Posted:
Its an old interview....but very interesting one....
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By Subhash K. Jha, Indo-Asian News Service (byline mandatory) Mumbai, July 24 (IANS) He has always been the odd one out.
Rajesh Roshan holds a special place among the music composers who crash-landed after Laxmikant-Pyarelal and R.D. Burman. He works at his own pace and doesn't allow his style to be dictated by music charts.
Now he is back in the news for his tunes in brother Rakesh Roshan's "Koi Mil Gaya". But the reclusive man told IANS in an interview that today's Bollywood composers had little to look forward to. Here are excerpts:
Q: Why don't we hear more of your compositions?
A: I can't work the way composers are required to function today. It's very essential to get film music back on the right track. I've always composed the way I felt was right. But I've adapted to changing trends. I remember I was the first composer to use a synthesiser in my songs for "Papa Kehte Hain".
Q: Being closely associated with your brother Rakesh Roshan's films from the time he produced "Kaam Chor" has restricted your output?
A: Not really. The problem is with the type of films being made. I don't think anyone is interested in quality music. Today's films might be successful but they lack actual merit. A composer has nothing to look forward to.
For a film called "Moksha" I composed the songs after the scenes were already shot. I pleaded with them to shoot after recording the songs. But they didn't listen to me.
Q: At times like these do you feel like a misfit?
A: I do feel like a misfit. But I've never lost my balance. In recent times, "Gadar", "Devdas" and "Lagaan" were fine films. I'd have loved to compose for them. I tune very well with Basu Chatterjee and a filmmaker called Rakesh Kumar who produced "Yaaraana" and "Mr Natwarlal". I consider the songs of these two films among my highlights.
I'd love to work with Sanjay Leela Bhansali. He understands music. I'm doing a film for Basu Chatterjee called "Prateeksha". I did some of my better work for his films like "Priyatama", "Swami" and "Khatta Meetha".
Q: Do you think your songs in "Koi Mil Gaya" will be as successful as "Kaho Na...Pyar Hai"?
A: I never expected so much appreciation for "Koi Mil Gaya". I was very scared about people's expectation after "Kaho Na...Pyar Hai". "Koi Mil Gaya" was more difficult to compose. We were constantly conscious of doing something out of the ordinary. It'd have been the easiest thing in the world for me to copy the "Kaho Na...Pyar Hai" formula. I had to avoid that at any cost.
My brother Rakesh Roshan helped me stay true to my tunes. For instance I had composed a fast title track, like "Kaho Na...Pyar Hai". My brother told me to redo the tune, make it less conventional.
Q: Which have been your most satisfying scores?
A: I don't know why, but my songs in "Yaaraana" are close to my heart. Then there's "Julie", "Kunwara Baap" and "Kaho Na...Pyar Hai". Now there's "Koi Mil Gaya". And if you ask me to pick my one favourite song, it'd have to be "Dil kya kare" from "Julie".
I've been trying to compose songs keeping the layman in mind. Some years ago when Nadeem-Shravan came into our films I learnt the virtues of accessibility. I wondered why they made such a strong impact. I realised my music needed to be appreciated by the maximum number of people.
Q: Producers say you save your best tunes for your brother.
A: See it's all about fine-tuning. Many producers come prepared to strike down my tunes no matter what. They don't have any faith in the music director. On the other hand a music-minded filmmaker like Subhash Ghai had okayed all my compositions in "Vishwanath" without any fuss.
In my brother's production, "Kaam Chor", there was a duet by Lata Mangeshkar and Kishore Kumar "Tum sang preet lagayi". I had originally offered that tune to Rakesh Kumar. My brother overheard the song. When Rakesh Kumar rejected it, my brother grabbed it for his film. Our father was a reputed composer himself, so my brother knows how to get the best out of me.
Q: Do you feel handicapped by the quality of voices?
A: Surely I do. I miss recording with the golden voices like Lataji and Kishore Kumar. When they'd record a song for me, I'd proudly strut around with the tune like a prized possession. I'm trying very, very hard to work with new voices, like Pamela Jain, Shweta Pandit, Madhushree and Shreya Ghosal.
But no one seems interested in quality work. All they want to do is earn
some money, buy a bungalow and a few cars.
Q: And the male voices?
A: There's a problem with the male singers. Producers insist that I use the established voices. They aren't that adamant about the female voices.
--Indo-Asian News Service
(Sorry the article is a saved one so dnt hv the source link...if anyone find it do post it)
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A Bollywood music composer's lament
By Subhash K. Jha, Indo-Asian News Service (byline mandatory) Mumbai, July 24 (IANS) He has always been the odd one out.
Rajesh Roshan holds a special place among the music composers who crash-landed after Laxmikant-Pyarelal and R.D. Burman. He works at his own pace and doesn't allow his style to be dictated by music charts.
Now he is back in the news for his tunes in brother Rakesh Roshan's "Koi Mil Gaya". But the reclusive man told IANS in an interview that today's Bollywood composers had little to look forward to. Here are excerpts:
Q: Why don't we hear more of your compositions?
A: I can't work the way composers are required to function today. It's very essential to get film music back on the right track. I've always composed the way I felt was right. But I've adapted to changing trends. I remember I was the first composer to use a synthesiser in my songs for "Papa Kehte Hain".
Q: Being closely associated with your brother Rakesh Roshan's films from the time he produced "Kaam Chor" has restricted your output?
A: Not really. The problem is with the type of films being made. I don't think anyone is interested in quality music. Today's films might be successful but they lack actual merit. A composer has nothing to look forward to.
For a film called "Moksha" I composed the songs after the scenes were already shot. I pleaded with them to shoot after recording the songs. But they didn't listen to me.
Q: At times like these do you feel like a misfit?
A: I do feel like a misfit. But I've never lost my balance. In recent times, "Gadar", "Devdas" and "Lagaan" were fine films. I'd have loved to compose for them. I tune very well with Basu Chatterjee and a filmmaker called Rakesh Kumar who produced "Yaaraana" and "Mr Natwarlal". I consider the songs of these two films among my highlights.
I'd love to work with Sanjay Leela Bhansali. He understands music. I'm doing a film for Basu Chatterjee called "Prateeksha". I did some of my better work for his films like "Priyatama", "Swami" and "Khatta Meetha".
Q: Do you think your songs in "Koi Mil Gaya" will be as successful as "Kaho Na...Pyar Hai"?
A: I never expected so much appreciation for "Koi Mil Gaya". I was very scared about people's expectation after "Kaho Na...Pyar Hai". "Koi Mil Gaya" was more difficult to compose. We were constantly conscious of doing something out of the ordinary. It'd have been the easiest thing in the world for me to copy the "Kaho Na...Pyar Hai" formula. I had to avoid that at any cost.
My brother Rakesh Roshan helped me stay true to my tunes. For instance I had composed a fast title track, like "Kaho Na...Pyar Hai". My brother told me to redo the tune, make it less conventional.
Q: Which have been your most satisfying scores?
A: I don't know why, but my songs in "Yaaraana" are close to my heart. Then there's "Julie", "Kunwara Baap" and "Kaho Na...Pyar Hai". Now there's "Koi Mil Gaya". And if you ask me to pick my one favourite song, it'd have to be "Dil kya kare" from "Julie".
I've been trying to compose songs keeping the layman in mind. Some years ago when Nadeem-Shravan came into our films I learnt the virtues of accessibility. I wondered why they made such a strong impact. I realised my music needed to be appreciated by the maximum number of people.
Q: Producers say you save your best tunes for your brother.
A: See it's all about fine-tuning. Many producers come prepared to strike down my tunes no matter what. They don't have any faith in the music director. On the other hand a music-minded filmmaker like Subhash Ghai had okayed all my compositions in "Vishwanath" without any fuss.
In my brother's production, "Kaam Chor", there was a duet by Lata Mangeshkar and Kishore Kumar "Tum sang preet lagayi". I had originally offered that tune to Rakesh Kumar. My brother overheard the song. When Rakesh Kumar rejected it, my brother grabbed it for his film. Our father was a reputed composer himself, so my brother knows how to get the best out of me.
Q: Do you feel handicapped by the quality of voices?
A: Surely I do. I miss recording with the golden voices like Lataji and Kishore Kumar. When they'd record a song for me, I'd proudly strut around with the tune like a prized possession. I'm trying very, very hard to work with new voices, like Pamela Jain, Shweta Pandit, Madhushree and Shreya Ghosal.
But no one seems interested in quality work. All they want to do is earn
some money, buy a bungalow and a few cars.
Q: And the male voices?
A: There's a problem with the male singers. Producers insist that I use the established voices. They aren't that adamant about the female voices.
--Indo-Asian News Service
(Sorry the article is a saved one so dnt hv the source link...if anyone find it do post it)
