I believe in the saying that if you recognise God in the smaller gatherings, God will recognise you in the larger gatherings. I don't consider myself a religious person, but I am inclined to be spiritual. When I pray, I do it hoping to be a better person, a better spiritual person.

You have worked again with director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra recently.

I enjoyed working with him for Rang De Basanti and now we have completed Delhi-6. He is a visionary, and he is very focussed. He knows how to make the best use of a composer, and everyone associated with the film.

One of the much discussed songs in Delhi-6 is Bhor Bhaye and it uses the voices of Shreya and Bade Ghulam Ali Khan.

I heard Bade Ghulam Ali Khan's classic just about four years ago when I was buying classical Indian music at Rhythm House in Mumbai. I thought the song was divine. It was profound and yet it was accessible to anyone who had good musical sensibilities. There was no gimmicks in the song. I wondered why I had not heard it before.

What did you want to do with the song when you first heard it?

I heard it again and again and again. Then I discussed with Ashutosh Gowarikar the possibility of using it in Jodhaa-Akbar, but we could not find a situation for it. Here (in Delhi-6), it works very well. We have the song in his voice and we have Shreya singing the same song in such a way that you get the feeling that she (actress Sonam Kapoor) is learning to sing it.

The song Masakalli became a hit overnight.

It is a catchy song, and it is a matter of days that people get used to the other songs in the film. Mohit Chauhan and I had worked well in Rang De Basanti, and I wanted to work with him again. And this was an excellent opportunity. I felt he could bring freshness to the tune. There is laughter in the song, and an immediate appeal. The musical situations in the movie are quite interesting. Have you heard of a song that features pigeons, at least in recent films?

Image: The maestro at a concert

Also See: The film that drew A R Rahman

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