Biography:

Shantanu Moitra (born January 22, 1968) is an Indian music director who has composed music for the Hindi film industry, and is most known for his score in films Parineeta (2005), Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi (2005), Lage Raho Munnabhai (2006) and 3 Idiots (2009), and private albums, Mann ke Manjeere and Ab ke Saawan sung by Shubha Mudgal.

He was born in Lucknow, where his father came from a Bengali musical family. He was very young when he moved to Delhi with his family, where initially he lived in Patel Nagar in West Delhi, and studied at Springdales School, Pusa Road, where he was the leader and singer of the band, and in 1982, the band created history of sorts by hosting the school’s first rock show. "What was even better was receiving an award in school for my contribution to music at a time when my school, Springdales in Delhi, didn’t usually give awards for music. When I look back now, I think the award instilled huge confidence in me," he said.

Meanwhile, they also received musical training, from urban-folk singer, Sushmit Bose, a Springdales alumnus, who would occasionally drop in and teach them. Later he shifted to Chittaranjan Park in South Delhi.

He studied at Deshbandhu College, Kalkaji, Delhi University and has a degree in Economics.

Moitra started his career as a client servicing executive at an ad agency, while music remained a hobby. He started composing music for advertising jingles accidentally, when he was asked to compose a jingle at the last minute by Pradeep Sarkar, then the Creative Head of the agency, the jingle was "Bole mere lips. I love Uncle Chipps" for the chips brand named Uncle Chipps, which became an instant hit, and he later composed several jingles for Pradeep Sarkar, and several advertising brands.

This led to composing music for Indipop albums that were hits including Ab ke Saawan, Mann ke Manjeere: an album of women's dreams for Breakthrough, and Sapna Dekha Hai Maine (2003) for Shubha Mudgal.

Moitra shifted to Mumbai in 2002, when he started working for Sudhir Mishra’s Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi, his first signed film, and soon formed team with lyricist Swanand Kirkire, starting with the song, "Bawara Mann..". Even before Parineeta was made, he had created a song called Raath Hamari To, sung by Chitra, which Vidhu Vinod Chopra the producer of Parineeta heard, and subsequently on his recommendation, he received Parineeta (2005) directed by Pradeep Sarkar and later Eklavya: The Royal Guard directed by Chopra himself.

Moitra composed the music in a few films, but gained recognition with his music in Parineeta (2005). His music was critically acclaimed and he received a nomination for the Filmfare Best Music Director Award. That same year he won the Filmfare RD Burman Award for New Music Talent. In 2009, he composed score for his first Bengali film, Antaheen.

He continues to compose ad jingles, and recently won a Bronze Lion in Cannes in the category of best music for a Happydent advertisement.

In Coochbehar, a city of West Bengal there is the first "Shantanu Moitra - Our Inspiration" club/society. This club/society is maintained by some college students.

He is married to Sarada Moitra and the couple have a sixteen year-old son Shubham.

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