What bonds 007, an Indian raag and VS Naipaul?

James Bond is back on the screen, and so is the earworm signature tune composed by Monty Norman. Here is Norman’s story behind the tune, fittingly narrated in song. The theme was originally composed as the tune Bad Side Good Side with what Norman calls a “Hindu raga emphasis” for a musical that was to have been made in the 1950s on VS Naipaul’s novel A House for Ms Biswas.

The trailer for the latest Bond adventure suggests a continuity of themes from the previous movie Skyfall. Both films are by Sam Mendes, who has declared that he will return to normal-sized cinema and theatre after Spectre’s release in November. The trailer sees Bond, played by Daniel Craig, setting out to unravel a mystery that emerges out of the papers of the last M, played by Judi Dench and since replaced by Ralph Fiennes. The cast includes Monica Belucci, Lea Seydoux, Naomie Harris, Ben Wishaw and Christoph Waltz as the arch-villain. More importantly, the locations include Rome and New Mexico.