‘I’m looking for a Mohammad Rafi, not roughy…’

The music director tells SUMATI MEHRISHI SHARMA that he has his hands full with Shekhar Kapur’s sequel to Elizabeth, Shyam Benegal’s musical and Mani Rathnam’s Guru

Your albums lack instrumental tracks now. Especially the ones that followed MF Husain’s Meenakshi, A Tale of Three Cities. Why?

Are there people who still like instrumentals in my albums? (Laughs) I thought listeners like more of lyrics now. But I will bounce back with instrumentals soon, if listeners demand that. Like Aussie actor Heath Ledger said he liked Bombay Dreams. I met him at the premiere of Shekhar Kapur’s Four Feathers. Bombay Dreams will be used in Nicholas Cage’s Lord of the War.

You have used raagas like Basant, Puriya Dhanashri and Malhar in your soundtracks. Are they safe bets in international projects?

I try not to get carried away with raagas in international ventures. These people just want good melodies. Even if I try to use a raaga as a framework, they won’t really get to know about it. Rather, they won’t bother, they just want good music. It has to go with the scenes, the themes. And my experience tells me that mixing up jazz with raagas is the best thing to do.

What instrument interests you these days? Have you tried learning anything lately?

I picked up an accordion on a visit to Prague. I am learning to play it but can only run my right hand comfortably on the keys. I’m still struggling with the left side. But I amimproving as a singer and liked the raw sound of the harmonium playing in Rang De Basanti.

You haven’t really involved the few good sax players available down south.

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Yes (thoughtfully). With an exception of tracks for a Tamil film Duet (1994) where I have used a lot of sax.

Classical music downloads on cell-phones are only four percent of the total market. That shows the decreasing popularity of such music. What can make classical tunes more popular?

I know Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan only through the soundtrack he did for Mughal-e-Azam. I would have never heard him otherwise. A layman will relate to raagas only through film music. It applies to the download market as well.

Are you hunting for more singers? What about instrumentalists?

I am always on the lookout for new talent. These days I am looking for a good male voice. Like Rafi, not ‘roughy’(laughs). Someone who can switch octaves with that ease. I recently heard a nine-year-old at a talent show. He really surpassed others. Bass guitarists and percussionists are another bunch of people who impress me. Ghatam legend Vikku Vinayakram’s sons, especially Selva Ganesh (who plays the kanjira) are another bunch of people who have been with me from the beginning. Ganesh is also part of KM Music, the music label I am about to launch.

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Have you been asked to com-pose music for any big sporting event—like the Commonwealth Games or the Olympics?

No one has approached me yet. But I will love making jingles for an event like that. Anyways, I am coming full circle with jingles now.

Your future projects.

I am working with Mani Ratnam in Guru. I am really upbeat about my work in Shekhar Kapur’s Elizabeth sequel. The soundtrack for Akbar Jodha has almost been shaped. There are musicals like Shyam Benegal’s Chamki Chameli, Rock Star and London Dreams by Naresh Bedi. Baz Luhrman (Moulin Rouge) wanted me to compose the soundtrack for his next film, but they checked a website and found 30 projects lined up next to my name. I think that worked against me. These people rethink before giving a project to someone with more than say three projects.