Himesh Reshammiya on a new high

Excerpts from the Interview:

How to you feel being in the top slot of charts week after week?

It's good to get paid back for the work that you do. When people appreciate you hearing your song again and again there is a feeling of contentment and also the zest to work better and deliver more good work to keep the success going. I feel that I've to keep improving. I'm prepared to deliver hit songs and also abide by the not so good ones. Everything is so unpredictable.

Your music has helped lots of films do well at the box office?

If the music is a hit it helps the film. If the film is a hit it helps the music. It works both ways. I believe that my music can definitely set the mood and feel of the film. The music gets released first and if it works it acts as an advantage for the film.

You seem to have a new look and a new attitude after the success spree?

I can be caught mostly in my cap and leather jacket. I consider the accessories as my lucky mascot and have decided to go with it for most of the time. Certainly this is my new image. After 'Aashiq Banaya Aapne' I decided to make some difference. Prashant Chaddha has redone my new look.

Your music is rocking the nation. Where do you look from here?

I'm basically sticking to composing youthful music right now as per the theme of the film. Most of my music now is infused with Sufi, rap and raag approach, which is the rage of the season now. But I'm also looking for a change soon. I would like to score using world music. I'm apt with it and also know how to infuse it. I'm waiting for the right film to get started.

You must be having lots of work pressure. How do you manage the compositions?

There is pressure and so it is necessary to distribute your work. I stick to composing only three songs a day so that I don't over run the freshness of the songs. I begin with a prayer, make notes of the lyrics, sort through my store of notes, understand the genre of film, pick the tune and make it raag based, place the words and orchestrate it accordingly and start working after that.

Interesting. What does your store of notes comprise?

I've now more than thousand notes in my store. All these are the collections that I've stored over the years. Most of them are rap-based. I idolize R D Burman and Laxmikant Pyarelal and always stick to making their kind of music.

To my father Bipin Reshammiya. He has been my pillar of strengths throughout. He listens to all the tunes I compose and gives a verdict to it instantly. As he has a good insight into music, his comments are always valuable. And also to Salman Khan. He gave me the first opportunity with 'Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya'. Last but not the least to God who has made things works for me.

What are the other great projects lined up?

It's good that the filmmakers who approach me for the music give me the liberty to compose at my own will. They've the faith that I'll compose the next chartbuster for them. So expectations are really high from me. My forthcoming musicals will be Abbas-Mustan's 36 China Town, Satish Kaushik's Milenge Milenge, Feroz Nadiadwala's Phir Hera Pheri, Anil Sharma's Apne, my debut music album 'Aap Ka Surroor'.