Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s musical efforts have been as extravagant and larger-than-life as his luxuriously painted canvases. The filmmaker, who additionally doubled up as a music composer together with his movie Guzaarish, all the time had a penchant for people tunes and ballads, classical western music and opera. A filmmaker for whom songs are an intrinsic a part of storytelling — not for him the ‘special numbers’ and songs enjoying within the background — SLB is the antithesis to the present faculty of thought that believes music may be an afterthought.
As Sanjay Leela Bhansali celebrates his birthday as we speak, we communicate to his frequent collaborator Ismail Darbar to know the notes of their relationship and the way earworms like “Tadap Tadap Ke” had been made. He additionally sheds gentle on the very fact why they haven’t collaborated since Devdas in 2002.
Excerpts from the interview:
SLB has an awesome ear for music
One of one of the best issues about Sanjay is that he listens to lots of world music. I’m a musician, I’ve performed violin all my life and my household was into music, however even I had by no means heard a lot music in my life. He would hearken to Pancham Da, pure classical, symphony, opera, he would hearken to all types of music and he understood it. He opened up these home windows for me to know music higher. He would focus on all this music with me and slowly I received into it. Sanjay has a very good ear for music. Composers must do lots of ‘tigdam baazi’ (manipulation) at instances to promote their music or to deliver it nearer to the filmmaker’s thought. I by no means even needed to do it with Sanjay.
Our tuning received higher with time
There had been instances if Sanjay needed to say one thing, I’d know from his eyes. We didn’t want to speak with phrases, our tuning received higher with each track we made. He can be ‘bade gussewala’ (extraordinarily quick tempered) and moody. But we had an understanding, when it got here to music we had been utterly sincere with one another. We would preserve all our variations apart, churn out one of the best, it was a technique of self realisation, we gave all of it we had in us, we by no means massaged one another’s egos.
Tried looking for SLB in each filmmaker
God has given me delivery to make music, so I wish to be true to my music. So when folks began telling what to make so it may possibly promote, I made a decision to take a again seat and wait it out. I used to be searching for Sanjay in each filmmaker. I needed them to reciprocate to my music the way in which he did, give me suggestions the way in which he did. But you’ll be able to’t discover a Sanjay Leela Bhansali in all places. The greatest self proclaimed ‘music moguls’ in our nation as we speak received’t be a ‘surila insaan’ (music lover) like Sanjay.
I ended having fun with the method of creating music
At one level, I ended having fun with the method of creating music. I began craving to work with somebody who understands my music. I saved feeling how my music wanted his imaginative and prescient. No filmmaker understood my music like he did, ‘iss baat se meri aatma ko bohot takleef hoti thi (it hurt me the most)’. My work stopped making me completely happy. Sanjay by no means hid something from me. He has confirmed me all his music and that he made with out me, he has taken me by Gangubai Kathiawadi’s music too. He isn’t insecure about his work, he by no means broke ties with me. We embarked upon a singular journey with Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, and he has maintained that relationship.
I should have damaged that relationship 100 instances, however he by no means gave up on me. He has given me all of the love and respect and ‘maine kabhi usse beimaani nahi ki’ (I’ve by no means damaged his belief). God is aware of, each time I gave him suggestions, I used to be sincere with him. There have been instances when now we have fought, and gone with out talking with one another for four- six months, however that’s it, then we get again to being regular. That’s a relentless for the reason that previous 25 years.
I’ve seen Sanjay stay by my songs, he would hear every track a number of instances, lots of of instances after which picturised it. ‘Kitni mehnat karta tha, aur karvata tha, woh harr ek gaane pe (he used to put in so much effort to shoot his songs)’. He would sit and focus on each particulars of the track with me, he would inform me the temper, how he’s going to direct it, he would make me think about each scenario that may be in a track.
Favourite track from Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam
When I used to be struggling, I used to go for auditions. I’d play what I needed to after which on the finish I’d play my favorite track, which is now the title monitor of Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. I’d inform them that I’ve performed what they needed to listen to, now I needed them to hearken to my favorite track. No one received it, nobody understood this track, they’d name it lengthy and tiring, gradual and sloppy.
Nobody was taking that track, however I refused to vary even one be aware of it. And one advantageous day, ‘ittefaq se’ (accidently), I had my first assembly with Sanjay. So, I did what I all the time did. I made him hear what he needed to and within the final I made him hear my favorite track. He made me sing the track thrice. That was it, for the primary time I discovered somebody who needed to listen to my favorite track greater than as soon as.
After that assembly I waited for six months, made Sanjay hearken to extra songs, however Sanjay by no means finalised me. I used to be getting drained struggling, actually, I had change into determined.
Then sooner or later, I referred to as Sanjay as much as inform him that I needed him to listen to this one explicit track, and he requested me why I used to be sounding so unhappy. So I rode my Kinetic (scooter), reached his workplace and made him hear ‘Tadap Tadap’ in KK’s voice, I solely had the primary antra prepared, however I needed him to listen to it. You received’t consider it, however that day, Sanjay heard that track 9 instances. I didn’t realise what was taking place till I noticed him weeping. It was like a comedy scene, he was crying and I used to be completely happy. I had discovered somebody who beloved my track a lot, that day, after listening to this track lastly signed me because the music director for Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam.
