Apart from that , I think Laxmikant-Pyarelal has been a very big inspiration for me because of the kind of bigness that they always had , how they always looked at music beyond limitations . I think they always broke barriers with the music , with the kind of arrangements that they did , with the kind of sound and the experimentation with the instrumentation that they did . Apart from that , I think the melodies of Madan Mohan Sab , I think they are just timeless and they ’ re flawless . And how he would change modes and how he would change rags without even the listener coming to know . That was very , very it was literally like magic to the years , I think . So that was very , very inspirational for me .
Obviously , I would speak about A . R . Rahman because growing up as a kid to your A . R . Rahman and to see him be a catalyst for that transition , I think , which took place probably in the nineties . And his harmony sensibilities and his craft of merging Indian classical music with Hindi film sensibilities as well as Western classical . I think that was something that really influenced me a lot , honestly . The melodies of John Williams , the kind of score that he did for Schindler ’ s List , the simplicity of it , or if you see the grandeur of Star Wars . I think these kind of elements , growing up really played a very big role in my mind as a musician . And more importantly , it made me fall in love with the craft , which I think is very , very important . So , yeah , I ’ m just grateful to them for this .
What was it like composing and writing your first original song Bas Ek Pal ? And how have things changed in terms of the mindset you have and approaches you take when composing original music ?
I think my mindset hasn ’ t changed . If you speak of basic , right up until now , if you speak of Shamshera , my mindset hasn ’ t changed at all . I think it ’ s always been about honesty . I have always been very careful that I don ’ t lose who I am . We are in a world today where we are surrounded by opinions , we are surrounded by trends , we are surrounded by various technologies and various analysis and theories . But I always pray to God that I don ’ t get influenced by these things because the most valuable thing about me is what is within me . And I think that is the most important element for me as a composer songwriter . So , yeah , definitely recording techniques can change , your textures can change , your sound design can change . But I think your mindset , you ’ re very core , doesn ’ t change the way I look at a song or the way I write a song really hasn ’ t changed for me . I remember when I was 20 years old and I met director Onir and he asked me to play some of my work .
Even as a 20 year old starting out , I told him that , Sir , I don ’ t have a song bank because I don ’ t believe in the concept of song bank . Even today , I get multiple offers , but I tell all the people who come to me that I ’ m really grateful , but I don ’ t have a song bank to play . I would want to spend time with you to understand what are you looking for and then react to that emotionally and technically and deliver what you are looking for . So I heard from Onir what he wanted . He was looking for an urban sounding song based on urban sensibilities , which reflects the darker side of relationships and the layers of a complex urban relationship . That ’ s how Bas Ek Pal happened . And yeah , we created the kind of sound that was needed for it , the kind of pulse of the song needed . And my approach , even today , is the same . Even today when I ’ m right now working on a score , which is again a full score . So I just react to what the director would tell , and then we see that . How can we make the sound design more interesting that this follows ? But the core is the song writing and the melody , which I think is the most important content of the song .
How do you balance technical precision and production and composition with expressing raw emotions ? In brackets , it says , this would go hand in hand , but there are times when you may have to compromise one for the other .
Okay , I think it ’ s a very interesting question . We do speak about these things at the studio or when I was speaking to one of my directors . I think for me , as an artist , raw emotion has always been very important . I think it ’ s not something that needs to be consciously balanced . I could give you an example that if you listen to some of my songs , a few of the takes , maybe a line or somewhere .. Maybe the take that I have written will not be a pitch perfect take , but it ’ s made me feel something and that ’ s why I have retained it . I have gone for it . But then the most important thing to ask is : Why are you doing that ? The way I see it , I think it ’ s part of my job to deliver something to my listeners which really stirs them up . And if that ’ s helping me in the process , it ’ s great . But that really doesn ’ t justify just doing anything . Because music is a very strict art . It has
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