Neel Dutt

Neel Dutt
Neel Dutt (left in the image) with Anjan Dutt in the premiere of "The Bong Connection"
Background information
Native name	নীল দত্ত
Born	(1979-03-17) 17 March 1979 (age 38) Kolkata, West Bengal, India
Occupation(s)	Music composer, Singer
Instruments	Music, Vocal

Neel Dutt (Bengali: নীল দত্ত; born March 7, 1979) is a composer from Kolkata, West Bengal (India).

He is one of foremost music directors in the Bengali film music industry who is responsible for the resurgence of Bengali film music in today’s time. His primary contribution to Bengali film music has been to be able to connect with the urban & suburban youth who’ve been disconnected with the medium for the last 20 years. He received National Award (Rajat Kamal) from the Govt. Of India, for ‘Best Music Direction’ in 2012 for the soundtrack of the Bengali film Ranjana Ami Ar Ashbona. (Ranjana I ain’t coming back no more). Dutt is the third Bengali to win the National Award for Best Music Direction from Bengal’. His predecessors being Ananda Shankar who won the award for Mrinal Sen’s ‘Chorus’ (1974) & Satyajit Ray for Ashani Sanket(1973) and Hirak Rajar Deshey (1980).

His notable film scores include The Bong Connection (2007), Bow Barracks Forever (2007), Ranjona ami Ar Ashbona(2011), Byomkesh Bakshi (2010), Madly Bangalee(2008), Maach Mishti & More(2012), Shesh Boley Kichu Nei (2013), Nirbaak (2015), Byomkesh Bakshi (2015).

Dutt’s music encompasses a variety of soundscapes. From conventional orchestral background scores to experimental electronic fusion based music. He is arguably the first music director in India to rearrange a Rabindranath Tagore composition with modern electronic music. The song ‘Pagla Hawar Badol Dine’ from The Bong Connection paved way for a whole new world of experimentation with Tagore’s music.

Neel Dutt was born on 7 March 1979, in Kolkata. His parents are Anjan Dutt and Chanda Dutt. Anjan Dutt, an actor and film-maker, is also a prolific musician from the 1990s scene of modern Bengali music. Chanda Dutt, his mother is a retired English teacher in St. Augustine’s Day School, Kolkata.

As an infant, Dutt’s first school was Mr. Pires Private School. Later, he moved to middle school at Seventh Day Adventist School, Kolkata. Following his high school education at St. Augustine’s Day School, he studied English Literature at Ashutosh College, Kolkata. Dutt completed his Masters in English Literature from the University of Kolkata in 2002.

Dutt was still in middle school when his father, Anjan Dutt started writing songs in Bengali in 1993. That was when he first began to accompany him on the guitar. The two went on to become the first father-son musician duo in modern Bengali music. Playing the guitar professionally with his father from the age of 13 was his first experience in live music as well as studio sessions. From the end of 1993, the duo started performing live and they toured extensively. He received his first Gold Disc from HMV for their first album titled ‘Shuntey Ki chao’ that released in 1995.