Saarth Desai Explores his Indian Musical Roots in 'Unborn'

LOS ANGELES, Calif. – When Saarth Desai was growing up, he was fascinated by Indian music and the unique stories and visuals of filmmaking. Today, the established musician-turned-film composer his making his mark with the upcoming film drama “Unborn,” from writer/producer Rashmi Rustagi (“Family Party”).

Set in a small town in California and inspired by true events, “Unborn” tells the story of a pregnant mother of two girls, starring Ayushi Chhabra (“Star Trek: Picard”), Sumeet Dang (“NCIS: Los Angeles”) and directed by Jaswant Dev Shrestha (“The Treason”).

But for Desai, the story is more than just the tale of a young family. It’s a reality for many South Asian families that face pressure due to longstanding traditions ingrained in their culture.

“It is a family drama and it is about a problem that is plaguing the South Asian community around the world, including in America,” Desai said. “South Asian mothers of a girl child are likely to have an abortion of a female fetus because of intense cultural pressure to have a boy.”

For the film, Saarth used traditional Indian instruments like the sitar and the tabla, a traditional Indian drum, along with western instruments to provide an authentic feel for the Indian cultural backdrop.

The movie, Saarth Desai said, is part of his unique journey that took him from Pune, India to Los Angeles where he has made a name for himself as an established composer who is at home with the catchy beats of modern pop music and the rhythmic sounds of his homeland to the melodic grandeur of classical music.

Having grown up around an array of different kinds of music, Saarth studied the tabla for over 10 years under the tutelage of acclaimed musical master Ustaad Kauser Ali Shaikh, of the renowned Benaras Gharana musical family. Later, he moved to the U.S., studied the piano and drums and earn a bachelor’s degree in music from Berklee College of Music in Boston and dedicated himself to composing music for Hollywood films – a decision he does not regret.

“I’ve met a lot of amazing and talented people who are very dedicated to creating unique stories and characters that connect with viewers through great characterizations, visuals and music.

After a great success, I was honoured to meet and talk to Mr. John Meglen, President and Co – CEO of AEG Company in LA.,” Desai said. “I love Hollywood, and I’m also confident of working on films in Bollywood in the future. Indian music is a big part of Bollywood films and that’s something that is very important to me as a composer and movie lover.”

Having worked on a number of films such as the “This Beautiful Journey,” “What Do I Do?” “Chance,” “Zaalima,” “Meherbani,” and “Brass” now underway and others in various stages of production, Desai is also staying busy composing music for television ads, web series, music videos and commercials where his eclectic style comes to the fore.

As for the future, he is looking to produce his own films and record an album of some of his original compositions that he has written over the years, ranging from pop, rock, rhythm and blues as well as Indian music.