Pritam Chakraborty (born 14 June 1971), also popularly known

mononymously A mononym is a name composed of only one word. An individual who is known and addressed by a mononym is a mononymous person. A mononym may be the person's only name, given to them at birth. This was routine in most ancient societies, and remains ...

as Pritam, is a

National Award The National Film Awards are awards for artistic and technical merit given for "Excellence within the Indian film industry". Established in 1954, it has been administered, along with the International Film Festival of India and the Indian P ...

winning Indian

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and def ...

, instrumentalist, music producer and singer. Graduating from FTII in Sound Engineering, he worked as an ad jingle composer, sound designer & theme music composer for TV Serials, later debuted as a co-composer alongside Jeet Gannguli in the 2001 Hindi film '' Tere Liye''. He debuted as a solo composer with the 2003 film ''

Stumped Stumped is a method of Dismissal (cricket), dismissing a batter (cricket), batter in cricket, in which the wicket-keeper put down the wicket, puts down the wicket of the Glossary_of_cricket_terms#S, striker while the striker is out of their Bat ...

''. However, it was the soundtrack of ''

Dhoom ''Dhoom'' (transl. ''Blast'') is a 2004 Indian Hindi-language motorcycle, moto action film directed by Sanjay Gadhvi and produced by Aditya Chopra under the banner of Yash Raj Films. The story was written by Chopra with a screenplay by Vijay Kr ...

'' (2004), most notably the title track, which earned him his first big break in the industry and helped him win the

Zee Cine Award for Best Track of the Year Zee is the phonetic pronunciation of the letter Z in American English ("zed" in Commonwealth English). Zee may also refer to: People *Zee (徐), a Wu Chinese surname, an equivalent of Xu * Anthony Zee (b. 1945), Chinese-American physicist * Ch ...

& vast acknowledgements. In a career spanning over two decades, he has composed music for more than 125 Bollywood films and has been the recipient of numerous awards, including a

National Film Award The National Film Awards are awards for artistic and technical merit given for "Excellence within the Cinema of India, Indian film industry". Established in 1954, it has been administered, along with the International Film Festival of India ...

70th National Film Awards The 70th National Film Awards were announced on 16 August 2024 to honour the best films of 2022 in Indian cinema, presented by the National Film Development Corporation of India. The awards ceremony was originally slated to be held on 3 May 202 ...

in 2022 and nine

Filmfare Awards The Filmfare Awards are annual awards that honour artistic and technical excellence in the Indian cinema.Al The Filmfare ceremony is one of the most famous film events in India. The awards were introduced by Filmfare magazine of The Times G ...

. While he initially worked only on soundtracks and had multiple early collaborations with

Vishesh Films Vishesh Films is an Indian film company, founded in 1986. It is currently owned by Mukesh Bhatt and is named after his son Vishesh. Vishesh Films is one of the most successful Indian film production houses. History In 1987 Mukesh Bhatt turned ...

and

Yash Raj Films Yash Raj Films (YRF) is an Indian film production and distribution company founded by filmmaker Yash Chopra in 1970. Since 2012, it has been led by his son Aditya Chopra. The company mainly produces and distributes Hindi films. History In 19 ...

, the romantic drama ''

Barfi! ''Barfi!'' is a 2012 Indian Hindi-language period romantic comedy film written and directed by Anurag Basu, edited by Akiv Ali and backed by UTV Motion Pictures. The film stars Ranbir Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra and Ileana D'Cruz (in her Hi ...

'' with

Anurag Basu Anurag Basu (born 8 May 1970) is an Indian director, screenwriter, actor and producer in Hindi cinema. He is best known for films that tackle bold themes of passion, envy, and adultery. After initial setbacks, he achieved his breakthrough with ...

marked his first venture as a background score composer, and he later diversified his repertoire through collaborations with

Dharma Productions Dharma Productions Pvt. Ltd. is an Indian film production and distribution company established by Yash Johar in 1979. It was taken over in 2004, after his death, by his son, Karan Johar. Based in Mumbai, it mainly produces and distributes H ...

T-Series (company) Super Cassettes Industries Private Limited, Trade name, doing business as T-Series, is an Indian music record label and film production company founded by Gulshan Kumar on 11 July 1983. It is primarily known for Hindi film music, Hindi film sou ...

and

Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment Pvt Ltd (NGE) is an Indian film production company based in Mumbai. The Nadiadwala family have been in film production since 1955; continuing this legacy, Sajid Nadiadwala established the company in 1995. The ...

. Pritam founded

JAM8 JAM8 is a musical platform founded by Indian music composer/director Pritam. The platform provides facilities up and coming musicians. Pritam and his team supervise the young talent and some artists become part of Pritam's musical projects. Hist ...

in 2016, which is an ''A&R'' Music Production platform. JAM8 studio, which is located in Mumbai, is one of the most advanced music production facility & studio in India. JAM8 is also working as Music Director in various Bollywood films with its in house composers.

Early life

Pritam was born to Anuradha Chakraborty and Prabodh Chakraborty in a Bengali family. He gained his early training in music from his father who used to run a musical school and learned to play the guitar while he was in school. He went to St. James' School and has a bachelor's degree in geology from Presidency College. Pritam was associated with the non-partisan political platform Independents' Consolidation during his days at Presidency. In 1994, Pritam joined FTII,

Pune Pune ( ; , ISO 15919, ISO: ), previously spelled in English as Poona (List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1978), is a city in the state of Maharashtra in the Deccan Plateau, Deccan plateau in Western ...

, where he took up Sound Recording and Engineering. Pritam formed a band called "Jotugriher Pakhi" with his Presidency batch-mates, for which he played the guitar. They released a cassette around that time. Pritam joined a Bangla band, Chandrabindoo. Later Pritam started the band Metro with James, Suhail, Soham, and Eric Pillai during his film called '' Life in a... Metro''.

Career

1997–2003: Ad-Jingles and Bollywood debut

After completing his sound engineering course from FTII Pune, Chakraborty came to

Mumbai Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...

in 1997. He started composing ad jingles where he met other budding artists such as

Shantanu Moitra Shantanu Moitra (born 22 January 1968) is an Indian pianist, score composer and musician who has composed songs for the Hindi film industry, and is most known for his scores in the films ''Parineeta (2005 film), Parineeta'' (2005), ''Hazaaron K ...

Rajkumar Hirani Rajkumar "Raju" Hirani (born 20 November 1962) is an Indian filmmaker known for his works in Hindi films. He is the recipient of several accolades, including four National Film Awards and 11 Filmfare Awards. Hirani is referred as one of the m ...

Sanjay Gadhvi Sanjay Gadhvi (22 November 1966 – 19 November 2023) was an Indian film director and writer, who was known for the first two instalments of the '' Dhoom series''. Early life Sanjay Gadhvi was born to Manubhai Gadhvi, a well-known figure in G ...

and Jeet Gannguli. Pritam composed renowned jingles for brands like Santro,

Emami Emami Group is an Indian multinational conglomerate headquartered in Kolkata. The company caters to a number of niche categories in the personal care and healthcare segments. The company's products are sold across 60+ nations and are availabl ...

McDonald's McDonald's Corporation, doing business as McDonald's, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational fast food chain store, chain. As of 2024, it is the second largest by number of locations in the world, behind only the Chinese ch ...

Head & Shoulders Head & Shoulders (H&S) is an American brand of anti- dandruff and non-dandruff shampoo produced by parent company Procter & Gamble. The active anti-fungal ingredient in Head & Shoulders is piroctone olamine or zinc pyrithione, with some "cl ...

Thums Up Thums Up is a brand of cola. It was introduced in 1977 to offset the withdrawal of The Coca-Cola Company from India. The brand was later bought by Coca-Cola who re-launched it in order to compete against Pepsi to capture the market. In 2018, C ...

Limca Limca is an Indian multinational brand of lemon- and lime-flavoured carbonated soft drink made primarily in India and certain parts of the U.S. It contains 60 calories per 150ml can. The formula does not include fruit, relying instead on artif ...

, Complan and composed title tracks for TV serials such as ''

Astitva ''Astitva'' () is a 2000 Indian film made simultaneously in Marathi and Hindi languages, written and directed by Mahesh Manjrekar. The film tells the story of Aditi Pandit, a happily married woman whose husband Srikant Pandit becomes suspicious w ...

'', ''

Kkavyanjali Kkavyanjali is an Indian television romantic drama series that aired on Star Plus from 25 January 2005 to 28 August 2006. The series starred Anita Hassanandani, Rakshak Sahni and Eijaz Khan. It is the tale of two lovers who love each other ...

'', ''

Ye Meri Life Hai ''Ye Meri Life Hai'' () is a Hindi TV serial that aired on Sony TV. The story reflects the aspirations and dreams of today's youth, as they battle it out with conventions and norms to carve their own niche in the world. The screenplay and dia ...

'', ''

Remix A remix, also sometimes called reorchestration or rework, is a piece of media which has been altered or contorted from its original state by adding, removing, or changing pieces of the item. A song, piece of artwork, book, poem, or photograph ca ...

'', '' Kashmeer'', '' Miilee'', and ''Dil Kare''. Pritam got his first break for Tere Liye (released December 2001). Though the music was well-received, the film missed the mark. In 2002, The Jeet-Pritam duo once again composed music for

' '' Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai''. All the songs from the film were chartbusters. Soon after, over some misunderstanding, Jeet decided to split from the partnership.

2004–2009: ''Dhoom'', ''Life in a Metro'' and ''Love Aaj Kal''

Pritam's compositions were noted for their ability to blend Indian classical music with western styles. His compositions for Gadhvi's second film ''

'' were a runaway hit. The title-track of ''Dhoom'' in two versions – Hindi (by

Sunidhi Chauhan Sunidhi Chauhan (pronounced ; born Nidhi Chauhan, 14 August 1983) is an Indian playback singer. Known for her Bold vocal range, she has recorded songs for films in several Indian languages and List of awards and nominations received by Sunidhi ...

) and English (by

Tata Young Amita Marie "Tata" Young (; born 14 December 1980) is a Thai people, Thai singer, actress and model who gained prominence in Thailand when she placed first in a national singing contest at age 11, subsequently signing a record deal and releasing ...

) – broke geographic barriers becoming popular in pubs in the UK, USA and the East Asia and won him his first

. He received his first nomination for the

Filmfare Award for Best Music Director The Filmfare Award for Best Music Director is given by the ''Filmfare'' magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to the best composer/arranger of a soundtrack. This category was first presented in 1954. Naushad Ali was th ...

for the soundtrack of ''Dhoom''. In 2006, he also composed the songs for Gadhvi's ''Dhoom'' sequel, ''

Dhoom 2 ''Dhoom 2'' (transl. ''Blast 2''), also known as ''Dhoom 2: Back in Action'', is a 2006 Indian Hindi-language caper action thriller film directed by Sanjay Gadhvi and produced by Aditya Chopra under Yash Raj Films. Written by Vijay Krishna A ...

'', which despite mixed critical reviews, achieved major commercial success and became the highest-selling Indian music album of the year. It also earned him his second nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Music Director. He followed this up with compositions for films like ''

Gangster A gangster (informally gangsta) is a criminal who is a member of a gang. Most gangs are considered to be part of organized crime. Gangsters are also called mobsters, a term derived from ''Organized crime, mob'' and the suffix ''wikt:-ster, -st ...

'', '' Jannat'', '' Kismat Konnection'' and ''

Kidnap Kidnapping or abduction is the unlawful abduction and confinement of a person against their will, and is a crime in many jurisdictions. Kidnapping may be accomplished by use of force or fear, or a victim may be enticed into confinement by frau ...

''. In 2007, his compositions for

's '' Life in a... Metro'' garnered him widespread critical acclaim. He formed a band called

Metro Metro may refer to: Geography * Metro City (Indonesia), a city in Indonesia * A metropolitan area, the populated region including and surrounding an urban center Public transport * Rapid transit, a passenger railway in an urban area with high ...

with Suhail Kaul, Sohu pet name Chakraborty, Eric Pillai and Bangladeshi singer

James James may refer to: People * James (given name) * James (surname) * James (musician), aka Faruq Mahfuz Anam James, (born 1964), Bollywood musician * James, brother of Jesus * King James (disambiguation), various kings named James * Prince Ja ...

for the film. He won his second

for the song "Mauja Hi Mauja" from ''

Jab We Met ''Jab We Met'' () is a 2007 Indian Hindi-language romantic comedy film written and directed by Imtiaz Ali and produced by Dhilin Mehta under his banner Shree Ashtavinayak Cine Vision. The film stars Shahid Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor with Ta ...

'' by Imtiaz Ali. ''Jab We Met'' won him his first Producers Guild Film Award for Best Music Director. Both ''Jab We Met'' and ''Life in a... Metro'' earned him his third and fourth nominations for the Filmfare Award for Best Music Director. He then composed the soundtracks of ''

'' (2007), '' Race'' (2008), '' Kismat Konnection'' (2008), ''

'' (2008), '' Love Aaj Kal'' (2009) and ''

Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani ''Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani'' () is a 2009 Indian Hindi-language romantic comedy and written and directed by Rajkumar Santoshi and produced by Ramesh Taurani under Tips Industries. Starring Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif, the film was a ...

'' (2009), all of which earned him his fifth, sixth and seventh nominations for the Filmfare Award for Best Music Director.

2010–2014: ''Cocktail'', ''Barfi!'' and ''Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani''

His

Sufi Sufism ( or ) is a mysticism, mystic body of religious practice found within Islam which is characterized by a focus on Islamic Tazkiyah, purification, spirituality, ritualism, and Asceticism#Islam, asceticism. Practitioners of Sufism are r ...

songs for the 2010 film '' Once Upon A Time in Mumbaai'' were popular with the masses and songs like "Pee Loon" and "Tum Jo Aaye" were declared chartbusters, earning him his eighth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Music Director. He teamed up again with

Mahesh Bhatt Mahesh Bhatt (born 20 September 1948) is an Indian film director, producer and screenwriter known for his works in Hindi cinema. He has received List of awards and nominations received by Mahesh Bhatt, a number of accolades, including four Nati ...

and

for music of ''

Crook Crook is slang for criminal. Crook or Crooks may also refer to: Places Canada * Crooks Inlet, former name of Kangiqturjuaq, Nunavut England * Crook, County Durham, a town * Crook, Cumbria, a village and civil parish * Crook Hill, Derby ...

'' of which the song "Mere Bina" got instant recognition with public. His foot-tapping numbers for

Rohit Shetty Rohit Shetty (born 14 March 1974) is an Indian filmmaker, screenwriter, stuntman, producer and television personality who works in Hindi cinema. A notable director of Hindi cinema, his movies often mix the genres of action comedy and masala f ...

's '' Golmaal 3'' were also equally successful. In 2011, he got to work for

Salman Khan Abdul Rashid Salim Salman Khan (; born 27 December 1965) is an Indian actor, film producer, and television personality who predominantly works in Hindi films. In a career spanning over three decades, his awards include two National Film Awa ...

's ''Ready'' and ''Bodyguard''. He recreated the famous 1971 song, " Dum Maro Dum" for

Ramesh Sippy Ramesh Sippy (born 23 January 1947) is an Indian film director, actor and producer in Hindi cinema. He is particularly known for being the director of ''Sholay'' (1975), which is regarded as one of the List of films considered the best#Nationa ...

's 2011 movie of the same name. He then composed for the romance ''Mausam'' which had a strong influence of Punjabi. The songs were phenomenal hits in Northern India with "Rabba Main To Mar Gaya Oye" being a rage among people. In 2012, he composed several successful songs for films like ''Players'', ''Agent Vinod'', ''

Jannat 2 ''Jannat 2'' ( ''Heaven 2'') is a 2012 Indian Hindi-language crime thriller film directed by Kunal Deshmukh. The film stars Emraan Hashmi, Randeep Hooda, and Esha Gupta. It is the spiritual sequel to his 2008 film '' Jannat''. ''Jannat 2'' wa ...

'' and

Vidhu Vinod Chopra Vidhu Vinod Chopra (born 5 September 1952) is an Indian film director, producer, screenwriter and editor. He is the recipient of several accolades, including four National Film Awards and eleven Filmfare Awards. He is known for directing films ...

's ''

Ferrari Ki Sawaari ''Ferrari Ki Sawaari'' (translation: ''A Ride In The Ferrari'') is a 2012 Indian Hindi-language sports comedy drama film written and directed by Rajesh Mapuskar and produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra under the production banners of Eros Internatio ...

'', where he worked with

. Later that year, he scored the music for ''

'' which won him two awards, including his first Filmfare Award for Best Music Director. ''Barfi'' is considered to be one of the most critically acclaimed soundtrack album of his career. He also reunited with Imtiaz Ali for the romantic comedy-drama ''Cocktail'', which earned highly positive reviews, in addition to his tenth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Music Director. In 2013, he composed music for films such as ''

Race 2 ''Race 2 '' is a 2013 Indian Hindi-language neo-noir action crime film directed by Abbas–Mustan and written by Kiran Kotrial and Shiraz Ahmed. The film was produced by Ramesh S. Taurani under the Tips Industries banner, with UTV Motion Pi ...

'', ''

Murder 3 ''Murder 3'' is a 2013 Indian Hindi-language thriller film directed by Vishesh Bhatt and produced by Mukesh Bhatt from Vishesh Films. It is the third instalment in the ''Murder'' film series and a standalone sequel to the 2011 film ''Murder 2 ...

'', ''

Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani ''Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani'' (), also abbreviated as ''YJHD'', is a 2013 Indian Hindi-language coming-of-age romantic comedy film directed by Ayan Mukerji, written by Mukerji and Hussain Dalal, and produced by Karan Johar under Dharma Produc ...

'', ''

Dhoom 3 ''Dhoom 3'' (), stylised as ''Dhoom: 3'', is a 2013 Indian Hindi-language heist action film written & directed by Vijay Krishna Acharya and produced by Aditya Chopra, who co-wrote the story. The film, which is the third installment of '' Dho ...

'' and '' Once Upon ay Time in Mumbai Dobaara'' which was his 100th film as a Music Director in Bollywood. ''Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani'' in particular proved to be a milestone in Pritam's career, earning him widespread critical acclaim and accolades, and proved to be the highest selling Indian music album of the year. It also earned him his eleventh nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Music Director. He started 2014 with compositions for '' Yaariyan'', ''

Shaadi Ke Side Effects ''Shaadi Ke Side Effects'' () is a 2014 Indian Hindi-language romantic comedy film directed by Saket Chaudhary, and starring Farhan Akhtar and Vidya Balan. It is the sequel to the 2006 film '' Pyaar Ke Side Effects''. The film is produced by B ...

'' & '' Holiday: A Soldier Is Never Off Duty''. He then took a break in 2014. He received his twelfth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Music Director for ''Yaariyan.''

2015–2017: ''Ae Dil Hai Mushkil'' and ''Jagga Jasoos''

He marked his return with three successful albums in 2015: Kabir Khan's ''

Bajrangi Bhaijaan ''Bajrangi Bhaijaan'' () is a 2015 Indian Hindi-language comedy-drama film co-written and directed by Kabir Khan, based on an original story by screenwriter V. Vijayendra Prasad, and produced by Salman Khan, Rockline Venkatesh and Kabir Kh ...

'' & ''

Phantom Phantom, phantoms, or the phantom may refer to: * Spirit (metaphysics), the vital principle or animating force within all living things ** Ghost, the soul or spirit of a dead person or animal that can appear to the living Aircraft * Boeing Phanto ...

'' and

's '' Dilwale'' for which he earned his thirteenth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Music Director. The song, " Gerua" from '' Dilwale'' directly opened at the No. 1 position on the

Radio Mirchi Radio Mirchi ("''Mirchi"'' in Hindi meaning red chilli), also known as 98.3 Mirchi, is a nationwide network of private FM radio stations in India. It is owned by the ENIL, EntertainmentNetwork India Ltd (ENIL), which is one of the subsidiarie ...

charts and became the first Bollywood song to cross 100 million views on YouTube in the shortest duration ever. It also ranked in the top slot in places like

Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...

Oman Oman, officially the Sultanate of Oman, is a country located on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in West Asia and the Middle East. It shares land borders with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. Oman’s coastline ...

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...

and

Bahrain Bahrain, officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, is an island country in West Asia. Situated on the Persian Gulf, it comprises a small archipelago of 50 natural islands and an additional 33 artificial islands, centered on Bahrain Island, which mak ...

. In 2016, he appeared as a guest composer and composed the song "Itni Si Baat Hai" for '' Azhar''; the albums other composers were

Amaal Mallik Amaal Mallik is an Indian music director, composer, singer, music producer, arranger, background scorer, performer and lyricist. He is the elder son of Daboo Malik and Jyothi Malik, and grandson of Sardar Malik. He debuted as a composer in 2 ...

and DJ Chetas. He also composed the soundtracks of ''

Dishoom ''Dishoom'' () is a 2016 Indian Hindi-language buddy cop action comedy film directed by Rohit Dhawan and produced by Sajid Nadiadwala. It stars John Abraham, Varun Dhawan, Jacqueline Fernandez, Akshaye Khanna and Saqib Saleem, while Parineeti ...

'', ''

Ae Dil Hai Mushkil ''Ae Dil Hai Mushkil'' () is a 2016 Indian Hindi-language musical romantic drama film written, directed, and produced by Karan Johar under the Dharma Productions banner. The film stars Ranbir Kapoor, Anushka Sharma, Aishwarya Rai, and Fawad ...

'' and '' Dangal''. The soundtrack of ''Ae Dil Hai Mushkil'' proved to be yet another milestone in Pritam's career, earning him career-best reviews and accolades, including his second Filmfare Award for Best Music Director. In 2017, he composed the soundtracks of ''

Jagga Jasoos ''Jagga Jasoos'' () is a 2017 Indian Hindi-language musical adventure comedy film written and directed by Anurag Basu, and produced by Siddharth Roy Kapur, Basu and Ranbir Kapoor. It stars Kapoor and Katrina Kaif, and tells the story of a ...

'' (which earned him his third Filmfare Award for Best Music Director), '' Raabta'' along with Sohrabuddin, Sourav Roy and

, '' Tubelight'' and ''

Jab Harry Met Sejal ''Jab Harry Met Sejal'' (), abbreviated as ''JHMS'', is a 2017 Indian Hindi-language romantic comedy film written and directed by Imtiaz Ali. It stars Anushka Sharma and Shah Rukh Khan in their third collaboration after '' Rab Ne Bana Di Jo ...

'' along with

Diplo Thomas Wesley Pentz (born November 10, 1978), known professionally as Diplo, is an American DJ and music producer. He is a co-creator and lead member of the electronic dancehall music project Major Lazer; a member of the supergroup LSD (group), ...

, earning his sixteenth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Music Director.

2019–present: ''Kalank'', ''Ludo'' and ''Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva''

After a break in 2018, he return to composing in 2019 with '' Chhichhore'' and ''

Kalank ''Kalank'' (; ''Blemish'' or ''Stigma'') is a 2019 Indian Hindi-language period romantic drama film directed by Abhishek Varman and produced by Karan Johar, Hiroo Yash Johar, and Apoorva Mehta under Dharma Productions and Sajid Nadiadwala un ...

'', earning his seventeenth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Music Director for the latter. In 2020, he composed the soundtracks of '' Love Aaj Kal'' (which earned him his eighteenth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Music Director) and ''

Ludo Ludo (; ) is a Abstract strategy game, strategy-based board game for two to four players, in which the players race game, race their four from start to finish according to the rolls of a single dice, die. Like other cross and circle games, Ludo ...

''. For ''Ludo'', he won his fourth

. In 2021, he composed songs for '' Tadap'' and ''83''. In 2022, he composed all the songs of '' Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva'', '' Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2'' and ''

Laal Singh Chaddha ''Laal Singh Chaddha'' is a 2022 Indian Hindi-language comedy drama film directed by Advait Chandan and written by Atul Kulkarni. The film is jointly produced by Paramount Pictures, Aamir Khan Productions and Viacom18 Studios. It is a remake ...

'' (which earned him his twentieth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Music Director). For '' Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva'', he won his fifth

, Zee Cine Award for Best Music Director among others. The song "Kesariya" from ''

Brahmastra The () is a celestial weapon (''astra'') created and owned by the god Brahma along with its more powerful variant, the ''Brahmashirastra. The later is considered as the most destructive, powerful, and irresistible weapon mentioned in all of ...

'' topped the Spotify India charts for 16 weeks and became the first Indian song to cross 300 and 400 million streams on Spotify. In 2023, he composed for ''

Shehzada ''Shehzada'' () is a 1972 Bollywood drama film produced by Surinder Kapoor and directed by K. Shankar, set during the British Raj. The film stars Rajesh Khanna and Raakhee as the lead pair and the supporting cast included Veena, Pandari Bai ...

'', '' Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar'', ''

Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani ''Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani'' (transl. ''Rocky and Rani's Love Story'') is a 2023 Indian Hindi-language romantic comedy film directed by Karan Johar and written by Ishita Moitra, Shashank Khaitan, and Sumit Roy. Produced by Dharma Produ ...

'', ''

The Great Indian Family ''The Great Indian Family'' is a 2023 Indian Hindi-language comedy drama film written and directed by Vijay Krishna Acharya and produced by Aditya Chopra under the banner of Yash Raj Films. It stars Vicky Kaushal as a religious, Hindu Pandit wh ...

'', ''

Tiger 3 ''Tiger 3'' is a 2023 Indian Hindi-language action thriller film directed by Maneesh Sharma and produced by Aditya Chopra under Yash Raj Films. Based on a script written by Shridhar Raghavan and Anckur Chaudhry from an original story by Chopr ...

'', ''

Animal Animals are multicellular, eukaryotic organisms in the Biology, biological Kingdom (biology), kingdom Animalia (). With few exceptions, animals heterotroph, consume organic material, Cellular respiration#Aerobic respiration, breathe oxygen, ...

'' (1 song), and '' Dunki''. As of now, he has 4 films lines up in 2024: ''

Merry Christmas The Christmas season or the festive season, also known as the holiday season or the holidays, is an annual period generally spanning from November or December to early January. Incorporating Christmas Day and New Year's Day, the various celebrat ...

'', '' Chandu Champion'', '' Metro In Dino'', and ''

Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 ''Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3'' () is a 2024 Indian Hindi-language comedy horror film directed by Anees Bazmee, written by Aakash Kaushik, and produced by T-Series Films and Cine1 Studios. It serves as the third installment of the eponymous franchise a ...

''. In 2025, Pritam composed the soundtrack for ''

War 2 War 2 may refer to: * ''War 2'' (film), a 2025 Indian film * War II (comics), a Marvel comics character *World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between ...

'', directed by Ayan Mukerji and produced by Aditya Chopra under Yash Raj Films. This marked his second collaboration with Hrithik Roshan after Dhoom 2 and his first with N.T. Rama Rao Jr. The film's music was designed to showcase the dance prowess of both lead actors, with the team aiming to elevate the musical scale of the YRF Spy Universe. The lyrics were penned by Amitabh Bhattacharya, and the background score was provided by Sanchit Balhara and Ankit Balhara.

Musical style

Pritam has composed and covered some popular songs in a variety of genres including Rock ('' Life in a... Metro''),

('' Once Upon A Time in Mumbaai'') and even

Ghazals ''Ghazal'' is a form of amatory poem or ode, originating in Arabic poetry that often deals with topics of spiritual and romantic love. It may be understood as a poetic expression of both the pain of loss, or separation from the beloved, and t ...

(''

Barfi Barfi or ''burfi'' is a milk-based sweet from the Indian subcontinent with a fudge-like consistency. Its name comes from the Persian and Urdu word (''barf'') for snow. ''Barfi'' is consumed throughout India, Bangladesh and Pakistan and is es ...

''). His musical style is mainly characterised as a delicate fusion of

Indian classical music Indian classical music is the art music, classical music of the Indian subcontinent. It is generally described using terms like ''Shastriya Sangeet'' and ''Marg Sangeet''. It has two major traditions: the North Indian classical music known as ...

with contemporary undertones.

Allegations of plagiarism

Pritam has been alleged to have plagiarised numerous songs from the beginning of his film music career. Hits such as "Pehli Nazar Mein" was plagiarised from the Korean song "Sarang Hae Yo" by Kim Hyung Su (2005). His critically acclaimed soundtrack ''

'' also faced allegations of plagiarism as the guitar riff of the song "Bulleya" was lifted from the Papa Roach song "Last Resort". ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

India'' says, Indian music plagiarism tracking site www.itwofs.com alleges 52 instances between 2004 and 2010 where Pritam's songs are said to be "lifted", "copied", "plagiarized", or "similar" to those of tunes by other composers, who range from Arab and East Asian artists (such as Ihab Tawfik, Yuri Mrakadi and Kim Hyung-sub) to Western musicians like

Boney M. Boney M. is a German reggae, funk and disco music group founded in 1974. It achieved popularity during the disco era in the second half of the 1970s. The band was created by German record producer Frank Farian, who was the group's primary song ...

and

Damien Rice Damien George Rice (born 7 December 1973) is an Irish musician, singer and songwriter. He began his career as a member of the 1990s rock group Juniper (band), Juniper, who were signed to Polygram Records in 1997. The band enjoyed moderate succe ...

. Especially famous songs of Pritam, like " Tikhi Tikhi", " Allah Duhai Hain" and some others were found to be copied or plagiarised from Turkish famous singer

Tarkan Tarkan may refer to: People * Tarkan (name), a given name (including a list of people with the name) * Tarkan (singer) (born 1972), Turkish pop singer Other uses

* Tarkhan, an ancient Turkic and Mongol nobility title * Tarkan (comics), a fic ...

. In an interview with ''

Hindustan Times ''Hindustan Times'' is an Indian English language, English-language daily newspaper based in Delhi. It is the flagship publication of HT Media Limited, an entity controlled by the Birla family, and is owned by Shobhana Bhartia, the daughter o ...

'', Pritam commented on the allegations of plagiarism in his music, "Yes, I did make mistakes initially. But once I realised it, I have been particular about my music. However, people keep making false allegations, because it's easy to do that. Since the last three years, I have stopped taking false allegations seriously. For example, the Iranian band that said I had plagiarised 'Pungi' (Agent Vinod; 2012) had to give an apology in court for using my name falsely."

On screen appearance

Music videos and films

* ''

'' (music video for the song "Bheegi Bheegi") * '' Life in A... Metro'' (guest appearance) * ''

'' (promotional music video for the song "Safar") * "Biba" ''

Marshmello Christopher Comstock (born May 19, 1992), known professionally as Marshmello, is an American DJ and record producer. His songs "Silence (Marshmello song), Silence" (featuring Khalid (American singer), Khalid), "Wolves (Selena Gomez and Mar ...

x Pritam, Shirley Setia'' (music video) *

(Music composer)

Television

Pritam mentored and judged

Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge 2009 Hero Honda - Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge 2009 is the 3rd installment of the Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge series which premiered on 4 July 2008 on Zee TV. The show is hosted by Aditya Narayan, who also hosted the previous competition Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Ch ...

and was a judge for Chhote Ustaad on

Zee TV ZEE TV also known as Z TV is an Indian Hindi language general entertainment pay television channel owned by Zee Entertainment Enterprises. It was launched on 1 October 1992 as the oldest privately owned television channel in India. History ...

. He was also a guest judge for the

X factor ''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for '' Pop Idol'' (2001–200 ...

and

Zee Bangla Zee Bangla is an Indian Bengali-language general entertainment pay television channel owned by Zee Entertainment Enterprises. History The channel was launched on 15 September 1999 as ''Alpha TV Bangla'', along with Alpha TV Marathi, Alpha ...

's Sa Re Ga Ma Pa 2012–13. He also composed the title track for

Hrithik Roshan Hrithik Roshan (; born 10 January 1974) is an Indian actor who works in Hindi cinema. He has portrayed a variety of characters and is known for his dancing skills. One of the highest-paid actors in India, he has won many awards, including si ...

's TV series Just Dance for Star TV which was sung by KK. Pritam sang some of his top hits on the popular show MTV Unplugged (Season 5) on 13 February 2016. Pritam is the mentor and judge of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa 2016 alongside

Mika Singh Mika Singh (born 10 June 1977) is an Indian singer, rapper, musician and actor. His songs include "Bas Ek King" (''Singh Is Kinng''), "Mauja Hi Mauja" (''Jab We Met''), "Ibn-e-Batuta" (''Ishqiya''), "Dhanno" (''Housefull (2010 film), Housefull' ...

and

Sajid–Wajid Sajid–Wajid was an Indian Bollywood Hindi film music director duo consisting of brothers Sajid Khan and Wajid Khan, the sons of Sharafat Ali Khan, a tabla player. Wajid Khan, the younger of the two brothers, died on June 1, 2020. Members ...

. He was also a part of Star plus' show Dil Hai Hindustani as a judge alongside

and

Badshah Badshah or Baadshah may refer to: * Padishah, or Badshah, a superlative sovereign title of Persian origin People * Badshah (rapper) (Aditya Prateek Singh, born 1984), Indian rapper * Badshah Begum (1703–1789), first wife and chief consort of ...

in 2018.

World Cup Anthem

ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 Anthem "Dil Jashn Jashn Boley" is composed by Pritam. The anthem became super hit among audience. The music video featured Pritam &

Ranveer Singh Ranveer Singh Bhavnani (; born 6 July 1985) is an Indian actor who works in Hindi films. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Ranveer Singh, several awards, including five Filmfare Awards. He is among the highest- ...

2023 Men's FIH Hockey World Cup The 2023 Men's FIH Hockey World Cup was the 15th edition of the Men's FIH Hockey World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for men's national field hockey teams organized by the International Hockey Federation. It was held at the Kalinga Hoc ...

Anthem "Hockey Hai Dil mera" is composed by Pritam.

Awards and nominations

In a career spanning over two decades, Pritam has received 55 awards locally & globally, including 1

, 6

Filmfare ''Filmfare'' is an Indian English-language fortnightly magazine published by Worldwide Media. Acknowledged as one of India's most popular entertainment magazines, it publishes pieces involving news, interviews, photos, videos, reviews, events, ...

Awards for Best Music Director, 3

Awards for Best Background Music, 5 IIFA -

International Indian Film Academy Awards The International Indian Film Academy Awards (IIFA) is an annual awards ceremony for Hindi cinema. Produced by Wizcraft International Entertainment Pvt. Ltd, the winners of the awards are decided by fans, who vote online for their favourite a ...

, 3

Zee Cine Awards The Zee Cine Award (ZCA) is an annual Indian awards ceremony for the Hindi film industry. They were instituted in November 1997 to award "Excellence in cinema – the democratic way". They were first held in Mumbai until 2004, when the ZCA w ...

, 2 Global Indian Music Awards, 1 Asian Fim Award and 4

Mirchi Music Awards ''Mirchi Music Awards'' are presented annually by ''Radio Mirchi'' to honour both artistic and technical excellence of professionals in the Hindi language film music industry of India. The awards, given in seventeen different categories, were i ...

for Music Composer of The Year from 118 nominations.

Discography

References

External links

* {{Authority control 1971 births Living people 21st-century Indian male singers 21st-century Indian singers Bengali musicians Bollywood playback singers Film and Television Institute of India alumni Filmfare Awards winners Indian film score composers Indian male film score composers Indian male playback singers Singers from West Bengal Zee Cine Awards winners Best Music Direction National Film Award winners