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Shantanu Moitra Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated September 14, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth22 January 1968

Age56 Years

BirthplaceLucknow

ProfessionMusic Composer, Musician

NationalityIndian

Marital statusMarried

SpouseSarada Moitra

FamilySon - Shubham Moitra; Father - Sailesh Moitra (deceased); Mother - Manju Moitra

Shantanu Moitra Biography

Indian composer and musician Shantanu Moitra built a respected career across film, television and independent projects. Emerging from a musical family, he—

Early life and background
Shantanu Moitra was born on 22 January 1968 in Lucknow and grew up in a Bengali family with a strong musical influence. His father, Sailesh Moitra, was a sarod player who introduced him to music at a young age. Shantanu attended Springdales School in New Delhi, where he led the school’s rock band and earned early recognition for his contributions to music. He later completed a Bachelor of Economics at Deshbandhu College, University of Delhi.

Career
Moitra began his professional life working at an advertising agency in client servicing. A jingle he composed for the snack brand Uncle Chips brought him wider attention and led to additional opportunities in commercial music and Hindi pop. He moved into film music with his first credited Hindi film project, Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi, in 2002 and went on to establish himself as a film composer.

Across the 2000s and 2010s Moitra composed for numerous notable Hindi films, including Parineeta, Lage Raho Munna Bhai, 3 Idiots, Rajneeti, PK, Pink and Gulabo Sitabo. He also composed for Bengali cinema beginning with Antaheen in 2008 and later worked on films such as Paanch Adhyay, Aparajita Tumi and Buno Haansh. His work in Telugu cinema includes background score composition for Naa Bangaaru Talli.

Awards and recognition came throughout his career. He received the Filmfare RD Burman Award as a new music talent for Parineeta and won IIFA Awards and Film Music Awards for his work on 3 Idiots. He was honored with the National Film Award for Best Background Score for Naa Bangaaru Talli and received multiple awards for his background work on Madras Cafe, including a technical award and a later jury award recognizing the score.

Beyond film scores, Moitra has written Hindi pop albums and composed music for independent projects. He hosted the Bengali music reality show Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Bangla in 2018, engaging with emerging talent. In addition to composing, he has authored two books: On the Wings of Music and Ferari Mon – Memories by Santanu Moitra.

Public profile
Shantanu Moitra is based in India and is known for the melodic and narrative-driven qualities of his music across languages and formats. He has named influences and admired contemporaries spanning Indian and international composers. Media profiles note his hobbies as travelling and cooking, and public records list physical details such as height and eye color.

Personal life
Moitra is married to artist Sarada Moitra; the couple married on 23 November 1993 and have a son, Shubham Moitra. He is the only child of his parents. His father, Sailesh Moitra, passed away on 3 May 2021 after contracting Covid-19. His mother, Manju Moitra, is also identified with an artistic background.

Latest updates
Moitra has undertaken extended travel projects that intersect with his music. In 2016 he undertook a 100-day journey across Himalayan regions and released a series of music inspired by that trip under the title The Song of the Himalayas. In 2021 he bicycled from Gomukh to Gangasagar—an expedition of roughly 3,000 kilometres—carrying photographs of people who died during the Covid pandemic as a commemorative act. That journey became the basis of a travel web series, The Song of the River, which was released on Disney+Hotstar. For the web series he collaborated with seven musicians and made the songs available on mainstream music platforms.

He continues to balance film work, independent music projects and public-facing creative ventures that combine travel, social themes and collaborative songwriting.
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Recent Work

The Song of the River (web series)

Travel web series documenting a bicycle journey from Gomukh to Gangasagar, featuring collaborative songs with multiple artists and released on Disney+Hotstar.

2021
Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Bangla (TV)

Host of the Bengali music reality show, engaging with and mentoring emerging regional talent.

2018
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Career Highlights

  1. Debuted in Hindi cinema with Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi (2002)
  2. Won Filmfare RD Burman Award for Parineeta (2005)
  3. Won IIFA and Film Music Awards for 3 Idiots (2009)
  4. Won National Film Award for Best Background Score for Naa Bangaaru Talli (2013)
  5. Hosted Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Bangla (2018)
  6. Created travel music projects The Song of the Himalayas and The Song of the River
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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Shantanu Moitra born?

22 January 1968

What is Shantanu Moitra known for?

Music Composer, Musician

What is Shantanu Moitra’s marital status?

Married

Who is Shantanu Moitra married to?

Sarada Moitra