Baramulla's Sonic Secrets: How Shor Police Crafted Kashmir's Haunting Score

The supernatural drama, which stars Manav Kaul, packs traditional and folk elements in its sonic texture.

Talking about the same, Clinton told IANS, “I’m not usually a horror film person, but composing the score gave me control over what’s scary! It was thrilling to create tension through sound instead of being scared by it. We used a lot of unexpected percussive textures and sudden silences to play with the audience’s senses, and those jump cuts became musical cues for us. And the folk influences, especially the use of traditional instruments like the rabab, really grounded the score in the film’s setting”.

The album features three original songs, each distinct in mood and purpose. ‘Neend Ke Shikare’, sung by Shilpa Rao, reimagines the traditional Kashmiri folk classic Hokhus Bokhus into a moving lullaby filled with warmth and compassion. Built on delicate strings, soft percussion, and haunting harmonies, the song beautifully captures a mother’s attempt to comfort her child amid the uncertainty of a conflicted land, evoking both intimacy and melancholy. Its layered composition, at once tender and unsettling, reflects the emotional core of Baramulla, where love and fear coexist.

Bianca, told IANS, “When I first saw the film, I knew the music had to mirror the landscape of Kashmir, beautiful yet unsettling. The visuals, the silences, and those unexpected jump cuts all dictated our sonic choices. The challenge was to make the fear feel organic, not forced, so that the audience feels the chill even in moments of stillness. We also wanted to stay authentic to the region’s sound, which is why elements of Kashmiri folk were woven subtly into both the songs and the score. There’s something hauntingly poetic about their melodies that fit perfectly with the film’s emotional tone”.

The second song, ‘Phirse Dikhe’, performed by Krishna Beuraa, is inspired by the folk song Arni Rang Gome and offers a lighter, more celebratory respite within the film’s emotional arc. Driven by acoustic guitars and earthy rhythms, the song celebrates fleeting moments of hope and human connection. It contrasts the film’s darker undertones, reflecting how even in times of despair, the soul yearns for joy and togetherness.

Rounding off the album is the title track ‘Baramulla’, sung by Clinton Cerejo and Bianca Gomes, an edgy electronic anthem built around a haunting rabab motif. It stands apart in tone, bold, modern, and infectious, while echoing the film’s central theme of mystery and duality, leaving the listener both intrigued and moved.

Directed by Aditya Suhas Jambhale and produced by Aditya Dhar and Lokesh Dhar, ‘Baramulla’ is set against the breathtaking yet eerie landscape of Kashmir, and will premiere on November 7 on Netflix.

- IANS