Nilayan Chatterjee
Nilayan Chatterjee, also known by his stage name RJ Neil, is an Indian radio jockey, music composer, singer-songwriter, and lyricist who works in the Bengali film industry and independent music scene. He is best known for composing soundtracks for films such as Kacher Manush, Bagha Jatin, Dilkhush, Boomerang, and Khadaan.
Early life and education
Chatterjee was born around 1990 in Kolkata, West Bengal. Details about his early life and formal musical training are not extensively documented. He began his career in radio in 2007.Career
Radio career
Chatterjee began his career as a radio jockey in 2007, hosting the late-night Hindi show Masala Nights on Red FM Kolkata under the name RJ Neil. His show featured innovative segments including "Dark Hour," which allowed anonymous listener confessions, and "Instant song creation," where he would compose songs on-the-spot using random words provided by listeners.His radio promotion performance "Dedicated to DEV & RUKMINI" in 2019 caught the attention of actor Dev, which facilitated his transition into film music composition.
Music career
Chatterjee made his film composition debut with the 2022 romantic comedy Kishmish, where he composed all the songs and also wrote lyrics. He continued his collaboration with Dev on the romance drama Kacher Manush, for which he wrote and composed the lead single "Chumbak Mon", sung by Usha Uthup.His work on the patriotic biopic Bagha Jatin included composing title tracks such as "Jago Re Bagha" and "Ei Desh Amar." During this project, Chatterjee received guidance and mentorship from composer A. R. Rahman.
In 2023, he scored the anthology romance Dilkhush, which featured the hit track "Bibagi Phone". His 2024 projects include the thriller Boomerang and the supernatural drama Khadaan, for which he also served as co-producer alongside Dev. In 2026, he composed five songs for Rahool Mukherjee's Mon Maaney Na (2026 Bengali Film), marking the third collaboration between the director-music director duo. This film marks the debut of Ritwik Bhowmik in Bengali cinema as well as Hiya Chatterjee.
Chatterjee has collaborated with prominent playback singers including Sonu Nigam, who reportedly returned his fee after recording a song for one of Chatterjee's projects upon learning it was for an independent film with a limited budget.
On World Music Day 2023, Chatterjee shared his perspectives on the evolving Bengali music industry and the balance between commercial success and creative expression.