Nilayan Chatterjee
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Nilayan Chatterjee | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | RJ Neil |
| Born | c. 1990 |
| Origin | Kolkata, West Bengal, India |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
|
| Instruments | Vocals, Piano, Guitar |
| Years active | 2007–present |
| Labels | |
Nilayan Chatterjee (pronounced [nilajan cʰɔtterʤeɛ]; born c. 1990) is an Indian Radio Jockey turned music composer and singer-songwriter active in Bengali cinema and the independent music scene.[citation needed] He is best known for scoring the soundtracks of Kacher Manush (2022), Bagha Jatin (2023), Dilkhush (2023) and the thrillers Boomerang (2024) and Khadaan (2024).[1][2]
Early life and Education
[edit]Specific details about Nilayan Chatterjee's early life and formal musical training are not extensively documented in public sources. However, it is known that he began his radio career in 2007, indicating an early involvement in the media and entertainment sector..[3]
Career
[edit]Radio Jockey
[edit]Chatterjee, widely recognized by his on-air persona RJ Neil, began his radio career in 2007 hosting the late-night Hindi show Masala Nights on 93.5 RED FM Kolkata.[4] His innovative segments included:
- Dark Hour: Anonymous listener confessions[5]
- Instant song creation: On-the-spot compositions using random words (e.g., "Rani," "Aaina," "Balti")[6]
Chatterjee faced societal skepticism about radio as a career, emphasizing its technical demands like real-time audio editing and multi-platform engagement.His 2019 radio promotion performance "Dedicated to DEV & RUKMINI" caught Dev's attention, facilitating his transition to film music.[7]
Film composition
[edit]Chatterjee made his debut scoring the romantic comedy drama film Kishmish by composing all of the singles of the film. He collaborated with Dev again on his romance drama Kacher Manush (2022), for which he wrote and composed the lead single “Chumbak Mon” sung by Usha Uthup.[1] He continued his collaboration with actor-producer Dev on the patriotic biopic Bagha Jatin (2023), composing title tracks such as “Jago Re Bagha” and “Ei Desh Amar.”[2][8] In 2023 he scored the anthology romance Dilkhush, noted for its hit track “Bibagi Phone”.[9] His 2024 credits include the thriller Boomerang and the supernatural drama Khadaan.
Independent releases
[edit]Alongside film work, Chatterjee has issued lo-fi singles and EPs, including “Apatoto Jai”, whose lo-fi version was featured by The Times of India’s video section.[10] He also released the Kacher Manush Original Motion Picture Soundtrack EP in 2022.[11]
Discography
[edit]Filmography
[edit]| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Kishmish | Composer & Lyricist |
| 2022 | Kacher Manush | Composer & Lyricist |
| 2023 | Bagha Jatin | Composer |
| 2023 | Dilkhush | Composer & Lyricist |
| 2024 | Boomerang | Composer |
| 2024 | Khadaan | Composer |
| 2025 | Mon Maane Na | Composer |
| 2025 | Raghu Dakat | Composer |
Singles
[edit]| Year | Title | Format |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | “Apatoto Jai” | Single |
| 2024 | “Sajani – LoFi” | Single |
Reception & legacy
[edit]The film score for Bagha Jatin was praised for its patriotic fervour and thematic coherence by "The Times of India".[12]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Entertainment Desk (6 September 2022). "Rekindle the innocence of romance with 'Kacher Manush' song 'Chumbak Mon'". The Times of India. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
- ^ a b Times of India Bureau (15 April 2023). "Dev releases song from his next release Bagha Jatin". The Times of India. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
- ^ "'Dev da's musical understanding runs deep'". Millennium Post. 8 October 2023. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
- ^ Ailani, Ritu (2020-08-20). "National Radio Day: 7 Of The Best Radio Jockeys In India". Askmen India. Retrieved 2025-05-25.
- ^ Ghosh, Devarsi (2017-11-16). "Silent breathers, reluctant confessors and obsessed callers: Being a late-night RJ isn't easy". Scroll.in. Retrieved 2025-05-25.
- ^ Ananda, ABP (2023-03-23). "রেডিও জকি থেকে কীভাবে হয়ে উঠলেন সঙ্গীতশিল্পী, মজার গল্প শোনালেন নীলায়ন চট্টোপাধ্যায়". Bengali News, Bangla News, Breaking News in Bangla, Latest Bangla News, বাংলা খবর, বাংলার আজকের খবর, ABP Bengali, এবিপি আনন্দ - ABP Ananda (in Bengali). Retrieved 2025-05-25.
- ^ Das, Samrat (2022-04-18). "Exclusive! Kishmish's music director Nilayan Chatterjee reveals that he's bagged Dev's next film with Prosenjit Chatterjee". OTTPlay. Retrieved 2025-05-25.
- ^ Times of India Bureau (26 January 2024). "Republic Day Special: Bagha Jatin". The Times of India. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
- ^ Anindita Dutt (6 December 2022). "Anirban's musical treat leaves an aftertaste of sweetness". The Times of India. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
- ^ Entertainment Desk (20 July 2023). "Experience LoFi version of the latest Bengali lyrical music video for Apatoto Jai". The Times of India. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
- ^ "Kacher Manush (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) – EP". Spotify. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
- ^ Entertainment Desk (24 October 2023). "Bagha Jatin Movie Review: It's Dev all the way in this patriotic biopic". The Times of India. Retrieved 30 April 2025.