One new movie soundtrack out in 2021 that’s sure to perk up the ears of Beatles fans is the 2CD set The Beatles And India. It may have been called The Beatles In India as many of the songs featured in the film were written during the Fab Four’s fabled sojourn to India to study with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in early 1968. Some songs predate the Maharishi era and some were actually written a couple years after that era but they all blend well and overall the 2 CD set is a fine tribute to The Beatles during their heyday. With its 19 tracks, disc one mostly features a number of young Indian musicians that weren’t even born during the era in question, yet the trip-hop beat and hypnotic vocals that permeates the sounds on CD1 brings Beatles music up and into the now. Some of the artists on CD1 are established artists, like Anoushka Shankar, here performing “The Inner Light” and some like Kiss Nuka, Karsh Kale, among others are lesser known yet all are sure to receive acclaim for their performances on this half of the album.

The central focus, aside from the rock and pop Beatles covers on disc one, is a second CD consisting of the movie’s original score. Written by soundtrack composer Benji Merrison, the 21-track film score makes for a brilliant series of Indian flavored orchestral instrumentals that will surely motivate listeners to want to check out the movie. To make the original score sound even more authentic, it was recorded at Abbey Road studios in London. Sounding somewhat inspired by the various orchestral music on parts of Beatles movies Help and Yellow Submarine, Benji Morrison’s sweeping strings and sonic seasonings seals the deal on a most brilliant original movie score. The original score on CD2 combined with pop vocal tracks by the younger Indian artists on CD1 offers yet further insights into the stunning effect of The Beatles And India.