Walking the Line

When a certain Aditya Chopra decides to step behind the camera, with Shah Rukh Khan in his frames, we don8217;t expect sparks, we bet on fireworks.

Background scores, for Salim-Suleiman, would remain as special as their latest as music directors 8211; Aditya Chopra8217;s gigantic Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi

When a certain Aditya Chopra decides to step behind the camera, with Shah Rukh Khan in his frames, we don8217;t expect sparks, we bet on fireworks. And if anything leaves music director duo Salim-Suleiman with goose bumps, it has to be this. 8220;I am usually nervous when I do music for a film,8221; laughs Salim Merchant right before the music release of Aditya Chopra8217;s Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi. Expectations, are often unreasonable feels Salim. 8220;There seems to be popular demand for thumping, racy dance tracks. There has to be at least one such track in a film,8221; says Salim.

Rab Ne8230;, however, chooses not to trek the beaten path. Chopra wanted the music to completely feel like it belongs to the spirit of the film, and not just full of random chartbusters. 8220;People often have funny expectations but we have tried to make the music true to the film,8221; says Salim. So, the music director duo, who have worked wonders with the music for films like Dor, Chak De! India, Roadside Romeo, and most recently Fashion, decided to keep Rab Ne8230; simple. 8220;The film is based in Amritsar. The sounds reflect the same,8221; says Salim.

While Fashion had been a delightful experiment with relatively new voices, Rab Ne8230; would stick to old favourites 8212; Sukhwinder Singh and his ilk. But new voices still remain in the priority list of the duo. And reality shows are most likely to be their favourite hunting ground for fresh talent. 8220;We are waiting for an opportunity to put all the talent we spot on these shows to good use,8221; says Salim, who with his brother has been judging the two seasons of Chak De on 9X channel.

However, being in the big league of music directors wouldn8217;t mean that the duo gives up doing the background score for films 8212;where it all started. 8220;In fact the experience of doing the background score comes very handy in gauging the pulse of the film, while making music,8221; says Salim. It8217;s difficult to forget the haunting background score of Nagesh Kukunoor8217;s 3 Deewarien, and Salim wishes there were more people who acknowledged the importance of the background score of a film. 8220;The background score is all-important in creating the mood in a film. It8217;s strange how it gets a step-motherly treatment in the country,8221; laughs Salim. Things, hopes the music director, would surely look up in future. 8220;It8217;s very difficult for us to stop doing background scores because that is we belong to it. There are very few composers who both want to and can create quality background music,8221; adds Salim. We are not complaining.