The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (soundtrack)

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (Music from the Motion Picture) is the soundtrack to the 2012 film of the same name, featuring musical score composed by Thomas Newman. It was released on 6 March 2012 through Sony Classical Records in digital formats, followed by a physical release on 27 March.

Development
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel marked Newman's second collaboration with Madden after The Debt (2010). Madden described it as an unconventional score where each cue has its own feeling and not a series of tunes. Due to the film's Indian setting, Newman used Indian instrumentalists and soloists for the recording sessions, which was held at the Abbey Road Studios in London for four months.

Reception
Filmtracks.com wrote "Newman clearly had fun with this score, and as long as you don't have an aversion to stereotypical Indian musical tones, that spirit will be contagious." James Southall of Movie Wave, described it as a "colourful album" and wrote "while those with an intolerance to the Bollywood style will find those influences seriously harm their capacity to take much from it, others will discover Thomas Newman’s most enjoyable album in years." David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter wrote "Thomas Newman's flavorful score adds to the intoxicating sensory overload." AllMusic-writer Heather Phares described it as "a soundtrack that's as engaging in its own right as it is in the film".

Newman's original score was shortlisted as one amongst the 104 films in contention for the Academy Award for Best Original Score category for the 85th Academy Awards.