We all know that Jatin Lalit, of Jatin-Pandit fame, is a celebrated music composer. But since a few years, he has also turned into a lyricist for the songs composed and sung by his talented son, Raahul Jatin. As Raahul’s new song 'Humnasheen' was released on October 19, Raahul Jatin as well as Jatin Pandit spoke exclusively to Bollywood Hungama about the song and a lot more.
What made you turn into a lyricist after working for so many years as a music composer?
Jatin Pandit: I’ve been writing for a long time. Especially after I stopped getting work in films, I made a collection of lyrics.
How was 'Humnasheen' conceptualized?
Raahul Jatin: It was made a while ago. It was made after my first song was released. I was actually trying to make a song like my earlier song, ‘Aankhon Ke Ishaare’. I always have believed in incorporating a good melody, good lyrics and good singing. Even with ‘Aankhon Ke Ishaare’, though it’s a dance number, the melody is really nice. That was in my mind but when I composed 'Humnasheen', I realized it’s sounding more like a romantic song. Nevertheless, we also plan to make a dance version of it, like a lo-fi version.
The other interesting thing about the song is that I have seen that nowadays, people have much lower attention span than before. I feel like the usage of instruments in this song is very minimal. I have just used 3 instruments. I have never done that before. There’s piano, there’s bass and there are a few drum beats during the song briefly. The reason behind this is that I didn’t want too many elements to distract listeners from the lyrics, singing and tune. That worked out really well in the final product.
How did your father react when he first heard the composition?
Raahul Pandit: My dad liked it and told me to complete it and release it. Sadly, due to the Covid pandemic, we ended up not working on it for a long time. Now that things have opened up, we felt that it was a good time to release songs.
How is it to work with your father?
Raahul Jatin: He’s pretty chilled out in general and so it works out fine. Regarding this song, I really wanted the lyrics to be really easy. We didn’t have too many Urdu words. Getting the vision across can be difficult. But we take our time and work through it.
Jatin ji, I read your interview from 2020 wherein you mentioned that you didn’t actively push Raahul into pursuing music…
Jatin Pandit: I was hoping Rahul gets well-educated and becomes an engineer. However, he was always inclined towards music. He himself got the musical instrument and gradually started composing. He would make me hear his compositions. He would tell me, ‘Aap iske lyrics likh do. Main isko record karta hoon’. I realized that he was so passionate and that I should push him and also help him in some way. Thankfully, his songs have worked very well.
Raahul, could you tell us why is the song’s video entirely in Black-and-White?
Raahul Pandit: We shot the video in colour. During the edit, we saw the song in colour as well as in Black-and-White. If you hear the song, you’ll realize that it's very simple. The instrumentation or the lack of it even adds to the impact. When we saw it in Black-and-White, we felt that the whole effect comes together so much better than in colour. It just felt very right for the song.
Jatin ji, did the experience of being a music director help you? In the world of music, it is often said that ‘lyrics meter mein baithna chahiye’. Did this aspect become easier thanks to your vast experience?
Jatin Pandit: “Absolutely. Koi kitna bhi aada tedha gaana likhe, aur mujhe de de, toh usko main theek kar sakta hoon! This is because I understand the idea of a meter. So, I can edit or reshuffle words and ensure it fits in the song. Raahul ke gaane mein bahut hi saaf-suthri composition thi. So, I didn’t face any problem.”
There’s a perception that youth prefer peppy and dance songs. Do you think this is untrue and that they are more than happy to accept numbers like 'Humnasheen'?
Raahul Jatin: I don’t think there’s any such perception, to begin with. I guess Punjabi music is trending very much at present and their songs tend to be dance-oriented than romantic. Also, recently, ‘Kesariya’ is a highly romantic track and it’s the biggest song we have had in a while. Ultimately, a song which is composed, sung and written the right way, will succeed.
Maybe, there’s one more thing. Back in the day, there used to be MTV. We’d hear a song there and if we like it, we would pick up its CD from the store. Then there was also radio followed by YouTube. Nowadays, Instagram Reels have taken over the space. Since people prefer dance-based songs for Reels, that could be a reason behind the perception of a dance song. Also, creating dance-based content is easier compared to a slow, romantic song. Again, the bottomline is that a good song will do well, in all likelihood.
Jatin ji, can we see Raahul acting in films as well since he looks quite dashing and has done a good job in music videos?
Jatin Pandit: He has got offers in the past and if something interesting comes his way, I am sure he’ll take it up. Waise bhi woh khud bahut samajdaar ho gaya hai! But it should be something that benefits him as well as the film.
What do you have to say, Raahul?
Raahul Jatin: That’s very sweet of you. If I get a good offer, who would decline? But I am not pursuing it. As of now, I am focusing on music primarily.
Do you plan to go for playback singing in films?
Raahul Jatin: I would do it whenever I get the opportunity. That is the ultimate goal for any artist. Signing for films is the most prestigious film to do.
Who are the actors you’d like to sing for and your voice will suit best?
Raahul Jatin: The one actor who really has the ability to enhance their song is Ranbir Kapoor. Just think about it. Which actor will you cast if you have to recreate ‘Tujhe Dekha Toh Yeh Jaana Sanam’? I’d probably take Ranbir as he has the charisma and the ability to elevate a song. I don’t think that a lot of actors could pull that off. I’d be very happy to sing for him.
Jatin ji, what are your future plans? Can we expect more songs with you and Raahul?
Jatin Pandit: There are 3 songs which are ready. We need to do a bit of a touch-up. It’ll be released soon.
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