# Sohail Sen

Sohail Sen (born 24 June 1984) is an Indian film composer, musician and singer who works in Bollywood. He debuted as a film composer with the Hindi film Sirf (2008), which went majorly unnoticed. Later, he gained fame as a Hindi film composer, with his acclaimed work in What's Your Raashee? (2009). He is also known for composing the popular soundtracks of Mere Brother Ki Dulhan, Ek Tha Tiger, and Gunday.

## Early life

Sen comes from a family of musicians who have worked in the film industry and his entry into the film composing world marked the fourth generation of his family to do so. His father, Sameer Sen (of the music director duo Dilip Sen-Sameer Sen) has always been a strong influence in his life, as was his paternal grandfather Shri Shambhu Sen's singing.
Sen started learning music at the age of six. He learnt to play the tabla as a child, and then went on to learn various musical instruments including the piano and percussion and rhythm instruments. He learnt classical music from his grandfather Shri Shambhu Sen. He began his career as a music director at the young age of thirteen when he composed the music for a telefilm titled Roshni and for which renowned singer Kavita Krishnamurthy provided playback. He then decided to assist his father for nine years to fine-tune his skills as a film composer.

## Career

In 2008, Sen began his career as a film composer, with the Hindi film Sirf, however, the film was supposed to be released in 2006, but it got delayed badly and was released in 2008 and eventually the music went unnoticed. He also composed the music for The Murderer (2009), which also got delayed and the music went unnoticed.
In 2009, he got a turning point, in his career as a film composer, when director Ashutosh Gowariker approached him for his film What's Your Raashee?. Initially he wanted his all-time favourite composer A. R. Rahman to compose for the film, but Rahman couldn't do it, because he wanted to compose for Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire instead. So, he started looking for someone who is capable and can contribute all his time for composing in his film alone. Sen was always keen to work with Ashutosh Gowariker and incidentally his father Sameer Sen knew him from before and knowing that Gowariker was looking for someone to compose for his film, Sen asked his father to fix a meeting with him. His first meeting with Gowariker was a casual one at his office, it was where he told him that he would like to make him listen to some of his compositions. Gowariker immediately agreed to visit his studio the next morning. The next day, when he went to Sen's studio and heard some of his tunes, he really liked what he heard and after a couple of weeks later, Gowariker called up Sen and said "You are on for this project". For Sen, it was a dream come true. At first Sen was thrilled of getting the offer, but when he was told that there would be 13 songs in the movie, one song for each of the 12 zodiac signs and then one song in which the lead protagonist makes the final choice, he was taken aback, since nowadays its quite rare to hear 13 different songs in one album and that itself was a difficult task, and again, it was an equally difficult task to create 13 distinct songs, each for one particular zodiac sign and then incorporating the flavor of all these 12 songs into that final song, was the most toughest task, however he took it up as a challenge and started working on the music, which took more than one and a half years in the making.
The soundtrack of the film, was released in August 2009 and irrespective of the box office status of the film, it has been able to garner mostly positive critical responses. Bollywood Hungama quoted the album as "interestingly done" and "an experience not to be missed". BBC Music praised Sen's work and quoted him as "Sen shows he can successfully compete with the best in Bollywood". Besides composing the soundtrack and the film score, Sen even sang most of the songs in the film.
In 2010, director Ashutosh Gowariker roped him again, for his period piece film Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey, based on the Chittagong Uprising of 1930. The soundtrack of which met with positive critical responses.
In 2011, he has had a major release with a top banner Yash Raj Films – Mere Brother Ki Dulhan, the music of which got appreciation from both critics and masses. The songs "Dhunki", "Isq Risk" and title track were chartbusters. In 2012, he replaced Pritam as the music director for Salman Khan's next film Ek Tha Tiger, since Pritam had date problems with both Yash Raj projects Ek Tha Tiger and Dhoom 3. The soundtrack received unanimously positive reviews. In 2014, Sen will team up with Ali Abbas Zafar once again after Mere Brother Ki Dulhan for Gunday, which features Ranveer Singh, Arjun Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra, and Irrfan Khan. While Sen will become music composer for the Hindi theatrical release of Gunday, Bappi Lahiri will compose full Bengali songs for the film, as it is also to be released in Bengali. This marks the first time Bappi Lahiri will work with Yash Raj Films.

## Discography

| Year | Film | Song | Singer(s) | Lyrics | Notes |
| 2008 | Sirf | "Pehle Woh Pyaar" | Kunal Ganjawala | Mehboob, Vipul Saini | All songs collaborating with Shibani Kashyap |
| 2008 | Sirf | "Zindagi Ki Kahani" | Kunal Ganjawala | Mehboob, Vipul Saini | All songs collaborating with Shibani Kashyap |
| 2008 | Sirf | "Zindagi Ki Kahani (II)" | Kunal Ganjawala, Pamela Jain | Mehboob, Vipul Saini | All songs collaborating with Shibani Kashyap |
| 2008 | Sirf | "Tujhpe Fida" | Tarannum Mallik, Sohail Sen | Mehboob, Vipul Saini | All songs collaborating with Shibani Kashyap |
| 2008 | Sirf | "Mumbai Nagariya" | KK, Tarannum Mallik | Mehboob, Vipul Saini | All songs collaborating with Shibani Kashyap |
| 2008 | Sirf | "Ghar Tera Ghar Mera" | Shaan, Shreya Ghoshal | Mehboob, Vipul Saini | All songs collaborating with Shibani Kashyap |
| 2008 | Sirf | "Khel Jo Khele" | Vinod Rathod | Mehboob, Vipul Saini | All songs collaborating with Shibani Kashyap |
| 2008 | Sirf | "Life Peeche Peeche" | Shibani Kashyap | Mehboob, Vipul Saini | All songs collaborating with Shibani Kashyap |
| 2009 | What's Your Raashee? | "What's Your Raashee? - Pal Pal Dil Jisko Dhoonde" | Sohail Sen | Javed Akhtar | Solo Composer |
| 2009 | What's Your Raashee? | "What's Your Raashee? - Chehre Jo Dekhe Hain" | Sohail Sen | Javed Akhtar | Solo Composer |
| 2009 | What's Your Raashee? | "Jao Na" | Sohail Sen, Tarannum Mallik | Javed Akhtar | Solo Composer |
| 2009 | What's Your Raashee? | "Dhadkan Dhadkan" | Sohail Sen, Tarannum Mallik | Javed Akhtar | Solo Composer |
| 2009 | What's Your Raashee? | "Salone Kya" | Sohail Sen, Tarannum Mallik | Javed Akhtar | Solo Composer |
| 2009 | What's Your Raashee? | "Maanunga Maanunga" | Ashutosh Gowarikar, Pamela Jain | Javed Akhtar | Solo Composer |
| 2009 | What's Your Raashee? | "Aa Le Chal" | Aslesha Gowarikar, Harman Baweja | Javed Akhtar | Solo Composer |
| 2009 | What's Your Raashee? | "Su Chhe" | Bela Shende, Sohail Sen | Javed Akhtar | Solo Composer |
| 2009 | What's Your Raashee? | "Koi Jaane Na" | Rajab Ali Bharti, Bela Shende | Javed Akhtar | Solo Composer |
| 2009 | What's Your Raashee? | "Aaja Lehrate" | Shaan, Bhavya Pandit | Javed Akhtar | Solo Composer |
| 2009 | What's Your Raashee? | "Bikhri Bikhri" | Sohail Sen, Marianne D'Cruz | Javed Akhtar | Solo Composer |
| 2009 | What's Your Raashee? | "Sau Janam" | Udit Narayan, Madhushree, Sohail Sen | Javed Akhtar | Solo Composer |
| 2009 | What's Your Raashee? | "Pyaari Pyaari" | Alka Yagnik, Sohail Sen | Javed Akhtar | Solo Composer |
| 2010 | Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey | "Yeh Des Hai Mera" | Sohail Sen | Javed Akhtar | Solo Composer |
| 2010 | Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey | "Sapne Saloney" | Sohail Sen, Pamela Jain | Javed Akhtar | Solo Composer |
| 2010 | Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey | "Naiyn Tere" | Pamela Jain, Ranjini Jose, Kids Chorus | Javed Akhtar | Solo Composer |
| 2010 | Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey | "Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey" | Suresh Wadkar, Chorus | Javed Akhtar | Solo Composer |
| 2010 | Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey | "Vande Mataram Revised" | Chorus | Javed Akhtar | Solo Composer |
| 2010 | Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey | "The Escape" | Pamela Jain | Instrumental | Solo Composer |
| 2011 | Mere Brother Ki Dulhan | "Mere Brother Ki Dulhan" | KK, Krishna Beura | Irshad Kamil | Solo Composer |
| 2011 | Mere Brother Ki Dulhan | "Dhunki" | Neha Bhasin | Irshad Kamil | Solo Composer |
| 2011 | Mere Brother Ki Dulhan | "Choomantar" | Benny Dayal, Aditi Singh Sharma | Irshad Kamil | Solo Composer |
| 2011 | Mere Brother Ki Dulhan | "Isq Risk" | Rahat Fateh Ali Khan | Irshad Kamil | Solo Composer |
| 2011 | Mere Brother Ki Dulhan | "Isq Risk (Risky Mix)" | Sreeram Chandra, Neha Bhasin | Irshad Kamil | Solo Composer |
| 2011 | Mere Brother Ki Dulhan | "Madhubala" | Ali Zafar, Sreeram Chandra, Shweta Pandit | Irshad Kamil | Solo Composer |
| 2011 | Mere Brother Ki Dulhan | "Do Dhaari Talwaar" | Shahid Mallya, Shweta Pandit | Irshad Kamil | Solo Composer |
| 2012 | From Sydney with Love | "Feeling Love in Sydney" | Sohail Sen | Anvita Dutt Guptan | Solo Composer |
| 2012 | From Sydney with Love | "Ho Jaayega" | Mohit Chauhan, Monali Thakur | Anvita Dutt Guptan | Solo Composer |
| 2012 | From Sydney with Love | "Khatkaa Khatkaa" | Mika Singh | Anvita Dutt Guptan | Solo Composer |
| 2012 | From Sydney with Love | "Item Ye Hi Fi" | Neeraj Shridhar | Anvita Dutt Guptan | Solo Composer |
| 2012 | From Sydney with Love | "Naino Ne" | Palak Muchhal, Mohammad Salamat | Anvita Dutt Guptan | Solo Composer |
| 2012 | From Sydney with Love | "Naino Ne (2nd Version)" | Palak Muchhal, Sohail Sen | Anvita Dutt Guptan | Solo Composer |
| 2012 | From Sydney with Love | "Pyaari Pyaari (Remix)" | Sohail Sen, Brooklyn Shanti | Anvita Dutt Guptan | Solo Composer |
| 2012 | Ek Tha Tiger | "Laapata" | KK, Palak Muchhal | Anvita Dutt Guptan | Won BIG Star Entertainment Award for Most Entertaining Music, along with Sajid–Wajid |
| 2012 | Ek Tha Tiger | "Saiyaara" | Mohit Chauhan, Tarannum Mallik | Kausar Munir | Won BIG Star Entertainment Award for Most Entertaining Music, along with Sajid–Wajid |
| 2012 | Ek Tha Tiger | "Banjaara" | Sukhwinder Singh | Neelesh Misra | Won BIG Star Entertainment Award for Most Entertaining Music, along with Sajid–Wajid |
| 2014 | Gunday | "Jashn-E-Ishqa" | Javed Ali, Shadaab Faridi | Irshad Kamil | Solo Composer |
| 2014 | Gunday | "Rhythm of Jashn-E-Ishqa" | Shaadab Faridi | Irshad Kamil | Solo Composer |
| 2014 | Gunday | "Mann Kintu Maula" | Altamash Faridi, Shaadab Faridi | Irshad Kamil | Solo Composer |
| 2014 | Gunday | "Mann Kintu Maula (Classical)" | Altamash Faridi, Shaadab Faridi | Irshad Kamil | Solo Composer |
| 2014 | Gunday | "Jiya" | Arijit Singh | Irshad Kamil | Solo Composer |
| 2014 | Gunday | "Saaiyaan" | Shahid Mallya | Irshad Kamil | Solo Composer |
| 2014 | Gunday | "Asalaam-E-Ishqum" | Bappi Lahiri, Neha Bhasin | Irshad Kamil | Solo Composer |
| 2014 | Gunday | "Tune Maari Entriyaan" | Bappi Lahiri, KK, Vishal Dadlani, Neeti Mohan | Irshad Kamil | Solo Composer |
| 2014 | Gunday | "Tune Maari Entriyaan (Bengali Version)" | Bappi Lahiri, Monali Thakur | Bappi Lahiri, Gautam Susmit | Solo Composer |
| 2014 | Gunday | "Gunday" | Sohail Sen, Kinga Rhymes | Ali Abbas Zafar | Solo Composer |
| 2016 | Housefull 3 | "Taang Uthake" | Sohail Sen, Mika Singh, Neeti Mohan, Mamta Sharma | Sameer Sen, Mamta Sharma, Sanjeev Chaturvedi, Sajid-Farhad | |
| 2016 | Happy Bhag Jayegi | "Happy Oye" | Harshdeep Kaur, Shahid Mallya | Mudassar Aziz | Solo Composer |
| 2016 | Happy Bhag Jayegi | "Gabru Ready To Mingle Hai" | Mika Singh, Neeti Mohan, Tarannum Mallik, Danish Sabri | Mudassar Aziz | Solo Composer |
| 2016 | Happy Bhag Jayegi | "Aashiq Tera" | Altamash Faridi | Mudassar Aziz | Solo Composer |
| 2016 | Happy Bhag Jayegi | "Zara Si Dosti" | Arijit Singh | Mudassar Aziz | Solo Composer |
| 2016 | Happy Bhag Jayegi | "Yaaram" | Javed Ali | Mudassar Aziz | Solo Composer |
| 2017 | The Test Case | Title Track | Bhoomi Trivedi | | AltBalaji Web Series |
| 2018 | Love per Square Foot (Netflix film) | "Yatri Kripaya Dhyaan De" | Abhishek Dhusia, Sahir Nawab, Sumeet Suvarna | Abhishek Dhusia, Sahir Nawab, Sumeet Suvarna | Solo Composer |
| 2018 | Love per Square Foot (Netflix film) | "Chicken Dance" | Benny Dayal, Shivangi Bhayana | Anand Tiwari | Solo Composer |
| 2018 | Love per Square Foot (Netflix film) | "Aashiyana" | Altamash Faridi, Tarannum Mallik | Abhiruchi Chand | Solo Composer |
| 2018 | Love per Square Foot (Netflix film) | "Maqbool Hai" | Altamash Faridi | Jamil Ahmed | Solo Composer |
| 2018 | Love per Square Foot (Netflix film) | "Ishq Mein Bajti Hai Ghanti" | Udit Narayan | Gopal Dutt | Solo Composer |
| 2018 | Love per Square Foot (Netflix film) | "Raaz Apne Dil Ke (Indian)" | Rekha Bhardwaj | Gopal Dutt | Solo Composer |
| 2018 | Love per Square Foot (Netflix film) | "Raaz Apne Dil Ke (Western)" | Rekha Bhardwaj | Gopal Dutt | Solo Composer |
| 2018 | Happy Phirr Bhag Jayegi | "Swag Saha Nahi Jaye" | Sohail Sen, Shaadab Faridi, Neha Bhasin, Shivangi Bhayana | Mudassar Aziz | Solo Composer |
| 2018 | Happy Phirr Bhag Jayegi | "Happy Bhag Jayegi" | Daler Mehndi, Harshdeep Kaur, Suvarna Tiwari | Mudassar Aziz | Solo Composer |
| 2018 | Happy Phirr Bhag Jayegi | "Koi Gal Nai" | Shahid Mallya, Piyush Mishra, Mudassar Aziz | Mudassar Aziz | Solo Composer |
| 2018 | Happy Phirr Bhag Jayegi | "Kudiye Ni Tere" | Udit Narayan, Shivangi Bhayana | Mudassar Aziz | Solo Composer |
| 2018 | Happy Phirr Bhag Jayegi | "Chin Chin Chu (Remake)" | Jassi Gill, Sonakshi Sinha, Mudassar Aziz | Qamar Jalalabadi | Solo Composer |
| 2018 | Baazaar | "Adhura Lafz" | Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Pratibha Singh Baghel | Jamil Ahmed | |
| 2019 | Fraud Saiyaan | "Ishq Ishq Tera" | Altamash Faridi | Kumaar | |
| 2019 | Fraud Saiyaan | "Fraud Saiyaan" | Shaadab Faridi | Kumaar | |
| 2019 | Fraud Saiyaan | "Mashoor Hazoor - E - Aala" | Shahid Mallya | Kumaar | |
| 2019 | Fraud Saiyaan | "Ladies Paan" | Shahid Mallya, Mamta Sharma, Shaadab Faridi | Kumaar | |
| 2019 | Yaaram | "Baby Mera" | Sohail Sen, Neha Bhasin | Kumaar | |
| 2019 | Romeo Akbar Walter | "Bulleya" | Rabbi Shergill, Shahid Mallya | Ashok Punjabi | |
| 2019 | Housefull 4 | "Shaitan Ka Saala" | Vishal Dadlani, Sohail Sen | Farhad Samji | |
| 2019 | Housefull 4 | "Ek Chumma" | Sohail Sen, Altamash Faridi, Jyotica Tangri | Sameer Anjaan | |
| 2019 | Housefull 4 | "Chammo" | Sukhwinder Singh, Shreya Ghoshal, Shaadab Faridi, Sohail Sen | Sameer Anjaan | |
| 2020 | Guns of Banaras | "Band Bajega" | Shahid Mallya | Sameer Anjaan | Solo Composer |
| 2020 | Guns of Banaras | "Dheere Dheere Se" | Mohit Chauhan, Pawni Pandey | Sameer Anjaan | Solo Composer |
| 2020 | Guns of Banaras | "Bande Hai" | Sohail Sen | Sameer Anjaan | Solo Composer |
| 2020 | Guns of Banaras | "Pagal Hai Mera Dil" | Sohail Sen, Palak Muchhal | Sameer Anjaan | Solo Composer |
| 2021 | Velle | "Raakh Ka Dariya" | Divya Kumar | Siddharth-Garima | |
| 2021 | Velle | "Khayali Ishq" | Mohit Chauhan | Siddharth-Garima | |
| 2022 | Double XL | "Taali Taali" | Sohail Sen, Silambarasan, Rukhsar Bandhukia | Mudassar Aziz | |
| 2022 | Double XL | "Rangelo Manva" | Sohail Sen, Shahid Mallya, Rekha Bhardwaj, Pratibha Singh Baghel | Mudassar Aziz | |
| 2022 | Double XL | "Tumse Mila Doon" | Javed Ali, Sohail Sen | Mudassar Aziz | |
| 2024 | Maharaj | "Achutam Keshavam" | Sonu Nigam, Osman Mir | Traditional | Netflix film |
| 2024 | Maharaj | "Holi Ke Rang Ma" | Shreya Ghoshal, Shaan, Osman Mir,Sohail Sen | Kausar Munir | Netflix film |
| 2024 | Maharaj | "Haan Ke Haan" | Monali Thakur | Kausar Munir | Netflix film |
| 2025 | Mere Husband Ki Biwi | "Sawariya Ji" | Sohail Sen, Varsha Singh Dhanoa | Mudassar Aziz | |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Category | Nominated work | Result |
| Filmfare Awards |||||
| 2012 | Best Music Director | Mere Brother Ki Dulhan | Nominated |
| Stardust Awards |||||
| 2010 | Standout Performance by a Music Director | What's Your Raashee? | Nominated |
| 2011 | Standout Performance by a Music Director | Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey | Nominated |
| 2011 | New Musical Sensation – Male | Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey | Nominated |
| Mirchi Music Awards |||||
| 2014 | Album of The Year | Gunday | Nominated |
| 2014 | Best Song Producer (Programming & Arranging) | "Tune Maari Entriyaan" from Gunday | Nominated |