Keegan Pinto: I am the hungriest guy in the world

Adman Keegan Pinto, who turns composer with RunningShaadi.com, says great art finds its space

Adman Keegan Pinto

I may be a Catholic boy, but I live and breathe Bollywood," says adman Keegan Pinto, who has recently composed and written two songs for Running Shaadi.com, starring Tapsee Pannu and Amit Sadh, which releases next week. "While I have grown up in an environment that was more English music friendly, I have been listening to Bollywood music since I was a child. I have an affinity for it, and hence, write and compose in Hindi. The language fascinates me.

I have taken all the jibes about being an outsider and used it in a good way," he laughs. Pinto, 36, who in his 15-year career, has had previous stints as Creative Head of MTV India, and is currently Creative Head of FCB ULKA, had always counted music as a passion, but it wasn't till last year that he decided to take the plunge. "It's a funny story. I was directing an ad film for a hand santiser with Amit Roy, who has been the cinematographer on movies like Sarkaar. We were having the are we doing what we really want to do conversation. And then he said, I am making a movie, and so I said, Amit, I make music. Give me a chance, I don't even need the money. I will spend my own. I am really the hungriest guy on the planet."

Roy decided to take the cue. As Pinto says, he didn't even need a brief, as that's what years in advertising had taught him. "I knew what the script needed. I can give music for all the films the ad agency is making, but films are more challenging. The film is about a girl, with a milky complexion running away with her love, and so Bhaag Milky Bhaag took shape. And since the movie was about running away and escaping reality as lovers, I made a love song too, called Faraar. Amit didn't have space for it, but when he heard it, he made space. Great art always finds its space,"he says.

Pinto counts the legendary Laxmikant-Pyarelal and Nadeem Shravan as his inspirations. "They were the quintessential Indian music makers. Even RD Burman had a western touch, but LP and Nadeem Shravan were very Bollywood." For now, he is awaiting the release of his movie, and another one starring Jimmy Shergil later this year. He is also starting The Keegan Pinto Collective, which will include collaborations with pedigree singers. "That should be out in a few months. There is so much more to come. Now that I have started this, I am in this for keeps."

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