Pritam has collaborated with Karan Johar the producer a few instances, in Kalank and Brahmastra Part One: Shiva. But he comes on board virtually as a co-creator within the final two directorials of Karan, as music is integral to the narratives of each.
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In an unique interview, Pritam mentioned designing the soundscape of Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, paying ode to the music of the Sixties and ’90s, and his foolproof collaboration with Karan Johar, lyricist Amitabh Bhattacharya and singer Arijit Singh. Edited excerpts:
Ae Dil Hai Mushkil and Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani are such tonally completely different albums. How completely different was the expertise on every?
Ae Dil Hai Mushkil and Rocky Aur Rani cannot be in contrast. The fundamental premise of Ae Dil Hai Mushkil is angst. It’s very excessive on emotion: musician, rocker, self-destructive. The vibe is simply very completely different. Somehow, angst wala music all the time offers higher scope for music. In India, everyone tends to love deep heartbroken songs. Rocky Aur Rani is a celebratory movie. There’s no angst. The ethos could be very familial. Rocky is harmless and susceptible, however he is extraordinarily flamboyant. Shabana Azmi and Dharmendra’s characters love outdated Hindi music. So Ae Dil Hai Mushkil and Rocky Aur Rani are north pole-south pole.
What was the preliminary transient from Karan for Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani?
Because the script could be very closely steeped in nostalgia, Karan wished a ‘bharpoor’ sound. Tum Kya Mile might’ve been orchestrated as aaj ka (right this moment’s) sound. But it is a very traditional sound. Every transfer on this film was very calculated. Also, each music has two antaras (stanzas). I simply modified the composition of the second antara, prefer it used to occur means again within the Sixties. There was once three antaras then: mukhda, antara, refrain, antara 2. This was once the format then. It received modified to 2 antaras with the identical melody within the ‘90s. The song is squeezing, it’s getting smaller and smaller.
Wasn’t it a problem to compose full songs? Did you worry whether or not they’d get accepted right this moment or not?
What’s occurred with time is that endurance has light. Karan shot all of the songs in full, however whereas enhancing, he needed to lower them down for size. The audio continues to be with two antaras. I nonetheless really feel that the audio for Tum Kya Mile is simply too lengthy. I really feel its streaming numbers might’ve been increased had we saved the music with only one antara, which was the plan throughout the launch. Frankly talking, earlier than the discharge, just one antara was alleged to be within the music, even within the audio. But I used to love the second antara loads, when Shreya Ghoshal is available in. And I wasn’t getting a fullness of the music. Even Karan wasn’t getting that fullness. Then we went with the move, towards Saragama’s choice. I perceive that when you are listening to a brief music, you return and hearken to it once more. But once you’re listening to an extended music, you have been completely fed. It’s like a thali, after which you are feeling bharpoor. So it might’ve been far more so far as streaming numbers are involved. But if you happen to’re recreating the ’90s flavour, it has to really feel bharpoor.
Since songs are so integral to his movies, you have to’ve labored intently with Karan. What’s it about him that makes all of the songs of all his motion pictures stand out?
Karan is a dream to work with for any composer. Firstly, he is so instinctive with melodies. So it is a fast choice. Aisa kabhi nahi hai ki sochte hain, dekhte hain (it by no means occurs that he mulls over a melody). It’s unbelievable. He’s very bang on positive that I would like this. And 98% of the instances, his intuition works. His instincts are like collectibles. His intuition needs to be preserved for posterity.
Secondly, the largest benefit of Karan is that he does not get married to the music. Of course, you have heard it so many instances on set and on edit. A director is thus extra married to the music than the composer. But if you happen to return to him with a brand new melody, he would hearken to it as a contemporary piece. It’s an uncanny expertise. I do not know the way it’s doable. He judges the music freshly. He has the ear to say, “Whatever I’ve been hearing so far, this is better or maybe this is worse.” He has the unbelievable expertise of listening to the melody as a 3rd particular person. He does not get used to the sound. I have not discovered any director who welcomes modifications with such objectivity.
Thirdly, he has immense belief within the technician he is working with. If he is chosen an individual to work with, he trusts your instincts a lot. These are very distinctive abilities.
Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani allowed Karan to pay tribute to filmmakers like Yash Chopra and Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Did it additionally assist you to pay homage to music composers you grew up listening to?
Of course, this entire movie is a homage. When Karan narrated it, the medley, Abhi Na Jao Chhod Kar, Aaj Phir Jeene Ki Tamanna Hai, Aap Jaisa Koi and Aaja Meri Gaadi Mein Baith Ja had been already within the script. When the movie got here to me for background rating, I made a decision to not go the standard means. Since this film already had a retro flavour, I wished to make the soundscape from retro parts. I took samples from retro music and reimagined them with a groove. For instance, Rani’s introduction is a Bengali rap however all of the string components are from Laxmikant Pyarelal’s Mera Naam and the “rani” bit is from Mere Sapno Ki Rani. With Rocky, the intro music is taken from Mast Baharon Ka Main Aashiq. Whenever he does one thing, there’s the sound of ‘Hoo Hoo!’ Somen’s theme is from Meri Pyaari Bindu.
Did Saregama’s onboarding assist as a result of then you did not have to fret concerning the rights of all these songs?
I believe Karan strategically went to Saregama as a result of these songs are part of the script. For instance, if somebody makes RD Burman or SD Burman’s biopic, or if Anurag Basu makes the Kishore Kumar biopic later, they must go to Saregama. It’ll be non-sense to not go to him as a result of if you happen to do not use their songs, even within the background, then it is half gone. If you make a biopic of Queen, how are you going to not have their songs within the movie? Somebody informed me I ought to’ve made an authentic music for the state of affairs when Dharmendra will get up from the wheelchair, however each factor does not want an authentic. Every script has its DNA. The total script activates its head when Dharmendra will get up. So you wanted a music like Abhi Na Jao Chhod kar there.
Were you not tempted to incorporate Dharmendra, Shabana Azmi and Jaya Bachchan’s outdated songs, because you had the luxurious to?
No, I did not go by the actors. I glided by the lyrics of the music. For instance, Rocky does appear to be a Mast Baharon Ka Aashiq and Somen’s prem ki naiya beech bhawar mein gud gud gote khaye (sings).
How was the expertise of recreating Dola Re Dola from Devdas?
I truthfully suppose I did not do a very good job of it. It’s the identical beats, however simply with two male singers. The actual contribution to that music is by Ranveer Singh and Tota Roy Chowdhury. And by Jaya Bachchan, who offers these response photographs. My contribution is zero, unfavorable truly. The authentic Dola Re Dola is much better.
What’s it concerning the dream group of you, Amitabh Bhattacharya and Arijit Singh that makes magic from melodies?
Both Amitabh and Arijit have been my assistants. When Amitabh got here to Mumbai in 1999 and wished to be a singer, he reached out to me. My album had simply come out and he thought I’m a Bengali so would assist him out. From then to now, after we combat like husband and spouse. He says he is the spouse as a result of he sends lengthy textual content messages and I reply with “ok.” Even on What Jhumka, I requested him what is that this “What Jhumka.” Yes, a catchy time period needed to come there, like I did with And We Twist, which is adopted by the instrumental naagin tune. But what’s What Jhumka? (Laughs) Arijit was additionally my assistant. He used to sing scratches for me then and I used to buy him to filmmakers. At that point, nobody noticed it. But now, he is come a good distance. So possibly it is simply that our bond goes past simply the ‘dream team’ tag. It’s private. We’re very frank with one another. That fiction helps in creating one thing magical.
Source web site: www.hindustantimes.com
