We have two interviews with Jatin Lalit today. One in our Music section, and this one in our Broadband section.
Both conversations provide a fascinating glimpse into the lives and music of two of the most talented composers in Bollywood.
You seem to be influenced very much by Punjabi folk right from the days of Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge. How different is what you are doing now going to be?
Lalit: It depends from film to film actually. Like in DDLJ the situation was like that -- like the song Mehendi laga ke rakhna and in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai the number with Salman Khan during the marriage. Sometimes the requirement is only such that you have to make a number for a festival. So we have to listen to folk songs and get inspired, and make a tune on the format of the situation given. But recently the songs that we have done for Dhai Akshar Prem Ke is quite different.
We have worked with Raj Kanwar who is quite a talented director. This film is done on the lines of Khamoshi. Then, of course, there is Aditya Chopra's Mohabbatein coming which has a few songs on the lines of Punjabi folk, but are very melodiously composed. We always try to work out as differently as we can.
Are you experimenting with other new styles of music or even new singers?
Lalit: Yes, of course, Mohabbatein has got three new couples coming up.
Jatin: Six new singers
Lalit: Jatin has auditioned six new singers, Absolutely new. They have never sung before and we took about two months just going through new artistes and aspiring singers. Out of this lot we chose six. For a major movie like this giving a chance to six singers who have never sung before is a big challenge for us where a lot counts for ourselves also. And I think we have managed well this time.
Why take the risk of having new singers for a big film like this?
Jatin: Actually it's not a risk. Dekhiye har singer kabhi na kabhi to naya hota hi hai. Alka bhi nayi thi, Kumar Sanu bhi naye the. Lekin agar badi film mein kisi singer ko chance milta hai or agar woh capable hai to unka bhavishya banane ke chances bahut jyada ho jaate hain. Or us mein advantage yeh hota hai ki…abhi jaise Kaho Na Pyar Hai mein Lucky Ali ki awaz aayi to kano ko freshness mehssos hoti hai. Aur woh agar correct tarah se blend ho us mein film correct ho, gaana correct ho, aur singer ki awaz actor ko match ho jaaye…to ek naya artist add ho jaata hai, which is good for everyone.
So from your angle it was more for the freshness?
Lalit: Yes. Because the actors are new, and the characters are fresh (they're students). So the singers are also new. Visually and acoustically it is a fresh experience.
Jatin: If you see, Bobby mein ek new singer introduce hua tha with a new actor. With Hrithik a new voice sounds very fresh.
Lalit: In fact in that film what I liked was that the voice of Lucky Ali was matching much more than that of seasoned singers.
How do NRI audiences respond to your music?
Lalit: I think people consider us the best composers abroad. They like our music very much. The sale of Raja Ko Rani Se Pyaar Ho Gaya is much more than any of the hit films here. It's just on our name. Kyonki unke yahan aisa kuch nahin hai… promotion yahan ke to unhe nazar aate nahin hain. They just go by the quality of the tunes. There are a lot of people we know…they keep waiting for our music to come there.
What is the criteria you keep in mind while making music?
Jatin: Kaafi cheezein nazar mein rakhni padti hain. Ek to the scale of the film; then you have to think in terms of the arrangement; and then the director's output is very important. Because finally he is going to select the song. For instance, Aditya Chopra will surely go for Indian-based music. Then Mansoor Khan, for whom we composed Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander, likes a blend of Indian and Western melodies.
Since you spoke about the scale of the movie, how do you approach it if it is a low scale movie or a high scale movie?
Jatin: Low scale ki film mein hamari marzi jyada chalti hai. Hum director ko bol sakte hain ki yeh gaana achcha hai. Or woh kaam jaldi aur achcha bhi ho jaata hai. Lekin badi picture mein sab logon ka focus yeh hota hai ki is mein har cheez 100% honi chahiye. To usme kayi baar bahut time lag jaata hai.
As a music director, do you think a film can run only on the basis of good music?
Jatin: No. In fact, the music gets wasted if the film is not good. If the film is good then the longevity of the songs is high.
From Jo Jeeta... to Dhai Akshar Prem Ke you have come a long way. What comes next?
Lalit: Recently we have decided that we are going to compose a little bit of music for ourselves also. We belong to a family of singers and artistes and sing pretty well ourselves. This is going to be our first solo effort. Let's see what happens.
What will be the underlying theme of your album?
Lalit: It is a melodious album. This time since there was nobody to tell us not to do this song or that song, we choose the numbers we like to sing. So it's a different kind of music that we have done. A very enjoyable project.
In this album since you have all the freedom, are you exploring some Western styles?
Jatin: If you hear the music of Ghulam, it's highly modern. We started with a film, Yara Dildara which was very Western. In fact for it we even recorded abroad. It is just that DDLJ was very much popular and KKHH was outstanding. So the aura of that style of music is much more.
What kind of audience are you looking for this album?
Jatin: We are not targeting any particular audience. We are trying to do something that we would really like to do.
Lalit: I'd just like to elaborate. We have never thought of targeting any audience in any of our films. We have just thought of giving the correct kind of melodies, that is it. And the audience has followed us. Music is something that if you like yourself you can be sure that the other person will also be attracted to it. You should be the first person to like the song that you are going to record or make.
About your songs in DDLJ it has been said that NRI audiences have relived India through them.
Lalit: That's true. It makes us proud to hear such a comment.
Do you personally interact with audiences when you go abroad?
Lalit: We don't really get that much time to go abroad. We are so busy that we don't get the time to go abroad for a month or so. We can probably manage a week or so at the most. It's not really feasible for the producers to recover money. Because if you go to America there are at least 12 stations you need to perform and that normally takes at least 40 days. And 40 days being away from Bombay is very difficult for us. But we do get the feedback from singers who go there.
In recent times we have heard stars singing. And you have made them sound much better than a lot of singers. How has this come about?
Lalit: Actually, the best part was that the songs were well designed. They were made, knowing the range of the artist singing. Like Aamir and Sanjay for Ghulam and Khubsoorat. We called them to our music room here and made them just sing, whatever they wanted to sing. We came to know what notes were comfortable with them. The songs were then designed to fit those notes. And then, of course, they worked a lot, rehearsed a lot. We promised them that we would do our best to make them sing.
Aamir was a little apprehensive. We encouraged them and then after rehearsals it was all okay. Moreover, we both are very good singers ourselves so it is very easy for us to explain to anybody how something has to be sung. And I think we made them sing so well that Aamir even had his name nominated for best singer! Aamir told me 'This is the most unique nomination for me ever!'
Who was more difficult: Aamir or Sanjay?
Jatin: Actually when they came both of them were mentally prepared that we have to do exactly what they have in mind. Because the songs are not just going to be filmed on them, they also to have to perform them when they go abroad. Like Aamir must have performed his Aati Kya Khandala at least a hundred times on stage, and it becomes such a big asset for a singer to perform his song on stage.
Most of the recent awards have been going to your songs, and your singers. What contributes to this?
Lalit: There are two important reasons. The songs themselves are very popular, which is very important for the judges to decide. Secondly, we pay a lot of attention as to how the singer renders the song, the kind of expression that is needed in the song, because when we compose we sing it so many times that the song is in our system. We see to it that the singers also have the song in their system before they sing for us. So they rehearse a lot with us and we make them sing as good as we want them to.
