'Aaja Nachle' - Page 4

And how did you go about it?

Salim: We were under tremendous psychological pressure. Nothing was happening. It was then that we decided that such pressures were foolish. Once we decided to junk that the tunes just started flowing.
Sulaiman: And yet after completing the other songs we were very confused about the title-song. We worked on it so much that we had seven or eight different options, all with different lyrics. But we finally got it right.

Salim: She has loved the songs. A major star like her with a history of music and dance would have probably refused to work unless the songs were to her liking!

Your music is known for its high energy and beats, likewise Madhuri's hits. But Aaja Nachle has a sedate tenor. Why is that?

Sulaiman: Like I said, we moved away from the pressures of yardsticks. We wanted the fun and play with the maturity of Madhuri Dixit today. We had options to play with and the music had to be mature and not sound like a reprises of her past hits. We did not want the first reaction to be, "Oh, it's similar to that song of hers!" That is also the reason why we have given her playback voices who have never sung for her before.
Salim: The title-song begins with classical terms like Jhanak jhanak jhankaar. We have used Kathak ke bol and mixed tradition with folk and beats too. You see, as film composers it is vital to compose for the story. Here the story is set in a small-town. So the energy that would be perhaps seen in a hardcore dance track or a club number had to be attenuated. The dance numbers needed class, weight and melody more than hooklines and speed and had to be true to the film. If we had done the typical dhamaakedaar songs the result would have been maybe instant hit songs that would have gradually palled. But now people are saying, "Oh, what is this?" and I am loving that reaction!

This is how you approached Chak De! India and Dor too, right?

Salim: Yes, when the music goes with the screenplay it makes a lot of difference. Aaja Nachle is not about just pandering to the market with a collection of hit music videos! It required a certain mood and sincerity with layers. Take Chak De! India, which faced the same unimpressive feedback till the film got released. Adi wanted an anthem that could be attributed to any sport, not only hockey, and Jaideep Sahni and we managed it! But the songs were appreciated and became hits only when they were seen in the context of the film, helped by the fact that the film surpassed everyone's expectations.

Your first foray into films was as background music directors in Hameshaa a decade ago. What changes have you seen in that field in ten years?

Sulaiman: Change is constant - whether in technology or trends. New ideas, new thoughts, new studios, equipments and software - it's all happening. But I am happy that background music is getting a lot of critical play and attention. Filmmakers are actually planning the music well in advance.

You were also programming music a lot for Anu Malik, Jatin-Lalit, Vishal-Shekhar, Pritam and others. Are you still into it?

Sulaiman: No, we are not able to do it because of time constraints. Background music remains our first love, though, even for others' films.

Which are the films that you are doing as song composers?

Sulaiman: We have composed a track in Nagesh Kukunoor's Bombay To Bangkok. We have Nagesh's Aashayein and Eight By Ten - the latter stars Akshay Kumar and was originally to be titled Tasveerein. We are doing Madhur Bhandarkar's Fashion and two animation films, Roadside Romeo and Kootchie Kootchie Hota Hai.

Is your approach to animation films different in any way?

Salim: Of course, it is. We cannot forget that we have to make music for unreal characters, and in Roadside Romeo they are not even human beings but animals who are almost human! There is a certain innate comic value in the effect of an animated character lip-synching a 'filmi' song and since the spirit is different, the lyrics too should be a departure from the regular songs.

Are your playback voices different too?

Salim: No, we are using the regular singers like Kunal Ganjawala, Sunidhi Chauhan, Sukhwinder Singh and Gayatri Iyer. The lyrics are very clever though, and Jaideep Sahni in Roadside Romeo and Irfan Siddique in Kootchie Kootchie Hota Hai have brought in a lot of freshness.