Thrice As Nice

The studio resembles a Goan beach shack,with employees sauntering around in tees and shorts,munching on popcorn and sipping on cutting chai. The trio,associated with iconic films like Taare Zameen Par,Rock On!!,Bunty aur Babli and Johnny Gaddaar,is currently working on the music of My Name is Khan,which is touted as 2010’s biggest release. But no matter how big the project,they make sure they work five days a week and pack up by 6.30 pm everyday. “Family time is most important for us. But we make sure we compose three to four songs everyday,on an average,” says Mahadevan. Other films,like Housefull,Don 2 and Banda Yeh Bindaas Hai,are also in the pipeline. Do they read the script before signing a film? “Always,” says Noorani “A good script and the director’s sensibilities matter the most.”

While Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy are probably the first trio of music composers to entertain audiences with their chart-topping music,they are very different in their individual ways. Mendonca is loquacious,Noorani a silent observer and Mahadevan a thinker. “We are starkly different and this has kept us together for years,” says Mahadevan. But familiarity does breed contempt. “Arguments are inevitable. We just had one today,” says Mendonca. “We have had varied musical influences and,so,each one of us has individual views on music. But we don’t take ourselves seriously. This helps,” confirms Noorani,adding,“Earlier,we had specific roles to play in terms of programming,finance and packaging. But now,we partake in everything.”

The musicians—who continue the Bollywood tradition of partnerships between music composers contributing and pooling their individual strengths—revolutionised Bollywood music with Dil Chahta Hai. Mahadevan nonchalantly says,“We just did what we wanted to do. There was no baggage attached and we did not want to prove a point.” But now it’s a different story. “There is tremendous pressure. Each time the credits of a movie read our names,we know we are expected to come out with something drastically different.”

With an overload of films in their kitty,their non-film career has taken a backseat for a while. “But we will definitely bring out our non-film album this year,” says Mahadevan,looking at the other two. They nod in unison.