A new documentary chronicles the transformation of Udyan Sagar into the bass music superstar we love

After splitting from Bandish Projekt, Udyan Sagar was close to giving up his floundering career as a solo music producer. Thank the powers that be that he didn’t, because in the last five years, he’s made a huge name for himself. It’s become a moniker that’s synonymous with Indian bass music: Nucleya. Sagar has headlined music festivals, launched his records at a Ganpati visrajan and a stadium, re-worked a popular radio station’s jingle, appeared on television and magazines covers, and had fans tattoo his name on themselves. He’s riding popularity waves that few independent musicians have seen in India before. But away from the stage, Sagar is a family man who respects the position fans and fate have given him. The musician has often protected who he is with a great conscience. But all this and more is revealed in the latest episode of Red Bull Media House’s documentary series Ride to the Roots. The instalment, clocking in at just short of 30 minutes, is an effort to chronicle a musician’s journey back home to Ahmedabad, tying in with a show, touted as a kind of homecoming for cinematic purposes.

Time and tide

The documentary has been directed by local auteur Misha Ghose, who has worked on several music videos in the past – the most noteworthy being the Wes Anderson-esque tribute for breakout Kolkata pop act, Parekh & Singh – as well as shows like MTV’s Sound Trippin’. In telling Nucleya’s story, Ghose has used her sharp visual aesthetic to bring forth Sagar’s childhood stories. The first half of the documentary features pillars of his adolescence, including appearances and interviews with his parents, elder brother Nitin, and a few friends. A stand-out, recurring interview features Mehirr Nath Choppra who has known Sagar for over two decades, and managed his and Mumbai-based producer Mayur Narvekar’s former musical outfit Bandish Projekt. Both, Sagar and Choppra are overcome with a sense of melancholy and nostalgia when talking about their days with Bandish Projekt. However, it is in these moments that there seems to be a missing link, perhaps an interview with former partner Narvekar, who continues to pursue Bandish Projekt in a solo capacity until today.

Sagar reminisces how it was Narvekar who taught him to understand music in a deeper way, helping bring out an electronic beat-laden product via his own knowledge of tabla playing. While the documentary focuses on Sagar, this omission might seem glaring, but understandable, considering the duo’s reconciliation is still fresh, with Narvekar choosing not to be filmed. Sagar is reminded of a show in Ahmedabad last year when he missed his former musical partner immensely, and hoped to repair the decade-old rift. “At a time, (Narvekar) was my only, and best friend and I missed him that day in Ahmedabad, and made a call; he was kind enough, and came and met me,” he says. “We definitely let go of a lot of harsh feelings, but time is a real healer.”

Captured moments

The documentary has no shortage of excellent footage of Sagar’s life including intimate moments shared with his son, Guri, and wife, Smriti Choudhary. “With Guri, I’m lucky, and I learn so much from him, to love, about life,” says Sagar about his current music-making process and raising a son. “It has uncomplicated everything, especially all that you’ve learnt before. It wasn’t an effort I had put, but something that happened automatically.”

Perhaps the screen-time spent mulling over his adolescence, initial music making process and early years as Bandish Projekt could have been reduced. Instead a deeper dive into the recent history of Nucleya and his explosion into public consciousness would have helped. Then there’s the segment that focuses on Nucleya as a dependable name and brand, that feels seemingly rushed like a highlight reel serving as a reminder of a oft repeated narrative. Understandably, Ghose had to stick to the plan given that, “Ride to the Roots is an international Red Bull TV format” and hopes to be “telling the lesser known and lesser heard stories from their older days. If this was ‘Nucleya - The Documentary’, we possibly would have focused more on his today,” she explains.

Interviews featuring Vijay Nair of OML Entertainment, former manager Tej Brar and current manager Rahul Sinha often move the story ahead, though in parts seem to remind viewers of information they might be familiar with. While this can be argued as a storytelling critique, the larger fanbase is more than likely to enjoy a peek into the private life of one of their favourite musicians.

A particularly endearing segment features a conversation with Choudhary, offering insight into her role of the emotional anchor. As an artist herself, she talks about their relationship and how Sagar took charge and really concentrated on becoming Nucleya as we know him now. For his part, Sagar has often expressed gratitude for the support of his family rather vocally on repeated occasions, including bringing his wife on stage during his headlining slot at the Bacardi NH7 Weekender, last year. “[I’d have] liked to have more of his wife and son in the film as they are really essential to who he is today,” says Ghose. “But given that the series was about his roots, they don’t feature as much.”

With Ride to the Roots, Nucleya and Red Bull Media House recently joined forces to bring a massive, simultaneous screening party across eight cities which will be followed up with a television premiere before being available online.

Ride to the Roots with Nucleya will premier on Vh1 on August 15 at noon and 9 p.m. and will be available on www.redbull.comafter August 21.