Sneha Khanwalkar is a rarity in Bollwood. Why, you ask? Well, because she's female and she's a music
director. Names like Usha Khanna and Jadden Bai crop up in the category of female music director, and then my mind went blank, and thankfully Google re-enforced the fact that she is a bit of an anomaly. Born in Indore, her family created a backdrop of traditional Hindustani classical music that she became immersed in as a young child. "My mum's family is into Hindustani classical music, Gwalior gharana and all that. So I almost grew up resisting it for some time because I thought it was very hardcore. We were made to sing at all sorts of family functions. It was very boring. We'd have to stop playing and come and sing for our uncles or our grandpas. So it was a little irritating but I think I got my most schooling from there, so I'm not complaining any more. I think naturally, the raw basics (of music) got clearer in my head subconsciously while growing up," she muses.
Continuing on a path that strayed away from her musical leanings, she pursued animation and art direction because she "used to draw a bit". Yet, she continued to feel like her career wasn't nailed down. "Mostly small towns where the exposure is less, a career is something that you need to be successful in," she explains. "So I'd rather take up something that I am curious about, and would stick with for life. So music came naturally and I thought there was a lot to explore... I was keen, and I thought I would learn better while working and I used to enjoy film music because that is what I grew up on. So, I decided to try and compose songs." {Read on}
