- 16 hours ago
In an exclusive conversation with IANS, music composer and producer Abhijit Vaghani opens up about his journey in the music industry, his evolving creative process, and the passion that has driven him over the years. He speaks about balancing artistic freedom with the demands of Hindi cinema, working under pressure, and his collaborations with Pritam. Vaghani also shares his views on India's rich musical heritage, the impact of AI on music, and recalls memorable experiences of working with Shah Rukh Khan on Ra.One and collaborating with Hrithik Roshan, offering insights into the creative process behind some of his notable projects.
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00:00So hello Yid, welcome to NS. Thank you.
00:03Congratulations for new projects that are about to come up. Mixtape is one.
00:08Yes. If you could walk me through what all is going on in your mind
00:12and work and life, how is it all going on?
00:16I'll tell you, these are very exciting times for me.
00:20Because I'm actually
00:23going through a phase where there is a lot of development
00:27in other aspects other than music also.
00:32And so, it's a very exciting time for me right now because I'm looking
00:35at other aspects which are also a little away from music but still in music.
00:39Which is, I'm setting up an academy as well, which is a music academy.
00:43And I feel like there are a lot of new things.
00:49And I think life is all about
00:53stepping up your own game now and then.
00:55You know, it's all about
00:58rediscovering how you want to
01:00deal with certain phases in your life.
01:03And I feel
01:04Mixtape is one of them which
01:06every now and then, one or two years
01:07and Mixtape has always been my baby.
01:11where, you know,
01:15we had done this one season which
01:19which was,
01:21we had wanted to try out
01:23a few things in Mixtape.
01:25Which was,
01:27firstly it started off as a cover thing
01:30where we wanted to glorify a cover.
01:32Like the covers
01:33and the catalog at E-Series
01:36those are extensive.
01:39Like we had to choose from
01:4026,000, 30,000 songs.
01:43And
01:43the cover that happened
01:46during those times
01:48we used to cover a single song.
01:51But then
01:52once we finalized one cover
01:54and suddenly I played it
01:55and I hummed something else on it.
01:58And
01:58it just turned out to be
02:00so well matched with it.
02:02So we thought
02:02that we were different
02:04with it.
02:05Like we'll add that song
02:06along with this
02:08like a mashup.
02:09And then suddenly
02:09we realized that
02:10about lyrical content,
02:12scaling,
02:13all these things
02:13are sitting together.
02:15So why not
02:16make it a different song
02:18and mix it
02:19and mix it
02:19like extensive mashups.
02:22So we tried that out
02:23and it actually worked
02:24with people.
02:25And I love the fact
02:26that it worked
02:27with the audience
02:28because
02:28one song
02:29that you are rediscovering
02:31in the other
02:32arrangement
02:33that
02:34thing
02:34rarely
02:36comes up.
02:37You know
02:38and
02:39I'm happy
02:40that I changed the whole
02:41arrangement of the music
02:42and that's how
02:43Mixtape was born.
02:45that's Mixtape.
02:46Then
02:47comes the Academy.
02:48Then I had just
02:49finished Cocktail 2.
02:51So
02:51there are other movies
02:53coming up too
02:54in Bollywood.
02:55And
02:55I am a Bollywood boy.
02:57You know.
02:58So I've done so many
02:59movies
03:00since the past 27 years.
03:03So
03:04everything
03:04from Suresh Dubai
03:05to High Heels
03:06to
03:07Aaj Ki Paati
03:07to Desi Boys title
03:09to
03:09Gol Maal.
03:10How many
03:11of my songs
03:12were there.
03:13Three, four songs
03:14were there.
03:15And
03:16it feels so nice
03:17to be accepted by
03:18Bollywood in a way
03:19that
03:20you're a professional
03:22like an
03:23A-plus category
03:25professional
03:25which was always
03:26always my dream.
03:28And
03:29actually
03:30I'm feeling
03:31very grateful about it.
03:33Yeah.
03:34Yeah.
03:35And you mentioned this word
03:36rediscovery.
03:37Yeah.
03:37Now 27 years of career
03:38and counting.
03:40Yeah.
03:41How have you
03:42rediscovered yourself
03:42over and over again
03:43to keep that passion
03:44burning alive?
03:47See the thing is that
03:49fire
03:50cannot be rediscovered.
03:52Fire is something
03:53which you need to have
03:54constantly in your life.
03:56But
03:56the art
04:00that's supposed to be
04:01rediscovered
04:02almost every day.
04:04Because
04:04if you don't
04:06keep in touch
04:06with what is around
04:07and what is playing around
04:10in music
04:10it's a very
04:11cut-throat market
04:13right now.
04:15And
04:15like
04:16Spotify releases
04:17what?
04:17150,000 songs a day.
04:19Right?
04:21But
04:22people forget
04:24that
04:24if you have
04:25that platform
04:26that you have
04:27that platform
04:28like
04:28your idols
04:30which is
04:31Justin Bieber,
04:32Rihanna
04:33that platform
04:34that you have
04:34that platform
04:35which also means
04:36that you have now
04:37become a very
04:38high-calibered artist.
04:40People take all
04:41these things for granted.
04:42Even
04:4310 views
04:44even
04:4520 views
04:46even
04:4810,000
04:491 million listens
04:50these numbers
04:51are
04:53you have to be
04:54very grateful
04:54about even
04:55the smallest numbers
04:56because it's
04:57finally reaching
04:57out to people.
05:00And
05:00this fire
05:01is probably
05:01in me.
05:03I mean
05:04every time
05:04I'm doing
05:06something new
05:06I feel
05:07that
05:08people are
05:09listening.
05:11It is
05:12such a nice
05:13feeling
05:13to have people
05:15appreciate your song.
05:17you have
05:18worked
05:18people
05:19make
05:19songs
05:20and
05:20people
05:21sing
05:21and
05:22if
05:22people appreciate
05:24it is
05:24probably
05:25a fuel
05:25that
05:26ignites us
05:28you know
05:28the fire.
05:30Yeah.
05:31And
05:32internationally
05:33people are
05:34well aware about
05:35the system of
05:36music.
05:36Music
05:36composer,
05:37music writer,
05:38producer.
05:39India
05:39would you like to
05:42clear some air
05:43around it?
05:44You mean
05:45about
05:45the whole
05:46royalty system
05:47and
05:47the scope of
05:49work for
05:49let's say
05:50a music producer
05:51or a music director
05:51or a songwriter
05:52per se.
05:55If you're asking
05:56me about
05:57the scope of
05:58work which is
05:59outside to here
06:00we have
06:00very different
06:01systems.
06:02Our systems are
06:03based on
06:04if I'm a songwriter
06:07and I'm in a
06:08room
06:09if there are
06:10three other
06:10songwriters
06:11we have
06:12equal shares
06:13and that
06:14is in
06:14revenue
06:14sharing
06:14system
06:15and that
06:16revenue
06:17sharing
06:17system
06:17actually
06:18obsolete
06:19because
06:21you have
06:21paid
06:22an outright
06:27system
06:27which is
06:28another
06:29type of
06:30system
06:30where
06:31you pay
06:32off
06:33a person
06:33and
06:34then
06:34you
06:34collect
06:41everything
06:42which is
06:43another system
06:43altogether
06:44and actually
06:44in our country
06:46it might be
06:47really helping
06:47people
06:48because
06:49revenue systems
06:50have a lot
06:51of time
06:52to gather
06:53revenue
06:53and if I'm a
06:54producer
06:54or a
06:55or a
06:56producer
06:56or a
06:57or a
06:58singer
06:59then I'll have
07:00a lot of time
07:01to actually make it
07:02in the industry
07:04and maybe
07:05the outright system
07:06is helpful
07:07to everyone
07:09you
07:10that's the difference
07:10between the
07:11west and us
07:12yeah
07:14in
07:15independent
07:15songs
07:16right now
07:16we do have a
07:18rise in the
07:19revenue sharing
07:20model
07:20which is also
07:21perfectly fine
07:22because they are
07:23adapting to what the
07:24west is
07:25and what happens
07:26is that
07:27each one
07:27gets equal
07:28and
07:29with the
07:30big artists
07:31or with the
07:31small artists
07:33it will be the same
07:34and the same
07:35as your song
07:36will be the same
07:38and if
07:39it's years
07:40that you keep doing
07:41it like
07:41ten years
07:42twenty years
07:43you get a collection
07:43of these royalties
07:44which amount up to
07:45a pretty good amount
07:47but
07:47it's just
07:48it's not
07:49that
07:50you will get instant results
07:51and coming to the music making process
07:56you mentioned
07:56independent music
07:57now there is mainstream film music
07:58as well
07:59which comes with a lot of restrictions
08:00you have to deliver on multiple friends
08:02you know
08:02there is an actor
08:03whose voice has to suit
08:04with the singer
08:05situation
08:06you know whatever
08:07emotion you have to
08:08take it
08:10which is more exciting for you
08:12is it
08:12you know
08:12the imposition of boundaries
08:15and then making something
08:16really great out of it
08:16or being fully liberated
08:18and making music out of it
08:20that's a very good question
08:21actually
08:21the question
08:22has never come to me
08:23but
08:24this is a very creative
08:27subjective call
08:29for any individual
08:31that
08:32let's say
08:33if
08:34I have a habit
08:35in the beginning
08:36of the boundaries
08:36and when I say boundaries
08:38it's not
08:39literally boundaries
08:40it is a certain
08:41situation
08:41that you are given to do
08:42a certain topic
08:44independent music
08:45independent music
08:57is very free
08:58with
08:59zero situations
09:01the situations you make
09:04but
09:05when it comes to
09:06a situation
09:07let's say
09:07if even a label
09:08comes up to you
09:09and says
09:09that
09:09that
09:10will be
09:12one
09:14which is right
09:16because you are
09:16trying to get
09:18everyone to make
09:19that song
09:19in the sad zone
09:21but let's say
09:22if it's a movie
09:23now movies have
09:24very different situations
09:26but they
09:27almost have common
09:28six ones
09:28you know
09:29five six situations
09:30which are there
09:31it's sad
09:32it's love
09:32it's party
09:33it's married
09:35you know
09:36and
09:37otherwise
09:38there is a
09:39travel song
09:39let's say
09:40these situations
09:42are
09:43if you are in the industry
09:45for a long time
09:45these situations are
09:46well embedded
09:48in you
09:49and
09:50if you
09:52tell
09:52one word
09:52that
09:53it's a travel song
09:54then you understand
09:54what to do
09:55so
09:56in a way
09:57it is helpful
09:58and advantageous
10:00and in another way
10:01when
10:02let's say
10:02an independent person
10:03comes to me
10:04and tells me
10:05I feel like
10:06I want to make a song
10:07in the mountains
10:08they are different
10:10but
10:10we know
10:11that
10:11it's a travel song
10:13so
10:14that's the benefit
10:17of
10:18both the angles
10:20yeah
10:21and I would like to go
10:2227 years back
10:23yeah
10:23when you entered
10:24the music industry
10:26as a new entrant
10:27exciting phase
10:28yeah
10:29I'm quite sure
10:30yeah
10:31how would people be
10:32how would my art
10:33turn out to be
10:34yeah
10:34from there till now
10:36how has this journey been
10:37how do you reflect on it
10:39well
10:40I mean
10:4027 years is a long journey
10:42100%
10:44but
10:45jo pehle pehle
10:46because when I started off
10:48I didn't have
10:49I didn't know anybody
10:50in any industry
10:51I didn't know anybody
10:59in any industry
11:19the moves
11:19the
11:21the treatments
11:21of the songs
11:22they are very producer centric
11:24or
11:25thanks to the west too
11:27because there are producers
11:28who have come to India
11:29they have done it
11:30that's why
11:31the production
11:33but
11:34it's a very simple
11:35explanation
11:35which is
11:36that
11:36a music director
11:37makes a music producer
11:40makes a music producer
11:41makes all the music
11:41makes a briefcase
11:42now
11:43I'll also make you cry
11:47I'll also make you smile
11:48so that's a music director
11:49music producer
11:50who chooses instruments
11:52according to that
11:52but
11:55coming back to your question
11:57my
11:58my journey
11:59has been
12:01very
12:01very mix
12:02I'm very mix of
12:03it's been a mix of everything
12:05like
12:06I've also done
12:07so many music productions
12:09as well as
12:10studied
12:11so many music directors
12:12from their compositions
12:13that they have given
12:14and I've learnt
12:15a lot from that study
12:18to be a composer
12:19so
12:20so
12:21that's one thing
12:21comes from your experience
12:22right?
12:24but
12:24the journey
12:25is also
12:26intimidating
12:28it's not that
12:29I was not intimidated
12:29before
12:30because
12:32every individual
12:33is different
12:34now
12:35that ideology
12:35I'm taking into the market
12:38and
12:38I need
12:39that
12:39if I want
12:41that I want to do business
12:42in the market
12:43I'll obviously
12:44be a little skeptical
12:45of how people
12:46are accepting it
12:46but
12:48when things
12:49started moving
12:49when my songs
12:50started coming into movies
12:52when people
12:53started loving it
12:54and
12:55forget that
12:56before that
12:57we need to impress
12:58the industry
12:58because
12:59we'll get the job
13:00so thankfully
13:02everyone started
13:02appreciating
13:03the kind of production
13:05I was doing
13:05the kind of
13:06tunes I was making
13:08and
13:09a specific sound
13:10that I had mastered
13:12my
13:12so
13:13I didn't have any surprise
13:14then
13:15confidence
13:16then
13:16slowly
13:17I started doing songs
13:19which
13:20started getting a one-shot
13:21approval
13:22like
13:22when I do it
13:23one time
13:23people feel good
13:25but yes I didn't take it for granted
13:27you have to be
13:28even now
13:29when I start a song
13:30I'm a little under-confident
13:31which is a good thing to have
13:33so you can stay grounded
13:34yeah
13:35yeah
13:36and you mentioned about
13:37Desi Boys
13:37one of my all-time favourite albums
13:40I want to know
13:41the process of working with Preethamda
13:43because from what I have heard
13:44he's highly disorganised
13:46you know
13:47of course he's fully immersed in the artistic process
13:49but what all is going around him
13:51he's not very privy to that
13:53what's like working with him
13:54when you are
13:55like when you are jamming with him
13:56or you know
13:57if there's an exchange of ideas
13:59sharing a creative wavelength
14:00what's that like
14:01right
14:02one second
14:02Vikram you were saying
14:03you know
14:03I think also give some examples
14:05of some older
14:07Pahle Ki Gazi 20 years Pahle
14:08both that
14:09let him ask another question
14:10to that
14:11but now
14:11very long
14:12yeah
14:16you are saying about
14:17Preethamda's
14:18yeah
14:18and his process basically
14:19and his process okay
14:21right
14:23Preethamda being one of my
14:24most favourite music directors
14:26because
14:27agar aap
14:28sari jo
14:29bahar ki impression hai
14:31unki nikaal do
14:32which is
14:33about copying songs
14:34this that
14:35which he completely dislikes
14:37because
14:38unfortunately
14:40ek creator ke dimaag mein na
14:42kabhi kabhi subconscious mein
14:43bhot sari cheezain baiht jati hai
14:45because you listen to so many things
14:47this process
14:49of creation
14:50requires
14:51so much of effort
14:53and
14:54imagine we have
14:5512 notes
14:56on a keyboard
14:58hume bas tu baareh note mein hume karna hai kaam
15:00aur kya kya karna hai socho
15:02every single time
15:04have a new
15:05melody to it
15:07sometimes
15:092 of those notes
15:115 of those notes
15:12are similar to what you have been hearing outside
15:16and
15:18unfortunately for him it's been a lot of times
15:20because he does so much of work
15:22but
15:22but
15:22as a music director
15:24he is
15:25such
15:26a darling to work with
15:28he's also
15:30mentored me a lot
15:31with
15:31so many things
15:32and he's given me those initial
15:34actually the first song was given by him
15:35which was my first song
15:37it was
15:38goal maal 3 ka title
15:40so he had given me that
15:41and for him to have so much of confidence in a new comer
15:46he's still like that
15:47and because of him I am still like that
15:50because I love encouraging new people to move ahead and do
15:54because
15:54music
15:56exactly
15:57that's a good point
15:58because the academy came up for that reason
16:01because I wanted to train people
16:03or
16:03into
16:06my talent is
16:07my talent
16:08specifically
16:10everybody has a different brain
16:11no 2 people will be able to do the same 2 sounds
16:15right
16:16so keeping that in mind
16:17my experience and my knowledge
16:20has to be passed on to people
16:22and
16:23thanks to Pritamda also
16:25there's been so many of these
16:29instances
16:29jahan pe he's helped
16:31guide me
16:32to formats of songs
16:34to compositions
16:35to
16:36sounds
16:37in production
16:38so working with him has always been
16:41a very
16:43educational process
16:44as well as
16:44liberating process
16:45yeah
16:46if I talk about
16:47specifically your process
16:49are you someone
16:50who likes to follow a particular comment
16:51or are you like
16:52today
16:53how the day unfolds
16:55and what it throws at me
16:56when making music
16:57I actually do that
16:58because I don't want to
17:00in my projects
17:01you will see
17:02no template
17:03I always open a new project
17:06because I love to
17:07explore boundaries
17:08I love to explore
17:10limitless production
17:12you know
17:13it's very important
17:14that I progress
17:15and because I'm progressing
17:18I'm also learning
17:19newer things
17:20I'm also
17:21up to date
17:22with so many
17:23genres
17:24coming out
17:24there are so many
17:26genres coming out
17:27and also
17:28people are listening
17:29to various
17:30sounds
17:31so now
17:32the want
17:36and plus
17:37to obviously
17:38do something new
17:39so I do something
17:40which is called
17:41cross-genreing
17:43Bollywood
17:44Western
17:45mix
17:47sometimes
17:47two Western genres mix
17:49so I become
17:50pretty good at
17:51mixing genres
17:52and for that reason
17:53my whole sound
17:55the scape
17:55has changed
17:57and it's different
17:59like
18:00it has more depth
18:01you know
18:02and I always tell
18:04my producers also
18:05I tell them
18:05please think about
18:06frequencies and not
18:07instruments
18:08because the whole world
18:09will change
18:10and you will see
18:11other instruments
18:12you will see
18:13just piano and guitar
18:14all the time
18:15you know
18:15yeah
18:17and continuing
18:18further on that
18:18you know artistic process
18:20is not the same
18:21every day
18:22there are high pressure
18:23environments
18:23when you have to deliver
18:24within a limited time frame
18:26or you know
18:27deliver to what is
18:28asked of you in terms
18:29of the brief or anything
18:31yeah
18:31I want to know
18:32how do you react
18:33to the pressures
18:33is it something that enhances
18:35your craft?
18:35actually I love pressures
18:37because I think
18:38we all perform best
18:39during the pressure times
18:40because you had
18:41the first question
18:42asked
18:42that we take topics
18:44and there are boundaries
18:46that also
18:47there is a boundary
18:48that you have to make
18:50a boundary
18:51which means
18:52that you are making
18:53a schedule for yourself
18:54if you are making
18:55a certain schedule
18:56you will function better
18:57because you have a deadline
18:58but if I told you
18:59that you should sing
19:00in 10 days
19:01then I will start
19:02on the 9th day
19:04and I will do it
19:06and I will do it
19:06the same way
19:06it is not that
19:07we have to do it
19:09but I need
19:09the same time
19:11so
19:11I can't forget
19:12the client
19:13because
19:14it will always
19:15get the deadline
19:17so for me
19:18it is very nice
19:18that there is pressure
19:19I can work best
19:20under pressure
19:22because I know
19:23that in such a time frame
19:24that my work
19:25will end up
19:26and then
19:27I can take another
19:28after that
19:29it keeps it exciting
19:30yeah
19:31yeah
19:32okay
19:32and moving on
19:34since you produce music
19:36also
19:36I have been wanting
19:37to ask this question
19:38for a long time
19:39to a lot of people
19:40and musicians generally
19:41is that India is a land
19:42of music
19:43Carnatic
19:44and Hindustani
19:46we have given music
19:47to the world
19:47yes
19:51it is beautiful
19:53yes
19:53despite that
19:55mainstream
19:56why don't we explore more
20:00of what India offers
20:01musically
20:02in our mainstream
20:03I would say
20:04it has been started
20:05with these inclusions
20:07of
20:08Coke Studio has been
20:09there since a while
20:10Coke Studio India is there
20:11there is
20:12Bhumi also
20:13Saleem does that
20:14there is
20:16what else do we have
20:17we have other
20:18also IPs coming up
20:19which are exploring
20:20a lot of folk
20:21but unfortunately
20:23in our industry
20:25and in our audience
20:26there is
20:27stereotype
20:28something
20:28if I say folk
20:30they might not
20:32treat it
20:32the way
20:33that they would treat
20:34if I say Bollywood
20:36you know
20:37you now
20:38think two terms
20:39Bollywood
20:39and folk
20:40what do you have to play
20:41Bollywood
20:42because you have to understand
20:43in folk
20:45you have to understand
20:47you have to
20:48your mind needs to be
20:50rewired and if you are not
20:51used to folk
20:52you are going to take time
20:53to understand it first
20:55and sometimes
20:56we don't understand
20:57some languages
20:58although
20:58in contrast
20:59everyone is listening to
21:01Korean and Spanish
21:03you know
21:04so
21:05this situation
21:06is very uncertain
21:08and weird
21:08that people
21:09listen to other languages
21:11but
21:12we don't listen
21:13although
21:13from the south
21:14there has been so many
21:15tracks that have come out
21:17amazing songs
21:18they do great work
21:20think about
21:21all those songs
21:22people are listening to
21:23also
21:24but
21:25I just wish that
21:26people had opened
21:27their mind a little more
21:28to listening to a
21:29fusion sort of
21:30vibe
21:31which is folk
21:32and Hindi
21:33or folk and English
21:35you know
21:35folk can be anything
21:36like rightly
21:37how you said
21:38we are very diverse
21:40with our
21:40and I love India's culture
21:42I don't have money to go out
21:44because you know
21:45in India
21:46there are so many things
21:46that you feel you are
21:47in a different country
21:48altogether
21:49so
21:51I feel that there should be
21:53more of this
21:53encouraged in the
21:54independent songs also
21:56independent market
21:56needs to infuse
21:58maybe one line of
21:59some folk
22:00or some folk sounding element
22:31or maybe one instrument
22:32established labels
22:33established
22:33famous studios of India
22:34yes
22:35which is more fun to work on
22:37if you can quote with the
22:38example
22:39which process is more rich
22:40in terms of making music
22:45I would say speaking to a movie producer
22:48is a much richer process
22:51because a movie producer just gives you a situation
22:54but if the director has a vision
22:57he will put in his vision
22:59then a music director has his own vision
23:02and a music producer has his own
23:04so
23:05all these categories
23:07means
23:08a production house
23:10is in a different zone
23:11because for them
23:12there is a whole movie
23:13they are looking at their whole movie
23:15so
23:16it's a
23:17it's a fun process
23:19when you are talking to
23:20a movie producer
23:23because the script is given to you
23:26he makes you understand
23:27the whole situation of the song
23:29if he will say
23:29that I want a promotional song
23:32then
23:33in that promotional song
23:34he will say
23:35that hey listen
23:36I need to do
23:37a rap part in it
23:39what about honey singh
23:40if he comes
23:41he has that brainstorming capability
23:44but
23:44the other creative people
23:46their direction
23:48is more focused on the story
23:51this guy is more open
23:52to making me understand
23:54what is the overall concept
23:55of the movie
23:56so it's a lot of fun
23:57interacting with
23:57movie producers
23:59yeah
23:59okay
24:00and which is that genre
24:01which you find really fun to work in
24:04or which is your go to genre
24:05to compose or make it
24:06actually in Bollywood
24:08there is no go to genre
24:09even if my
24:10if you see my playlist
24:11my playlist is also
24:13mixed of everything possible
24:15with different
24:16unnamed artists also
24:17I don't even
24:17I won't be able to tell you the names also
24:19because I
24:20I
24:21enjoy
24:23to listen to
24:24so many
24:25different genres
24:26and artists
24:27so for me
24:29the go to genre
24:30I can't say
24:31there is any
24:32because our briefs
24:33also come
24:34because if we are doing
24:35so many years in Bollywood
24:35in every situation
24:39every one
24:39has a tempo
24:40scale
24:41everything is different
24:42and to select
24:43a certain genre
24:46for it
24:46we have to go through
24:47a lot of genres
24:49because the tempos
24:50are different
24:51for each genre
24:53now
24:53to create that
24:54first track
24:55for that particular
24:57composition
24:57I have to try out
24:593-4 genres
25:00so in that
25:01we feel like
25:06there is no
25:07specific thing
25:08although I love listening
25:09to house
25:10which is
25:11vocal melodic house
25:13I love listening to
25:14those kind of genres
25:16but
25:17other than that
25:18I don't have a preference
25:19yeah
25:21and moving further
25:22you spoke about
25:22the numbers
25:23and the streaming game
25:24yeah
25:25now especially
25:26for independent artists
25:27who don't have the backing
25:28of a number
25:29but their art
25:29might be something
25:30truly world changing
25:32what would be your suggestion
25:34to them
25:35to make their music big
25:36or to present
25:37to the audience
25:37in a certain way
25:40wow
25:42there is a lot of procedure in that
25:44but actually
25:45there is no formula
25:48if you are expecting a definite answer from me
25:51there is no answer to actually market yourself
25:54and to bring yourself out in the market
25:56the only thing I feel is
25:58if you look at current trends
25:59and see where people are more popular
26:03and discover
26:04that platform is better for you
26:06because
26:08but that is around that time
26:10there are always phases for us
26:12right
26:13there was a phase when people used to look at holdings
26:16right
26:17now there is a lot of money for holdings
26:19and you mean
26:20if you put it
26:21you will get an area
26:22it is very expensive
26:24to put it up
26:25because it is all on the phone
26:27right
26:27so since the phone became so smart
26:29we have so much of
26:33you know
26:34and specially after apps
26:35like Facebook
26:36Instagram
26:36even WhatsApp
26:37now
26:38it is a good tool for marketing
26:40this thing actually
26:42helps you a lot
26:43Instagram definitely
26:44in today's times
26:45for discovering
26:46is the best
26:47because
26:48I am always on Instagram
26:50meaning
26:51you open Instagram
26:52and scroll
26:53you are doom scrolling
26:57you will find out from Spotify
26:59you will find out from anywhere
27:01YouTube
27:02you know
27:03but you are still discovering from that platform
27:05and by the way
27:06Instagram and meta ads
27:07which they have
27:08are very cheap
27:09in comparison
27:11to do your marketing outside
27:13which is
27:14set up events
27:15call paps
27:16if you want
27:17you know all that
27:18Instagram is very cheap
27:19compared to that
27:21so you can reach a lot more people
27:23so
27:23I think being intelligent
27:25is the game that
27:26any independent artist
27:28needs to figure
27:29these days
27:30that you don't have to pay more
27:31in your album art
27:33you know
27:35just make sure
27:35it's simple
27:36even if there is no video
27:37you still have the medium of reels
27:39to do a one and a half minute
27:41just make your face and song
27:43that's enough
27:44that's enough
27:45because if the song is good
27:46it will go
27:47the song first
27:49don't look at all these marketing tools
27:51first look at how you can better your song
27:53the product itself
27:54yeah
27:55okay
27:55and my next question is a bit longer
27:57so please bear with me
27:58I want to talk about
28:00the integration of AI in modern filmmaking
28:02especially in Hindi music
28:03sure
28:04of late I have observed this practice in the industry
28:06that many composers
28:08they no longer go for scratch singers
28:10either they sing it by themselves
28:11and then fine tune it with the AI
28:13but what's that doing is
28:15it's robbing the industry of
28:17you know
28:17raw talent or a sheer talent
28:19for example
28:20Arijit Singh
28:20although he sang many songs
28:22before
28:23absolutely
28:24there was one song
28:25the Ghazal and Parfi
28:26that he sang
28:26I'm forgetting the name as well now
28:29but yeah
28:30that's how he was discovered
28:31because he used to sing
28:32a lot of scratches
28:34where do you think
28:35this practice
28:36will take us
28:37are we only talking about singers
28:39or are we talking about music as well
28:41because music may be
28:43advanced too
28:43both
28:46so
28:46so
28:47I'll tell you one thing for sure
28:49is for the next 10 years
28:50I think
28:515 to 10 years
28:52we are safe
28:55but also understand
28:56why I'm saying this
28:57is because
28:58our safety
28:59it means
29:00that
29:01abhi tak jo algorithms
29:02aahi hai
29:03in AI
29:04they are not able to grasp
29:06what the human emotion is
29:09they might sound better
29:11they might suggest you something better
29:14but
29:15I'm
29:15suggestion
29:16if I use AI
29:17then I'm fine
29:18if I use a final
29:20then I have a problem
29:22because
29:22first
29:23there are laws
29:24coming
29:24AI
29:25laws
29:26are now
29:27voluntary
29:28but there are two types of laws
29:30that have come in now
29:31one is
29:32two categories
29:33in AI
29:34has come in
29:34one is an AI
29:38remastered
29:39and
29:40one is an AI
29:41infused
29:42or assisted
29:43aasa kuch hai us mein
29:45toh these two have come in now
29:47and these are voluntary
29:47as of now
29:48but I can assure you
29:49that
29:50they will become as a law
29:52very soon
29:54during that whole phase
29:55of using AI
29:56because
29:57I have studied about AI
29:59from the time
30:00it was nothing
30:00so
30:01I know exactly the progress
30:03that has happened
30:04joh cheeze
30:05joh files
30:05hum pahle
30:06load kar sakte
30:07they
30:07woh bhi nahi kar sakte
30:08kyunke rights
30:09which is great
30:10because AI can be used
30:12for original content
30:13lekin agar ap
30:14AI ko original content
30:15ke liye use kar rahe ho
30:16toh
30:17aap usko ek aid
30:18jaisi use karo
30:19kyunke
30:20uska sound
30:21achha nahi hai
30:23you cannot ever compare
30:25an AI to a live guitar playing
30:27woh toh hoi nahi paeega
30:29those
30:30for that to replace
30:32yes
30:32I will say that
30:33it will take 5 years
30:3410 years
30:35to better its own
30:37algorithms
30:38but I still don't know
30:39if the output
30:40will be the same
30:41it's too early
30:42to predict that
30:43ke it will take over
30:44it's
30:45I don't think it will ever
30:46take over
30:46regarding singers
30:48yes
30:52if I am doing a movie song
30:53and I am starting to realize
30:56that I want to cast
30:58Harijit
30:58or I want to cast
31:01Jubin
31:01Naughtial
31:02or I want to cast
31:03let's say
31:04Ashreya Ghoshal
31:06ok
31:07but I don't know
31:08how it will sound in my songs
31:10earlier
31:10I remember
31:11that
31:12there was once
31:13when we had called
31:14I won't name the singer
31:15but a really big singer
31:17to sing one of the songs
31:20now
31:20the movie producer
31:21and
31:22the production house
31:23they said
31:24that
31:24their voice is not
31:25imagine the music director's
31:29difficulties
31:30in telling that
31:31big singer
31:32that
31:34I'm sorry
31:35go to a privacy setting
31:36it's supposed to be off
31:40yeah
31:41I'll just switch this off
31:44imagine telling that
31:45big singer
31:47whoever
31:48whoever had come
31:48the music director's sitting there
31:50and he has to have a call
31:52with the singer
31:52stating the fact
31:53that
31:54hey listen
31:55your voice
31:57is not going to be
31:58suit
31:59so what do I say
32:00what do I say
32:01suit
32:01or
32:03I can't even put it on the
32:05production house
32:07so in today's day
32:09with AI
32:09I can actually
32:11judge that
32:11with
32:13doing it
32:14through AI
32:14right
32:14so I don't have to answer
32:16to anyone
32:16and everyone gets to hear
32:18that sound
32:22in that respect
32:24people need to use AI
32:26like that
32:26that
32:27scratch singing
32:29by the way
32:30scratch singing
32:31also
32:31people
32:32come for singing
32:33that
32:35will be closed
32:35unfortunately
32:36because AI
32:37but although
32:38in the Hindi language
32:40AI
32:40there's a little inclusion
32:41now
32:42because
32:43it's not that
32:44perfect
32:45there are many things
32:47like
32:48you know
32:50all that is happening now
32:52like if you have to put a word
32:54which is
32:54in singing
32:58you can't put
32:59you have to put
33:01you have to put
33:02so it sings
33:03so you have to think
33:06like as if
33:07a firang is singing
33:08like a western
33:08you know
33:10a foreigner is singing it
33:13so now
33:14I would suggest that in this particular
33:16aspect
33:17AI comes of great use
33:18where you have a demo set
33:20for singing
33:22aapko agar music demo karna hai hai
33:24toh unfortunately
33:25woh apse ek game opper hai
33:28that sound will be
33:29much better than what you can produce
33:31so you will get stuck in that zone
33:33so might as well don't reach it
33:36that is the whole point
33:37yeah
33:39and
33:39I want to talk about
33:40imperfections in art
33:42does it make it more human
33:44absolutely
33:46this is what we want
33:47that's what AI can't provide
33:50imperfection
33:50it has its own imperfections
33:52in the ways I told you
33:53but that also will be fixed
33:55this is a sunny
33:56but
33:57aapko agar
33:59you know
34:00I tried using AI in one of the songs that I did
34:05till the end of the mixing
34:07I was
34:09really unhappy
34:11and I actually
34:12my heart
34:12was unhappy
34:13that I don't own it
34:15when we are making the songs
34:17that we are making the songs
34:18that we are making the songs
34:19that we are making the songs
34:20when you are making the songs
34:21when you are making the songs
34:21you have a pride that
34:23you have made it
34:25that pride
34:25that I didn't have to do
34:26at the mixed stage
34:28I asked them
34:29I want to change the song
34:30it was a big ask
34:32and there was a lot of loss
34:33but I did it
34:35I can't tell you the song
34:36but sure
34:38okay perfect
34:39and for my last question
34:40your place is really well done
34:41I see a lot of bohemian
34:42themes and elements
34:44if you could help me
34:45understand your taste
34:46in music
34:47in art
34:48or in life in general
34:49frankly
34:50this may be cross genre
34:52because I feel that
34:54this is all a mix of
34:56contemporary
34:57as well as
34:59Mediterranean
34:59as well as bohemian
35:01you know
35:01there is so much happening here
35:04I actually
35:05love to design the studio
35:07the way that
35:07I mean
35:09I am
35:10sort of
35:10good with materials
35:12and you know
35:13how things look
35:14in a frame
35:15all that
35:15so for me
35:17it made a lot of sense
35:18to make it like a
35:19second home
35:20because technically
35:20my first home
35:21we live here
35:22we live here
35:23so
35:25you know
35:26it's supposed to be
35:27that cozy
35:28so I wanted
35:28to make it like that
35:30yeah
35:31so in your journey
35:32of 27 years
35:32of working in Bollywood
35:34just in Bollywood
35:34or other industries as well
35:37what has given you
35:37memorable associations
35:38for you with
35:39any actor
35:40or any director?
35:43there are a few
35:47one I remember
35:49distinctively
35:50distinctively
35:51well
35:52that one I remember
35:53really distinctively
35:54well
35:55is
35:56Shahrukh Khan
35:57because
35:59I am so fond of him
36:00Ravan
36:02Ravan
36:18Ravan
36:20in fact the coffee
36:22that I am having
36:22that is
36:24because of him only
36:24yeah
36:25so my association
36:27with him was
36:28very
36:29very sweet
36:29because
36:30he is actually
36:32a very very humble
36:33person
36:35I was a music producer
36:38for the background score
36:39with Vishal Shekhar
36:40and we were at
36:41Vishal Shekhar's studio
36:42and I had my own room
36:44for producing
36:46when he used to
36:48he used to come everyday
36:48right
36:49he used to come everyday
36:53right
36:53and he used to have a lot of coffee
36:59and he used to have a lot of coffee
36:59so there was a guy
37:00who was obviously his helper
37:02who used to come and set up
37:03one coffee machine
37:04and he used to keep having coffee
37:06sitting there
37:06and whenever he wanted to come
37:08in the room
37:08he would actually stand outside the door
37:10and ask me
37:11can I come in
37:12I was like
37:13it is your movie
37:15you are paying me
37:16please come
37:17you know
37:18but
37:19that was different
37:20then every time
37:21I used to step out
37:22and he was having a cup of coffee
37:23I used to say
37:24what is this?
37:25like what coffee are you having?
37:27he said
37:27okay come sit
37:27he was very excited
37:28he said come sit
37:30he asked the guy to make a coffee
37:31I said but what is this coffee?
37:32he said see
37:33this is this machine called Nespresso
37:35and that Nespresso machine
37:36is in the pods
37:37which is not available here
37:39I am from US
37:41you will get it outside only
37:43I said okay let me try it
37:44I tried it
37:45I loved it so much
37:47because
37:47you put one pod
37:49and you get coffee in one second
37:51and such beautiful coffee right?
37:53so
37:54I got the exact same machine
37:56the exact same color
37:58of that machine
37:59it is right outside in the studio right now
38:02from then I have been using this machine
38:04and I always remember them
38:08and not only that
38:09after 6 months of me
38:13associating with him like that
38:14I saw him in Yashraj
38:17and I thought he wouldn't remember
38:19so I just went
38:20but he actually got out of his car again
38:23and then he came to greet me
38:25and he said
38:25what are you doing here?
38:28there are such fond memories
38:29you know of these people
38:30who you think are completely inaccessible
38:33but they are such good people
38:35then there was one with Hrithik
38:36so Hrithik is still good with me
38:39where we speak now and then
38:41but
38:43when I was doing this
38:45HRX trailer
38:47I was doing
38:48he had just launched the product
38:50and he wanted me to do
38:51because I knew him from
38:52Kresh, Bang Bang
38:53you know
38:53all those movies also
38:55he had come home
38:56to
38:57in the studio basically
38:58at that time
38:59I had a studio in my house
39:00so he had come there
39:02and
39:03he came and he was
39:05he
39:05he wanted to do some changes
39:07in the
39:08track
39:09he came
39:10I sat down
39:11within 10 minutes
39:12changes ho gaia
39:13he's like
39:14aray, mein toh doh ghante laaya tha
39:15toh meinne polo
39:17then he was like
39:17chalo koinih, baat karte hai
39:19I said okay cool
39:20then I started asking him about
39:22questions of
39:23how does your face look
39:25slimmer
39:26on screen
39:27you know
39:27he actually
39:29opened his phone
39:30and made me
39:31see his
39:33his
39:34test shots
39:35of lenses
39:36he was like
39:37dekho
39:38humare face mein
39:39yeh thode se upare hoote hai cheekbones
39:41even yours is the same
39:42toh us mein
39:43we should use a
39:44120
39:45you know
39:46or
39:47something which is
39:48around that
39:49125
39:49or whatever that
39:51lens is
39:52so he said
39:53we should use that lens
39:54but I said
39:55but that's very expensive
39:56like you know
39:57and it's a
39:58technically telly
39:59toh it's expensive
40:01toh it's expensive
40:02toh he said
40:02yeah but I mean
40:03I have my budgets
40:04na
40:04he is a very wonderful guy
40:09and then every time
40:10he would bump into me
40:10somewhere or the other
40:11you would go like
40:12hey what's up
40:13you know
40:13aise karke
40:15these are the people that
40:16you see on screen
40:18but when you see them
40:19like this outside
40:20unke liye piyaar aur bada hai
40:21yeah
40:22and talking specifically
40:24about Shah Rukh
40:25you know
40:25a lot of things to learn
40:27from him as an artist
40:28as a human being
40:28yeah
40:29what is it that you have
40:30picked up from him
40:30apart from the coffee
40:32I've picked up humility
40:35I've picked up that
40:38I remember there was an instance
40:39where the first board of Ravan
40:41that had come out
40:42hoarding
40:44he had forgotten to put Vishal Shekha's name
40:48and this had been a big issue with them
40:50I think around that time
40:54but he actually came to the studio specially
40:57he waited outside the door
41:01he wouldn't go in until they would come out
41:04then when they came out
41:05he actually sat down and said
41:07I'm really sorry I forgot
41:09and it won't happen again
41:12but what do you think
41:14what do you need to do such a big star
41:17when you hear all these stories
41:19you understand
41:21what humility is
41:24and he doesn't actually need to be that humble
41:27but as a person
41:28as nature
41:29he is very humble
41:30so that's what I learnt from him
41:32that whatever you grow up
41:33don't forget your ground
41:34yeah
41:36and I'm tempted to ask one last question
41:38you spoke about humility
41:40now you've been working for so many years
41:41of course
41:42the accumulation of power
41:43that you have as an artist
41:45yes
41:45how do you balance power and humility?
41:48I actually don't socialize as much
41:51I had changed my thing very well
41:55about 10 years back
41:5810-12 years back
41:59Sangat
42:00I completely changed it
42:02I didn't
42:03so with me what I do is
42:05I don't go to places
42:07places where
42:07there is no transaction
42:09I don't meet people
42:10where there is no transaction
42:11I don't meet people
42:25where there is no transaction
42:37I will only come if there is work related talks
42:39or there is some productivity happening between us
42:42so I have changed that song
42:45and that song
42:46is a lot of loss
42:47too many people go out of your life
42:49too many people go out of your life
42:50but that also gets you to focus on where you want to go ahead
42:54in your life
42:55in your goals
42:56there is so much life
42:57where do you spend it?
43:00you can't
43:01you can't
43:02you can't
43:03you can't possibly waste that time
43:04if you have that ambition
43:06if you have that ambition
43:07if you don't have ambition
43:08and you have to get a 9 to 5 job
43:11or you have to become an independent musician
43:14or an artist
43:15who you are making songs
43:18there is also a deadline
43:20but
43:21I mean
43:21I mean
43:22I mean
43:24without ambition
43:26I don't think
43:27like
43:28there is no fun
43:28without ambition
43:29there is no fun without goals
43:31there is no fun without deadlines
43:32which is why
43:33then again
43:34if you tell me
43:35that I have 10 days
43:36I will do it on the 9th day
43:37yeah
43:39okay
43:39and lastly
43:41do you crave for always being the smartest man in the room
43:44or you would
43:44not at all
43:45not at all
43:46whenever I have my presentations
43:48I will press the space bar on my computer
43:50and I will stand in a corner
43:51because
43:52the smartest one in the room is not me
43:54it is my work
43:56yeah
43:57so this is what
43:58this is what I love to show people
44:00is my work is bigger than me
44:02it is
44:03at a much higher stature
44:05than who I am
44:07you have told me
44:09on the phone
44:10that my work looks good
44:12that will be the biggest thing for me
44:14you know
44:15yeah
44:17yeah
44:17perfect
44:17on that note
44:18thank you so much
44:19thank you
44:21thank you
44:21thank you for
44:22thank you for coming
44:23yeah
44:24yeah
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