Arjuna Harjai is an Indian composer,[1] singer and musician working in Bollywood who is also known for composing advertising music.

Arjuna Harjai
Background information
Also known asArjunna Harjaie, Arjunaa Harjai & Arjun Harjai
BornDelhi
Genres
  • Film score
  • pop
Occupations
  • Singer
  • composer
  • record producer
  • instrumentalist
Years active2009–present
SpouseDivya Harjai
Websitehttp://www.arjunaharjai.com

His association with director Nikkhil Advani, composing music and songs for film Guddu Engineer and television series P.O.W. - Bandi Yuddh Ke received praise from critics.[2][3] For P.O.W. - Bandi Yuddh Ke, Harjai composed the original score for 107 episodes and composed six songs, he also lent his voice for all the songs along with co singers Nandini Srikar, Shashaa Tirupati, Jonita Gandhi and Surabhi Dashputra.

His work is noted for Nikkhil Advani's Lucknow Central film starring Farhan Akhtar directed by Ranjit Tiwari for which Arjuna Harjai composed three songs, background score and the soundtracks for trailers and commercials.[4][5][6]

Early life and education

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Harjai started learning Hindustani classical music from his parents at a very young age and was exposed to various music styles. He moved to Mumbai in 2006 to further study under playback singer Suresh Wadkar. He also studied piano as his main instrument since a very young age and went on to study until Grade 8 of western classical and jazz piano from Delhi school of music and in 2008 he passed out from SAE Institute, Mumbai as the highest scorer in Audio Engineering. In 2009 he studied jazz and counterpoint composition under various music exchange programs in Delhi and Mumbai.[7]

Career

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While composing advertising jingles for major brands, Harjai continued assisting music composer Lalit Pandit for projects such as Besharam and Dabangg.

Harjai began composing for cinema when Punjabi producer Rajan batra was looking for a new composer with a distinct vision for his feature film Titoo MBA. Harjai went on to compose the entire soundtrack for the film.[8] and has continued with a number of other film soundtracks and songs. By 2022 Harjai has a portfolio of composing over 500 advertising jingles and a dozen feature films. Since 2021 Harjai has been working remotely after he relocated temporarily to United Kingdom on a dependent visa as his wife is pursuing a postgraduate degree. [9] Arjuna Harjai has two YouTube channels, one named 'Arjuna Harjai' that features vlogs (1.2 Mn subscribers), another one called 'Arjuna Harjai 2.0' featuring podcasts with interesting guests which he manages alongside his career as a music composer.[10]

In 2023 he collaborated with Sounds of Isha and various International artists like Machel Montano Marge Blackman and Sandeep Narayan to create the Save Soil and Come Awake anthems for supporting the Save Soil movement by Sadhguru[11]

In 2024, Arjuna Harjai launched a creative project titled "The One Minute Composer,"[12] where he composed and released tracks inspired by random prompts, each within a minute-long format. This series featured songs like "Winter Ayun Waliye," "Mangoge Na," and "Zikar Hai," with the latter being a significant collaboration with Pakistani singer Natasha Noorani. The project quickly gathered substantial attention, with all three songs making it to Spotify's viral 50 charts, further demonstrating Harjai's ability to resonate with global audience.[13]"Zikar Hai" was particularly noted for its emotional depth and the innovative cross-border collaboration, which involved remote production sessions between Harjai in the UK and Noorani in Lahore.[14] Additionally, in 2024, Harjai was recognized as the "Introducing Artist of the Week" by BBC Asian Network, highlighting his growing influence in the international music scene.[15]


International

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Year Title Artists Organisation
2022 Come Awake Arjuna Harjai Machel Montano Sounds of Isha [16]
2022 Soil Song Arjuna Harjai Machel Montano Marge Blackman Sounds of Isha [17]
2024 Zikar Hai Arjuna Harjai x Natasha Noorani Aart Sense Records [18]

Singles

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Year Title Artists Label
2021 Main Janu Na Arjuna Harjai x Jonita Gandhi Sony Music India [19]
2021 Arjuna's Drone Arjuna Harjai Aart Sense Studios UK [20]
2022 Naa Jao Arjuna Harjai x Surabhi Dashputra Aart Sense Studios UK [21]
2023 Shamil Hoon Arjuna Harjai x Divya Harjai Aart Sense Studios UK [22]
2023 Jhoothe Arjuna Harjai x Jyotica Tangri Aart Sense Studios UK [23]
2023 Kharaab Arjuna Harjai x Jyotica Tangri Aart Sense Records [24]
2024 Winter Ayun Waliye Arjuna Harjai x Jyotica Tangri x Geet Sagar Aart Sense Records [25] [26]
2024 More Sajan Arjuna Harjai x Surabhi Dashputra Aart Sense Records [27]
2024 Kyu Bhag Gayi Tu Arjuna Harjai x Anubhav Suman Aart Sense Records [28]
2024 Bharam Arjuna Harjai Aart Sense Records [29]
2024 Mangoge Na Arjuna Harjai Aart Sense Records [30]
2024 Kinaare Arjuna Harjai x Shreya Jain Aart Sense Records [31]
2024 Challeya Ve Arjuna Harjai Aart Sense Records [32]
2024 Rehn De Arjuna Harjai x Surabhi Dashputra Aart Sense Records [33]


Filmography

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Year Title Notes
2011 Hair Is Falling Score
2012 Manzoor Nahi Song composed to support the victim of the 2012 Delhi gang rape[34]
2013 Calapor Songs and score, also sang two songs[35]
2014 Titoo MBA Songs and Score
2014 CHUDAIL Music by[36]
2016 Do Lafzon Ki Kahani Composed 1 song "Ankhiyaan"[37][7]
2016 Guddu Engineer Songs and score
2016 P.O.W. - Bandi Yuddh Ke Songs, opening theme and score[38]
2017 MAHI NRI Music by[39]
2017 Jindua Composed two songs, "Laaiyan Ve" and "Takdi Ravan".
2017 Lucknow Central 3 songs, score and promos.[40]
2019 Judgemental Hai Kya Kis Raste Hai Jana
2019 Motichoor Chaknachoor Choti Choti Gal
2020 Dolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitare Neat Ve & Bimari


Awards and critical reception

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Awards For Director Details Music director Lyricist Year
5th Mumbai Shorts International Film Festival[1] Guddu Engineer Nikkhil Advani Best Music Award - Keh Nahi Paunga as Arjuna Harjai Kumaar 2016
Creative ABBY Awards GOLD[41] 'P.O.W. - Bandi Yuddh Ke Nikkhil Advani Original Background Score - Rab Ki Baatein Arjuna Harjai Kumaar 2017
Creative ABBY Awards BRONZE P.O.W. - Bandi Yuddh Ke Nikkhil Advani Original Background Score - Raahiyan Ve Arjuna Harjai Kumaar 2017

Songs

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Film Song Singer Lyricist Year of Release
Manzoor Nahi[34] Single Surabhi Dashputra & Arjuna Harjai Surabhi Dashputra 2012
Calapor Musical Lakshmi Madhusudan & Aishwarya Nigam Sanjeev Chaturvedi 2013
Calapor Tarana Surabhi Dashputra Surabhi Dashputra 2013
Calapor I Love You Ma Arjuna Harjai & Surabhi Dashputra Surabhi Dashputra 2013
Calapor Bindaas Various Surabhi Dashputra 2013
Titoo MBA Kyu Hua Reprise Neeti Mohan Kumaar 2014
Titoo MBA O Ranjhna Surabhi Dashputra Surabhi Dashputra 2014
Titoo MBA Plan Bana Le Aishwarya Nigam & Surabhi Dashputra Kumaar 2014
Titoo MBA Atyachaari Surabhi Dashputra & Arjuna Harjai Surabhi Dashputra 2014
Titoo MBA Kyu Hua Arijit Singh & Arjuna Harjai Kumaar 2014
Titoo MBA O Soniye Arijit Singh & Vibha Saraf Surabhi Dashputra 2014
Chudail Das Rahe Hain Jonita Gandhi Surabhi Dashputra 2015
Chudail Raat Ye Kehti Hai Sunidhi Chauhan Surabhi Dashputra 2015
Hero (2015 Hindi film) Yadaan Teriyaan Reprise Shipra Goyal & Arjuna Harjai Kumaar 2015[42]
Do Lafzon Ki Kahani (film) Ankhiyaan Kanika Kapoor Kumaar 2016[43]
P.O.W. - Bandi Yuddh Ke Rab Ki Baatein Arjunna Harjaie Kumaar 2016
P.O.W. - Bandi Yuddh Ke Raahiya Surabhi Dashputra & Shashaa Tirupati Kumaar 2016
P.O.W. - Bandi Yuddh Ke Dhaage Arjuna Harjai & Nandini Srikar Kumaar 2016
P.O.W.- Bandi Yuddh Ke Akhari Mod Pe Arjuna Harjai Kumaar 2017
P.O.W. - Bandi Yuddh Ke Ishq Hawa Hai Arjuna Harjai Kumaar 2017
Mahi NRI Mera Mahi NRI Kailash Kher Kumaar 2017
Mahi NRI Tere Bina Master Saleem & Shipra Goyal Kumaar 2017
Mahi NRI One More Thumka Jonita Gandhi & Anubhav Suman Kumaar 2017
Mahi NRI Blonde Nachdi Hardy Sandhu & Jonita Gandhi Kumaar 2017
Mahi NRI Bathroom (Rap) Hardy Sandhu Kumaar 2017
Mahi NRI Balle Balle Hardy Sandhu Kumaar 2017
Mahi NRI Tabbar Lehmber Hussainpuri & Hardy Sandhu Kumaar 2017
Mahi NRI Tere Bina (Reprise) Hardy Sandhu Kumaar 2017
Jindua Takdi Ravan Jonita Gandhi, Akhil & Arjunna Harjaie Kumaar 2017
Jindua Laaiyan Ve Arjuna Harjai & Surabhi Dashputra Kumaar 2017
Lucknow Central Teen Kabooter Divya Kumar, Mohit Chauhan, Raftaar Kumaar, Raftaar 2017
Lucknow Central Rangdaari Arijit Singh & Arjuna Harjai Kumaar 2017
Lucknow Central Kaavaan Kaavaan Divya Kumar Kumaar 2017

References

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  1. ^ a b "::: Mumbai Shorts Int. Film Festival :::". miniboxoffice.com. Archived from the original on 10 January 2022. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
  2. ^ Team, Tellychakkar. "Love over numbers: P.O.W- a hard hitting experiment on TV". tellychakkar.com. Archived from the original on 26 May 2017. Retrieved 7 September 2017.
  3. ^ "Arjuna Harjai hopes to hit the right chord with his music - Times of India". The Times of India. 17 November 2014. Archived from the original on 1 April 2018. Retrieved 18 May 2018.
  4. ^ "'Monsoon Wedding' song 'Kawa Kawa' recreated for Farhan Akhtar's 'Lucknow Central'". mid-day.com. 27 July 2017. Archived from the original on 29 January 2024. Retrieved 7 September 2017.
  5. ^ "Arjuna Harjaie composes a song using trash cans - Times of India". The Times of India. 2 September 2017. Archived from the original on 20 September 2017. Retrieved 7 September 2017.
  6. ^ "Releases of the Week". The Telegraph (India). Archived from the original on 19 December 2013. Retrieved 7 September 2017.
  7. ^ a b "Arjuna Harjai: My parents played an important role in my career - Times of India". The Times of India. 29 January 2017. Archived from the original on 28 May 2018. Retrieved 7 September 2017.
  8. ^ "Just Pass!! (Titoo MBA – Music Review)". wordpress.com. 15 November 2014. Archived from the original on 18 May 2018. Retrieved 7 September 2017.
  9. ^ "AART SENSE STUDIOS Ltd persons with significant control - Find and update company information - GOV.UK". Archived from the original on 28 September 2022. Retrieved 28 September 2022.
  10. ^ "'The beauty of 'Choti Choti Gal' lies in the spontaneity of the lyric', says Music Composer Arjuna Harjai". radioandmusic.com. Archived from the original on 21 December 2022. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  11. ^ "Sounds of the soil". Mid-day. 7 March 2022. Archived from the original on 18 March 2023. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  12. ^ "Arjuna Harjai on Being the One Minute Composer and 'Winter Ayun Waliye'". Rolling Stone India. 6 April 2024. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  13. ^ "Man Makes Song From Random Words Given By Wife, Internet Loves It". NDTV. 22 February 2024. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  14. ^ "Arjuna Harjai's 'Zikar Hai' Brings Natasha Noorani for a Song of Longing". Rolling Stone India. 24 June 2024. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  15. ^ "BBC Asian Network Introducing Artist of the Week". YouTube. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
  16. ^ "Come Awake". 4 March 2022. Archived from the original on 18 March 2023. Retrieved 18 March 2023 – via open.spotify.com.
  17. ^ "Soil Song". 3 March 2022. Archived from the original on 18 March 2023. Retrieved 18 March 2023 – via open.spotify.com.
  18. ^ "Zikar Hai(Sixth from The One Minute Composer Series)". Spotify. 21 June 2024.
  19. ^ "Arjuna Harjai and Jonita Gandhi's 'Main Janu Na' casts a spell of love; song out now". Archived from the original on 14 May 2021. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
  20. ^ "Arjuna's Drone". 5 September 2021. Archived from the original on 18 March 2023. Retrieved 18 March 2023 – via open.spotify.com.
  21. ^ "NAA JAO". 21 March 2022. Archived from the original on 18 March 2023. Retrieved 18 March 2023 – via open.spotify.com.
  22. ^ "Shamil Hoon". 3 January 2023. Archived from the original on 18 March 2023. Retrieved 18 March 2023 – via open.spotify.com.
  23. ^ "Jhoothe". 28 August 2023. Archived from the original on 31 August 2023. Retrieved 31 August 2023 – via open.spotify.com.
  24. ^ "Kharaab". Spotify. 10 October 2023.
  25. ^ "Winter Ayun Waliye (First song from the series The One Minute Composer)". Spotify. 31 January 2024.
  26. ^ "NDTV (Man makes viral song with random words given by his wife)".
  27. ^ "More Sajan (Second song from the series The One Minute Composer)". Spotify. 15 February 2024.
  28. ^ "Kyu Bhag Gayi Tu". Spotify. 5 March 2024.
  29. ^ "Bharam ( Third from The One Minute Composer Series)". Spotify. 22 March 2024.
  30. ^ "Mangoge Na(Fourth from The One Minute Composer Series)". Spotify. 5 April 2024.
  31. ^ "Kinaare(Fifth from The One Minute Composer Series)". Spotify. 5 April 2024.
  32. ^ "Challeya Ve". Spotify. 24 May 2024.
  33. ^ "Rehn De(Seventh from The One Minute Composer Series)". Spotify. 2 August 2024.
  34. ^ a b "YouTube". Archived from the original on 27 September 2016. Retrieved 7 September 2017 – via YouTube.
  35. ^ "Calapor (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) - EP by Arjuna Harjai". iTunes Store. 28 July 2014. Archived from the original on 16 April 2014. Retrieved 19 December 2013.
  36. ^ "Arjuna Harjai composes and sings a song with Sunidhi Chauhan". The Indian Express. 4 December 2014. Archived from the original on 29 January 2024. Retrieved 7 September 2017.
  37. ^ "Music Review Do Lafzon Ki Kahani - Oye! Times". oyetimes.com. 24 May 2016. Archived from the original on 18 May 2018. Retrieved 7 September 2017.
  38. ^ "Star Plus brings 'Prisoners of War' to India, renowned director to direct". indiantelevision.com. 2 March 2016. Archived from the original on 1 May 2017. Retrieved 7 September 2017.
  39. ^ "Mahi N.R.I. (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) by Arjunna Harjaie on Apple Music". apple.com. 9 February 2017. Archived from the original on 22 February 2017. Retrieved 7 September 2017.
  40. ^ "Sukhwinder Singh's "Kaavaan Kaavaan" to now feature in Farhan Akhtar-starrer Lucknow Central - Mumbai Mirror -". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 19 May 2018. Retrieved 18 May 2018.
  41. ^ "Creative Abby Awards 2017: Star Plus & Colors win a gold each in broadcaster category". indiantelevision.com. 7 April 2017. Archived from the original on 23 September 2017. Retrieved 7 September 2017.
  42. ^ "musicadeangela.com". musicadeangela.com. Retrieved 7 September 2017.[permanent dead link]
  43. ^ Hungama, Bollywood. "Do Lafzon Ki Kahani Songs - Do Lafzon Ki Kahani 2016 Music - Bollywood Hungama". Bollywood Hungama. Archived from the original on 3 April 2012. Retrieved 7 September 2017.
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