Ever wondered what goes into scoring a song for a film like ‘Shatak’? Composer Rakesh Kumar Pal dishes on the intense creative struggles for the RSS centenary project. Marking a historic milestone, the movie traces the saffron organization’s path from humble beginnings to a powerhouse of cultural nationalism.
Pal didn’t mince words: ‘It was the most difficult song I’ve ever written.’ The stakes were sky-high—’Shatak’ aims to portray RSS’s unyielding spirit amid wars, emergencies, and social upheavals. Lyrics had to evoke the daily rigor of shakhas, the valor of swayamsevaks in crises, and the vision of Hindu unity.
His process was exhaustive. Pal pored over Hedgewar’s writings, Golwalkar’s ideologies, and contemporary accounts. Balancing poetic flair with ideological depth meant countless sleepless nights. ‘We couldn’t afford sentimentality; it had to be raw and real,’ he noted.
On-set, syncing the song with epic visuals—from 1947 partitions to 1975 Emergency resistance—proved tricky. Pal worked with directors to align beats with emotional peaks, incorporating shakha chants and martial tunes for immersion.
As RSS’s shatabdi year dawns, ‘Shatak’ and its anthem are set to dominate discussions. Pal’s revelation highlights the film’s ambition: not mere entertainment, but a legacy preserver. In an era of fleeting trends, this song stands as a timeless ode to organized patriotism.