Tanishk Bagchi, who is kicked about his latest release '
Fake Ishq' in '
Housefull 3', gets nostalgic about his big break in Bollywood and why he thinks many composers working on a project is a good trend...
His debut song, '
Banno' (from '
Tanu Weds Manu Returns') catapulted him into the big league and Tanishk Bagchi followed it up with equally successful numbers like '
Bolna' ('Kapoor & Sons'), 'Allah Hu Allah' and 'Rabba' ('Sarbjit') and now 'Fake Ishq' ('Housefull 3').
In a conversation with Bombay Times, the composer tells us why he believes everyone should have ���song banks��� and how he is hoping to create music out of nothing...
Within two years, you���ve managed to become a household name in Bollywood..(Laughs) My journey started with 'Tanu Weds Manu Returns'. Before this, I used to produce and arrange music for TV shows, including 'Dance India Dance' and 'Thapki Pyar Ki'. I had a bank of songs, but I was scared to play it to others. But after 'Banno' became popular, people started giving me importance and I gained the confidence to pitch my tunes to others. My friend Vayu, also a lyricist, and I collaborated on many tracks and director Aanand L Rai happened to hear one of them. That���s how we landed our first break. The makers of 'Kapoor & Sons' had our songs in their bank and when they needed a romantic track, we modified one of our works to create 'Bolna'. Similarly, I���d met one of the producers of 'Sarbjit' a few months ago. They were looking for a qawwali and I played them 'Allah Hu Allah', which I was planning to release as a single.
Is that how 'Housefull 3' also happened?Actually, this is an interesting story. I���d heard from a friend that directors Sajid-Farhad were looking for a track that would complement the fun element in their film. So, I approached them like a newcomer without mentioning about my previous works and made them listen to three of my compositions. They were so humble and encouraging and locked 'Fake Ishq'. It���s a fun number.
Are you following Hollywood���s way of pitching songs to producers from a bank? Do you think B-Town is adapting that format as well?I would think so. Composing tracks and saving it for the bank, I think, is healthy and I believe everyone should have a bank. This way, if a film���s theme matches with tracks that you have, you can easily adapt it to suit the director���s requirement. It���s easier to pitch your work to producers. That said, it���s also important to view the movie through the director���s perspective and composers should be willing to adapt.
But isn���t there a different charm in composing songs exclusively for a film, like how it happened till the 90s?My father worked with RD Burmanji and I remember how much of fun people had when they sat together and composed songs. My dad used to tell me that composers would visit the set and see what���s being shot to come up with tunes. They composed on spot and it���s such a refreshing experience to listen to people doing it. I follow Rahman sir and I���ve heard he doesn���t like to whip out songs from his bank just for the sake of it. That���s why I maintain that composers must modify their songs today to suit the director���s need.
Have you always been into music?I actually wanted to be a pilot. But I started learning music when I was very young. I learnt piano when my fingers were too small to even reach the keys. But somewhere down the line, I came to believe that musicians don���t get their due and got very little money and because of this, we were losing many talented people. So, I didn���t take music seriously because I thought I would also end up like that. But as I grew older, I saw my parents dedicating their lives to music and it inspired me and revived my passion.
You���ve managed to deliver different kinds of songs till now ��� from peppy folk and romantic melodies to heart-wrenching numbers...My dad is into western classical and mother is an Indian classical singer. So, I���ve grown up listening to almost all genres of music. When I hear the situation, I can subconsciously decide what kind of song would suit the space. Right now, I���m trying an experimental project ��� creating symphony from natural sounds. For instance, even if there are no instruments in a room, I want to be able to produce music from whatever is there in front of me.
With so many young composers out there, does that make you insecure?I���ve no intention to compete with other composers. Music is beyond competition and politics. That���s why even if I win an award, I���m not overwhelmed because I believe that other nominees who put in as much effort into composing a song equally deserve the award.
So, you have no problem in being one of the many composers in an album...Absolutely not. I think having multiple composers lends a varied flavour to the project. And it will help the directors visualise and shoot the songs better. Similarly, I���m always on the lookout for fresh voices. Every singer brings his own input to the table. I have a fibre, a certain texture in mind when I record a song. That���s why I keep asking for demos online.
Listen to 'Banno' on Gaana.comAkshay, Jacqueline's masti at 'Housefull 3' song launch