Soundtracker

Raunak Kaul lands in Mumbai and secures a spot as a DJ at his uncle Surendra's Tango Charlie, launching his entry into the city’s music scene. He takes on more gigs at the club and begins to shape his signature sound while quietly plotting bigger ambitions. This early success sets the stage for his later move into studio work and film scoring.

With growing fame, he starts his own studio, writes his own music, and begins composing the score for a film by Anurag Kashyap. He teams up with Banjo and Biscuit on an album project that signals a shift from live gigs to studio creation. The new direction shows his widening influence in the music world.

Raunak experiences a high-pitched ringing instead of the audio during a TV interview, signaling the onset of his hearing problems. He tries to brush it off, assuming it’s temporary, but the issue only worsens with continued loud exposure. This moment foreshadows the collapse of his musical career.

During a club performance, he cannot hear the second channel in his headphones and struggles to beatmatch, triggering boos from the crowd. Frustration erupts as he throws equipment onto the dance floor and is ejected from Tango Charlie. The incident becomes a catalyst for seeking medical help.

A doctor confirms that Raunak has lost hearing in one ear and only 30 percent left in the other, warning that continued drug use and loud noises will seal his fate. The diagnosis forces him to face the consequences of his lifestyle and consider drastic changes.

In a studio session, Raunak confesses his full hearing loss and demonstrates with a hearing aid, only to be overwhelmed by the feedback from a monitor speaker. Biscuit smashes a guitar into an amplifier at maximum volume, causing a deafening blast that leaves him permanently deaf. The incident shatters his ability to create music in the traditional way.

With no hearing, Raunak can’t finish his album and loses his recording contract; Charlie abandons him. Shonali soon leaves as well, and Raunak slides into deep depression. The fall from grace is rapid and crushing, stripping away his status in the music world.

He battles despair, repeatedly smashing against walls and even flushing drugs down a toilet. A terrifying vision of a menacing badger appears, and when he fights it, he discovers the badger is actually himself. The sequence marks his internal struggle with self-destruction.

Raunak meets Gauri, a deaf instructor who teaches lip-reading and helps him perceive sound through visual and tactile means. Their relationship deepens, providing emotional support and a new path for his art. She becomes a crucial catalyst for his adaptation and growth.

Guided by Gauri, Raunak develops a system for mixing by watching an oscilloscope trace and resting his feet on pulsating speakers to feel the rhythm. He creates a complete new CD, Raunak Is Hear, entirely by himself. The process marks a radical redefinition of his artistry.

Charlie convinces Raunak to perform live as a comeback, and the show is a triumph that many viewers interpret as a demonstration of his talent beyond his disability. The performance signals his reinvention in the public eye, even if only temporarily. The crowd responds with excitement and curiosity about his future work.

After the successful show, Raunak and Gauri fade from the media and musical scene; a talking-head sequence contemplates where he is now. The film ends with Raunak teaching deaf children to perceive sound and continuing to send his CD to Charlie every 6–8 months, hinting at a life out of the spotlight but full of influence.