'Why can't we be original?'

The year 2003 sees music composer Anu Malik complete 25 years in the Hindi film industry.

The man who started with the B-grade Hunterwali 77 (1978) went on to create great music in films like Ek Jaan Hai Hum, Sohni Mahiwal, Mard, Sir, Phir Teri Kahani Yaad Ayee, Baazigar, Imtihaan, Main Khiladi Tu Anari, Vijaypath, Akele Hum Akele Tum, Border, Virasat, Tamanna, Biwi No 1, Fiza, Aks, Mujhe Kucch Kehna Hai, Asoka, Filhaal, Khushi, Ishq Vishk, and many more.

That he has been accused of stealing tunes from the West has not affected Malik's work list. This year sees him score the music for films like Sooraj Barjatya's Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon, Apoorva Lakhia's Mumbai Se Aaya Mere Dost, Madhur Bhandarkar's Aan and J P Dutta's LoC, among others. In fact, the music of the first two films has already topped the charts.

The music director promises Rajiv Vijayakar that this is only the drizzle before the sizzle. Excerpts from an interview:

The Rajshris have only worked with (music director) Raamlaxman in all their films. How did you manage to take his place?

I have always wanted to work with the Rajshris. When his first film, Maine Pyar Kiya [in 1989, starring Salman Khan and Bhagyashree] released, I was floored by the film. I approached Rajbabu -- Sooraj's father -- for work, even though I had made it by then. But I was told that Raamlaxman gave them good music consistently.

After Hum Saath Saath Hain [starring Salman Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Monish Behl, Karisma Kapoor, Tabu, Sonali Bendre and Neelam]¸ I requested Sooraj to give me a hearing at least. He told me that he was busy with a script and that I should call him after six months.

We met after six months. I sang a tune that seemed to make his eyes sparkle, but he did not comment. After 10 days I lost hope as that was the time when my sittings with Karan Johar for Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham and Sanjay Leela Bhansali for Devdas failed.

Then one day Sooraj phoned me and said, 'Welcome to the Rajshri family!' My first reaction was 'Yessss!'

Sooraj never made me feel that he was doing me a favour by giving me the film, nor did he ever mention his past laurels.

How did you choose your playback singers?

I was told in 2000 that the music, which would be released after three years, must sound fresh. I opted for Ranjit Barot for sound design, as we had worked fabulously on Khalid Mohamed's Fiza, Rakesh Mehra's Aks, and Santosh Sivan's Asoka. The singers were my suggestions for the same reason. I think Chitra is at par with Lataji [Mangeshkar] and Ashaji [Bhosle]. When I called Chitramaa -- that's what I call her -- she became emotional, as she had never sung for a complete Hindi film before.

I chose KK because he had been typecast in high-pitched songs, even by me. I wanted to make him sing romantic numbers. As for Shaan, whenever I hear him I feel that Abhishek Bachchan is singing. Sunidhi Chauhan came in for the passion, as she understands me in such songs.

Your Mumbai Se Aaya Mera Dost has a riveting score too.

Yes. Can you believe that the film was planned as a songless one?

Your first spelling change proved lucky for you. But the second change last year brought you bad luck. Is that why you have reverted to Anu Malik?

Look, a man who is down experiments. But I have realised that only your work matters, not the spelling of your name.

After Aks, Asoka and Meghna Gulzar's Filhaal, you went through a dull phase...

The general scene was bad. But I think my albums, Anil Kumar's Kucch To Hai and S J Suryah's Khushi, made profits for the music companies concerned.

It was Subhash Ghai's choice to come to me or move away. I learnt a lot from him. But if I am grateful to him for the work we did, I am also cool when my filmmakers move away. If they return, like Umesh Mehra and Vinod Chopra did, it's a high. During these years, I have seen it all. I am the only composer who refuses films. I am talented enough to compose internationally.

I do not worry about the past. I move on. I am confident that God will help me create a new tune everyday. You may not believe me, but I do not listen to my songs more than twice or thrice after they have been recorded. If I brood on them, I will not be able to make a new tune.

Tell us about your forthcoming films.

Farah Khan's Main Hoon Na has amazing and variegated music, including a qawwali. I am also doing Pooja Bhatt's next film. J P Dutta is my all-time favourite. The music in LoC beats that of his previous films, Border and Refugee, hands down. In Vinod Chopra's Munnabhai MBBS, I will create magic with Shreya Ghosal [one of the female playback singers of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Devdas]. Madhur Bhandarkar's Aan and Rajkumar Santoshi's Khakee are not musical subjects, but the challenge lies in composing passable music.

Gurinder Chaddha's Bride And Prejudice is my first international project and I am very excited about it. This film is a musical that moves from India to London to Los Angeles. The songs are in Punjabi, Hindi and English.

You spoke about going global. What are your plans?

I want to write for big names like Whitney Houston and The Backstreet Boys. My song Chhamma chhamma was used in Baz Luhrmann's Moulin Rouge, though I was not credited. I will use this and Gurinder's film as a stepping stone to go West.