After Irrfan, Manoj Bajpayee Is Torchbearer Of Good Cinema: Governor Composer Mannan Shaah | EXCL

Governor,

headlined by Manoj Bajpayee, is set in the 90s. Based on true events, the Chinmay Mandlekar-directed film uses music to transport the audience back to the era. Mannan Shaah experimented with music from the 80s and 90s to create a distinct background score while collaborating with Budapest Scoring Orchestra. In an exclusive interview with Zoom for Governor, the music composer lauded Manoj for being the torchbearer of good cinema and great actors in the Hindi film industry. According to Mannan, Bajpayee, with movies like Governor, takes Irrfan’s legacy forward. Shaah further elaborated on the process of creating music for the upcoming movie.

Mannan Shaah praises Manoj Bajpayee

Talking to Zoom, Mannan said, “Governor has been a beautiful film. It is headlined by Manoj Bajpayee. I look up to him as an actor. He is one of the finest we have in the country and we have very few of these amazing actors. After Irrfan’s death, Manoj Bajpayee is the torchbearer. The director of Governor, Chinmay Mandlekar, is himself such a prolific actor. It was a fantastic experience working with such an amazing team. A 50-piece orchestra was put together to record the film’s background score. Around 60 per cent of the background score we have recorded live. It takes us back to the 90s music scene.”

Mannan Shaah on Governor's music

He further shared that Governor was offered to him after the edit was locked. “The director told me what exactly he wanted. The producer, Vipul Amrutlal Shah, was also deeply involved in the film’s music because his taste is very unique. It is traditional, but still unique. They wanted sounds of the 90s, yet very contemporary. It bridges the gap between the older and younger audiences. To meet their requirement, we mixed the 90s style orchestra with the 80s style rock music, similar to Bon Jovi. I tried to blend these two styles. It is not common to experiment with such music in 2026, and the makers were supportive and open to exploring something different,” he shared. Mannan added in the interview that Governor’s music was mainly inspired by the sounds he grew up listening to. “I am a 90s kid and have grown up hearing artistes like Kumar Sanu. Not just Western music, I am familiar with the Hindi sensibilities too. It was easy for me to crack the background score for Governor,” he said.

About Governor

Governor is based on true events and explores a defining chapter in India’s history when the nation faced an unprecedented financial crisis that tested its resilience. Set during a period of immense uncertainty and high-stakes decision-making, Manoj plays the role of a Governor, who is entrusted with steering the country through turbulent times.Directed by Chinmay Mandlekar and produced by Vipul Amrutlal Shah under Sunshine Pictures, Governor is co-written by Suvendu Bhattacharyjee, Saurabh Bharat, Ravi Asrani, and Vipul. The movie releases on June 12.