Wielding the baton of success

For composer Anu Malik, stability has come only after a long innings in mainstream cinema. Here he talks to GIRIJA RAJENDRAN on his odyssey of struggle, perseverance and acceptance.

WITH THE sustained success of his music in films such as `Refugee', `Josh', `Har Dil Jo Pyaar Karega' and `Fiza', Anu Malik, who is riding the success wave, feels stable at last in his career - after being 17 years in the mainstream. Still young in years and at heart, Anu Malik is naturally pleased with the warm reception that his music has been receiving from the upbeat- market crowd for which it is trendily made - in tune with the tempo of the times.

``When did you first start feeling confident about yourself as a composer?''

``With my scores for Abbas-Mastan's `Baazigar' and Mahesh Bhatt's `Phir Teri Kahani Yaad Aayee','' retorted Anu. ``I would identify my music in these two varying themes as the turning point in my career, since it was with `Baazigar' and `Phir Teri Kahani Yaad Aayee' that I won true recognition as a composer, though I had all along worked sincerely. It was for `Sohni Mahiwal', the legendary theme starring Poonam Dhillon and Sunny Deol, that I was called upon to work and that was all of 16 years ago. `Baazigar' proved a landmark movie in my career, as I gave everything I had to the off-beat theme. My music in `Baazigar' got a tremendous fillip from the movie's runaway success. Though `Phir Teri Kahani Yaad Aayee' fell into another genre altogether, it fetched for me spot notice on TV. I loved working with Mahesh Bhatt, who has this wonderful feel for music and uses songs so tellingly in his films. In the case of `Baazigar', the public and the industry alike acknowledged me as one evolving my own style of music. I knew the rest was a matter of building on my success by never failing to come up with fresh inputs. Scoring for films is a constant process of updating yourself and your music.''

``Which in your experience so far,'' I enquired, ``has been the most difficult theme to score for and why?''

``Something like J. P. Dutta's `Border','' noted Anu, ``really sets your creative instincts working. Because, as a war theme exploring a new dimension altogether, `Border' needed a different kind of approach for the music to blend effectively with the narrative. Today, the `Border' theme-song, `Sandesen aate hain', stands both appreciated and awarded, so that I feel fulfilled about having met the complex musical demands of the challenging theme. As a cinematically aware director, J. P. Dutta is a man who is never satisfied with the first tune that is placed before him. Detailing the peculiar needs of the war subject, J. P. Dutta kept coaxing me to do better and better, even encouraging me to experiment in my `Border' score.''

``This is a musically energising quality that Subhash Ghai, too, has in him,'' continued Anu, ``and that is what draws out the best in a composer. Such directors as Subhash Ghai and J. P. Dutta - with a ready mental vision of the music they want for the situation - make the composer in you reach out beyond what you think is your limit. I should know, because I am, right now, working with Subhash Ghai on his latest film, `Yaadein', and am thoroughly enjoying the potentially trail-blazing trip. There are seven numbers in `Yaadein' and you will find each song to be a thematic compostion in itself. What I like about Subhash Ghai is the way he encourages you to break the barriers and establish norms by which you endeavour to come up with something absolutely new.''

``Subhash Ghai is an established film-maker,'' I drew Anu's attention. ``How was it working with a first-time director in Khalid Mohamed on `Fiza'?''

``I loved the ambience that Khalid created during the recording of the `Fiza' songs,'' observed Anu. ``Khalid first gave me the complete feel of the unusual theme and then allowed me to work out the mood of the music that should be going with it. The results are in front of you. The songs of `Fiza' have caught on with the young and the not so young alike. Today, after over a decade and a half at the job, I can boldly say that I feel mentally equipped to come up with the right kind of score for any theme. In Mansoor Khan's `Josh', you could not have missed the Goan flavour that my music generates. There is still a little child in me that comes to the fore when I have to compose fun numbers like `Sailaroo Sailare' (in `Josh'), or `Aayilaare aayilaare' (in `Jung'), or `Waah ji waah, waah ji waah, bhaaji waah waah waah' (in `Duplicate'). A composer needs to be an all- rounder - featherweight when the subject's need is that, genuinely serious in temperament when the scenario requires him to be so.''

``Was `Fiza', in this light, a difficult theme to compose?''

``You bet it was! For, in `Fiza', I had to come up with something that matched the spot-hit songs that were the highlight of Hrithik Roshan's sensational debut film, `Kaho Naa Pyar Hai'. `Fiza' was but the second release of Hrithik, who had become an icon already. Even as I started composing for `Fiza', I sensed Hrithik to be a very good dancer. So I invested the movements in the romantic number, `Aa jaa maahiya', with a certain grace, so as to focus upon this talent in the boy, a talent so vital in mainstream cinema.''

``How,'' I sought to know, ``is composing for an idol of Shah Rukh Khan's vintage different from what you have to score for someone so `current' as Hrithik?''

Anu welcomed the opportunity to field this question. ``Shah Rukh,'' Anu pointed out, ``has talking eyes and can express himself so soulfully through them. So I generally give him intense numbers to emphasise this winning aspect of his persona. Each actor has his own plus points and I try to highlight these in my numbers for the actor. You will see my point here when I cite the example of Salman Khan's naughty-naughty on-screen character in my `Har Dil Jo Pyaar Karega' number: `Ek garam chaai ki pyaali ho'.''

``In today's much-hyped TV set-up,'' I asked, ``isn't it far easier to sell your music to the audience - an audience already captive in the drawing-room?''

``You are wrong there, you know!'' argued Anu. ``True, there is music all around us now. Every idiom of music, made in this world, is now available at the press of a button. So, unless your own work is of a very high order, is original-sounding and is lasting in quality, nobody is going to buy the idea. Today, music is as much `seen' as it is heard. Today, a CD is an investment. Today, the viewer would put his money on something only if it gave him listening pleasure for some length of time. To this extent, the music-maker of today has to work that much harder to be heard. So my approach to music, in 2000 A.D., is: `Back to the basics!' You have to fall back on the melody inherent in your own musical legacy rather than chase some foreign influence, as I misguidedly did once. Technology has advanced so much that you have now to be near `futurisitic' in your composing outlook. Fortunately, even films made in Bollywood have started demanding this kind of inventiveness in composition, so that melody is on the way back. It is, indeed, again an era in which a composer has to be on his innovative toes.''

``Who were your earliest musical influences?''

``Music has been inside my home all along - with my father, Sardar Malik, composing for movies from the `Fifties and `Sixties down. In my school and college days, Shanker-Jaikishen held a terrific fascination for the total romance in their music. They transported me to another world with their songs. I also admire R. D. Burman's versatility. He could give you an `Ek chatur naar' (in `Padosan'); or a `Chingari koi bhadke' (in `Amar Prem'); or a `Piya tu ab ho aa jaa' (in `Caravan'). What multifaceted talent! Shall I tell you something? A little of me died with each of the now departed composers who were still active in films when I came in - composers like R. D. Burman, Laxmikant and Kalyanji. Looking back on their careers, I have realised that success and failure are but two sides of the same coin. Don't forget, I have already faced my darkest days, early in my career, so you won't have me hanging around, waiting for producers to turn up, once they have found someone else to compose for their films!

Music is in my system, true, but there are other interests equally important in life. Nothing is more important than my family - my wife and two daughters. I love travelling and reading. My mental horizons extend beyond instant music.

And my wife shares my varied interests in life. So I don't expect to break if and when the downslide in my career comes.

One thing this razzledazzle industry has taught me is that nothing is permanent in life. From failure you learn; from success you learn to be humble.''

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