How Netflix’s ‘Class’ Director Ashim Ahluwalia and Composers Aditya N. and Nayantara Bhatkal’s ‘Unconventional Choices’ Led to a Standout Series Soundtrack

There’s a lot to unpack about music in Netflix’s recent series Class (also stylized as CLA$$), which is an Indian adaptation of the Spanish series Elite and centers around ultra-rich school students whose status quo is broken by the arrival of three students from a school in a working-class and underprivileged neighborhood.

The parties thrown by the students are soundtracked by very current artists. New Delhi’s alternative hip-hop crew Gair Kanooni’s Sammad has multiple tracks placed, as do their fellow group J Block. Producer-singer Noni-mouse, hip-hop artists Udbhav, Prabh Deep, DRV and Pakistani act Janoobi Khargosh also appear, with songs that not only do justice to the oft-debauched sequences but also tap into the setting of New Delhi Gen Z living.

This selection owes itself to Class director Ashim Ahluwalia, who’s actually a co-founder of one of India’s earliest electronic crews, Bhavishyavani Future Soundz. Working with music supervisor Faustin Missier, Ahluwalia was also introduced to composer, vocalist and producer duo Aditya N. and Nayantara Bhatkal, via the show’s producer Persis Siganporia. While seasoned composer and artist Tubby took over the background score duties (and the song “Dilli Se Toh Bhai Log Hain,”) Aditya N. and Bhatkal took on creating evocative songs like “Girta Sambhalta,” “Khidki,” “Patang” and more. They teamed up with vocalist-composer Isheeta Chakrvarty and rapper Mellow D on “Jangal,” while singer-songwriter Dhruv Visvanath adds lyrics to the prog-leaning “Under Cover.”

Even as Class actors like Anjali Sivaraman, Moses Koul and Chayan Chopra all have a music connect as performing artists in their own right, there was clearly a lot more happening on the sonic front in the minds of Ahluwalia, Aditya and Bhatkal and their supporting crew. Rolling Stone India spoke with the director and music composers about the show’s soundtrack and what it’s achieved. Excerpts:

What is an aspect of Class that you were really glad that people picked up on, even if it was subtle?

Ashim Ahluwalia: What I’m really happy about is that I didn’t do a series in a traditional or conventional sense. I had a very strong vision of it in terms of the atmosphere, in terms of the immersiveness. It’s quite filmic in that sense.

It’s complex in different ways. You can watch it as a young adult show. But there’s also a lot of stuff about caste and about religion and about a lot of stuff without being preachy. I’m really happy about just very unconventional choices, in aesthetic, casting – like all new kids – and the music.

They were not filmy choices, there were all DIY, unsigned acts, apart from Azadi Records artists.

How much of your experiences with Bhavishyavani Future Soundz in terms of the nightlife culture in India did you pour into Class?

I was very clear with the music that I said, ‘Look, this is about a new generation of kids, this is about kids that are actually very exposed to what’s happening worldwide, they’re connected to what’s happening in the indie scene too.’ There was no way that we could just have mainstream acts representing their music interests, because they’re not even listening to those acts at all.

Of course, me also being very much part of the underground electronic scene in its inception, we are already connected to the kids that are making things now. So all these music choices were very much personally curated by me.

What is it like for you to keep looking out for new Indian artists?

I am very excited about the music scene in India. I feel like that’s where we’re really seeing innovation, in terms of the sounds and the Indian sound is very unique. It’s so Indian, in a way. It’s so specific, and yet it’s such a global sound, you know? So I think that’s really exciting.

What was it like working with Aditya N. and Nayantara Bhatkal as composers for the soundtrack?

I didn’t know them and I was introduced to them through one of the producers, Persis Siganporia. She said, ‘I know you’re going to like them!’

They [producers] were pushing a lot of composers and I wasn’t too happy. I met them [Aditya and Nayantara] and we really had a good vibe. I told them, ‘Listen, guys, I just want to be very blunt. I don’t want any virtuosic singing and all that.’ I wanted something which is very homemade, very warm, and, and not perfect. Something which has a very dream-pop sensibility, that it could be made by somebody in their bedroom. And they were like, ‘Yeah, but that’s what we do.’

Given Ashim’s background as a music producer and DJ himself, what was it like working on the music with his keen ear involved in it?

Aditya N.: Ashim had a clear vision of what fit a scene and he could pinpoint any sound thanks to his background as a music producer and DJ. He gave us the freedom to experiment with his brief and our sound, but at times he would ask us to remove even a tiny hi-hat that didn’t make sense to him in the scene. I think working together like that really helped bring out a better sound for the show. As for the album versions of the tracks, he let us have our way completely and for that, I’m very grateful.

Nayantara Bhatkal: Creating this album was a huge learning experience. I think Ashim was really committed to the kind of sound palette he wanted. Thanks to him, we ended up listening to some fantastic music from around the world. He also has an astounding memory for tones; like he’d remember a snare from a song he heard years ago and want just that. 

Ashim, was there a bit of push and pull that way, since you were speaking to them as director as well as music producer?

Ahluwalia: In the beginning, I said I have a certain palette in my head, so I don’t want you guys to get upset if I’m involved with that. And I think they really were open to it, because I think they trusted my taste. I personally have vintage synths and I come from like electronic music really on a very fundamental level. So I would just be kind of weird and obsessive about the kick or snare or whatever, you know?

What can you tell me about the collaborators you chose to work with on these songs?

Aditya: Nayantara and I have been working together for a long time now. The scale of this show, however, was way bigger than anything we’ve ever done. Creatively, and in the interest of time we approached a dear friend and legend in his own right, Keshav Dhar to produce with us and mix the tracks. His palette is diverse, and he is extremely patient.

Chakori Dwivedi is behind all the lyrics of the Hindi tracks. She’s a brilliant actor to start with, and she feels deeply. Songs like “Girta Sambhalta,” “Khidki” and “Dilli Dilli” wouldn’t have been what they are without her. While Nayantara took care of the majority of English lyrics (I wish I could write like her), Dhruv Visvanath (lyricist: “Under Cover”), Mellow D (co-lyricist: “Jangal”), and Joel Prabal (lyricist: “Take Me There”) all gave us a piece of their hearts. This added to the immense variety that was needed to create the songs of the show. Isheeta Chakrvarty’s voice on “Jangal” is raw and unapologetic while Mellow D’s is smooth and clean, bringing so much diversity in one track. Amandeep Singh (guitarist: “Patang”) makes his guitar sing. There is no one else like him.

I think Keshav’s role as a co-producer and guitarist is quite evident on songs like “Under Cover,” which even had Dhruv Visvanath as lyricist. Can you tell me a bit particularly about this song? 

Aditya: There was a moment in the room at my place when I remember Akhilesh [Jain, assistant producer] saying, ‘Why don’t we make this a prog rock track?’ Nayantara and I both agreed that it may be possible, however, we never wanted it to only sound like big guitars and drums. We made our final structure, called Keshav and asked him to use his expertise as a guitar player to make the tone such that it sounds like a guitar and a synth combined, so you can never really tell what it is. Our inspiration for this song was also very clear; “Curtains” by Arcane Roots, and to complement that style of production, the only person we could think of to write lyrics was Dhruv Visvanath.

Nayantara: I had decided I would write all of the English songs myself but truth be told, when you’re composing, producing, writing and singing on an entire album, you run out of steam sometimes. I called Dhruv, a close friend, in utter desperation, asking him to write on this song. Dhruv, being the star that he is, churned out the song in a day and a half. I love that he writes rhythmically and that really comes through in “Under Cover.”

Ashim mentioned that as much as he was involved closely with the music and making it a collaboration, I think composers don’t usually want boundaries being breached when it comes to creative processes, so what was it like in your case? 

Aditya: Ashim let us know what he wanted, talked to us, let us experiment and show him our takes, styles, etc. There were definitely a few times when he didn’t like what we’ve done, but as musicians working to picture, we are aware that this process cannot only be about what we want. The director’s vision always comes first and you have to be ready for some feedback.

Nayantara: I think there’s a lot of give and take when it comes to media composition or composing to picture. You have to remind yourself that music is just one part of the director’s vision. The key is finding your own individual voice within the larger creative canvas. It can definitely be a humbling experience sometimes but that’s also how you end up creating music you didn’t even know you could make!

Ashim, did you ever feel like you would have taken on the role of music composer and producer for the soundtrack to Class as well?

Ahluwalia: No, I don’t think so. I think what they [Aditya and Nayantara] brought to it was a very young pop and songwriting sensibility, which I don’t have. I know the vibe of what I want, but I’m not a musician in that sense. And they’ve got a lot of musicianship, so they can just get a guitar out, start singing, and get into writing stuff, writing magic; fast and really interesting melodies, not just the typical stuff. I’m really happy to have someone to do that. Because I think that’s really the nature of collaboration.