directed by Baba. Working on this film was nostalgic. I was missing my parents because such moments take you back into a world that you didn’t know still existed. There is a song that has been sung by Shreya Ghoshal and penned by my sister, lyricist Rajeshwari Dasgupta.