" Jal", your latest Bollywood venture, will see you pair up with Sonu Nigam as the latest music director duo on the block. For the film, you've dabbled with a new type of sound - Muddy Electronica. Tell us about this so-far-unheard-of genre...
Sonu and I have zeroed in on this name as we feel there's a lot of honesty in our approach - a proximity to 'mitti' in our sound. Hence, the word 'muddy'. At the same time there's an interesting electronic backdrop. This juxtaposition is the basis of our sound.
How did you come up with the number, "You fill my life"?
Girish Malik, the director of "Jal", wanted an English song for a love-making scene. Girish is an amazing director with a great vision. We created "You fill" as a Hindi-English song. I wrote the English lyrics and Sonu penned the Hindi lines. While we got Suzanne to sing the English bit, Ustadji Ghulam Mustafa Khan saab rendered the thumris. Sonu has played the harmonica. The song, a fusion number in the true sense of the term, has turned out beautifully. It's filmed on Purab Kohli and Keerti Kulhari.
After a hiatus, you are back with a bang with films like " Nobel Chor". What's on the anvil?
Yes, I was a little disillusioned with film scores. So, I started concentrating more on albums. While I loved composing for films like "Little Zizou", the mindset of most directors and their absolute negligence of the importance of background music as a nuanced art form had put me off for a while. With a new lot of artistically connected directors coming into the picture, both in Bengal and Mumbai, things are looking up. I've scored for four Bangla films including "Aborto". In Hindi, Sonu and I are working on "Jal" and "Sooper se Ooper". Talks are on for a bunch of other films too.
How did the association with Sonu Nigam happen?
We met for the first time through our common friend Manisha Dey. Sonu had lent his voice for my song, "Dhundo", for Ashoke Vishwanathan's "Gumshuda". We hit it off rightaway. We chatted for hours before finally recording the number. Thereafter, we kept in touch through phone and finally decided to take the connection forward and do an album. So we started work on "Heart and Beat". We are 70% done on that front. While working, we found that our camaraderie was interesting. The aesthetic sensibilities were similar. It was Sonu's idea to team up. Then "Jal" came to me and I asked him if we should start out with this film. He said "Absolutely"!
From "Jal" to "Sooper se Ooper", how has it been working with Sonu?
Marvellous! We sit for hours, often through the night, and talk about crazy ideas. Our approach towards both music and life are hatke and that's what makes us stand out. You are no alien to such collaborations. But can clash of egos be completely ruled out? Where there is love and mutual respect, these things don't find entry. We both love music too much to give importance to our respective egos.
From Terra Groove with Greg Ellis to Muddy Electronica with Sonu, how do you come up with these names?
It's the mitti connect - the connect to truth because that's what you search in any art form. However, in all honesty, Muddy Electronica was Sonu's suggestion and Terra Groove was Greg's!
One hears that you still get quite a few acting offers...
Yes, I get plenty of film offers. I cannot accept them for two reasons. There are shows, albums, film assignments and I can't take a month off to do a film. The other thing is that I am trying to build a legacy with my music. At this point, I don't want to get confused. But if there's a film that deals with the trials of a musician's life, I am game for it.
You played a classical tabla solo to a full house in London last month. This month you're off to London to play at the Alchemy festival. How do manage to switch gears constantly?
I love the movement in my life. The challenges that come along rejuvenate me. Apart from that, I love London as it's a melting pot of energies, ideas and creative possibilities.
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/regional/bengali/news-interviews/I-was-a-little-disillusioned-with-film-scores-Bickram/articleshow/12742829.cms
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