Marvel EXCLUSIVE! Atif Afzal On Composing Music For An Upcoming MCU Movie & Making Superheroes Dance To Hindi Songs
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Marvel movies are known for good stories, outstanding action, amazing CGI and perfect casting of superheroes. But in the past few years, MCU has been trying to diversify by catering to all kinds of audience. Now what if we tell you that in an upcoming movie we might get to hear some Hindi tracks? Yes, you read it right. Music composer Atif Afzal is approached by the studios for the same.
Koimoi exclusively spoke to Atif Afzal about composing music for Marvel and making a superhero dance to his tunes. When asked if he had imagined getting a call from them, he said, “Most of the things that has happened to me, I was not expecting. I absolutely had no clue that they would reach out to me.”
There are a lot of movies lined up in MCU’s Phase 4. So for which movie exactly will he be composing the music? “I myself don’t know that. When it comes to Marvel, everything is confidential. There are other projects which are not of Marvel and are confirmed. I can talk about them. But I can’t speak much about this one because they don’t talk about it. They’ve reached out to me for a track. So fingers crossed,” said Atif.
We have seen the superheroes in action and big fights. But what if they dance to Atif Afzal’s tracks? Would he love to see them dance to his tune? The music composer excitedly stated, “I would love to see them dance to my music. It would be cool. Today, we are in that stage of world cinema where a lot of things are getting blended. Look at Bollywood trailers, they are inspired by Hollywood trailers. On the other hand, Marvel Studios want Hindi tracks and music in their movies. It’s really exciting that Marvel has approached me. The day it happens, I’m going to be very happy about it.”
He further revealed, “I was approached by Shannon Murphy who is the music supervisor at the Marvel Studios. Song genre is lush, grand and celebratory. It’s on the character who is living a highlife. There is a good chance that an Indian actor would be approached for the character. We may also see Marvel characters dancing to Indian tunes, you never know! That would be so exciting to watch.”
Marvel movies aren’t known for having songs. So how does Atif makes sure that whatever he composes resonates with the global audience? “It’s all about your preparation. I do believe in gifted talents. But I always believe in preparation whether it’s an athlete, a sportsperson or a politician. My preparation started when I thought that if I get into film composing, then I have to be able to cater to the audience. Whoever my audience is; whether it’s age or geography, anywhere in the world. That’s when I started learning about world music. I didn’t restrict myself to Indian classical but also learned about western classical music. I learned a lot of instruments and watched a lot of films and did this to get an idea of how people perceive music,” he answered.
AR Rahman had composed the Hindi theme song for Avengers: Endgame last year. Now Atif Afzal is another Indian who is approached by the studios. He expressed his joy over this achievement. “It feels quite satisfying just to be asked by Marvel. It’s something that I’ve never dreamt of. AR Rahman has always been my idol; not only for the way he makes music but because of the way he produces music too. I’ve studied his music. It feels great. Although, I feel two composers can never be compared. It feels amazing and one just has to work on the things planned out for you,” said Atif.
He further added, “In 2018, I already worked for a cross-branding commercial for Target and Avengers. Target is a big chain in the US. I got to compose two tracks.”
Which movie do you think it is? Eternals, Shang Chi And The Legend Of Ten Rings or something else? Let us know your guesses in the comments section below.
