“Salman Khan has brilliant taste for music” – Wajid

By Devansh Patel -

August 31, 2010 - 12:09 PM IST

They say that the only thing that gives you a high without getting stoned is music. They also say that it is the Indian music that won us an Oscar and not an individual. It is music, they say, which is the only thing imported by the West from Bollywood. They do things that cannot exist unless there's an audience as a participant. It's easy to fall into their music, whether you're hearing it along with the film or simply spinning it on your iPod. They weave an aural tapestry coloured with lush orchestral passages, moments of rural rustiness, darkness, and an ethereal, entrancing haze seen and heard in scenic locations on the big screen. It's as much of a gorgeous head-trip as the film itself is. Their songs are immersive and India's superstar Salman Khan has danced on most of them. Moreover, they want audiences to participate in their film Dabangg and its music directly. And you'll remember them always when you're on 'Aksa beach', when you're proposing for marriage, when you're wanted by your male mates for street dancing or if you're desperately seeking for a new partner. They are the ones who don't make music...they weave it. Please put your hands together because they are special, because they are Sajid and Wajid. Brothers who've given us undisputed songs since their first big break when they shook hands with Salman Khan and Arbaaz Khan in Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya. Twelve years have passed....today, they are brothers in arms. UK's Harrow Observer columnist and Bollywood Hungama's London correspondent talks to Wajid on their wacky wilderness in the wild Bollywood.

"Dabangg music is as whacky as its script"
Dabangg music goes to show that Sajid and Wajid are capable of surprising the audiences again and again. The surprise element is very important in your work. Dabangg is a very rural subject in terms of its music. We were confident that we would do something as wacky as the script. Munni was already recorded before but who knows, we could've come up with 'Munni' or better than that. But what's important is the fact that the song is working for the film.

“Salman Khan has brilliant taste for music” – Wajid

"We love our journey with the 'Khan' brothers"
Salman Khan always brings out the best in us. He is our brother and we love him like anything. It's a blessing in disguise that we've been working with the superstar of our country where he is being loved all over the world. Our first film with him was Pyaar Kiya Toh Darna Kya where we had cut the first theatrical trailer for the film and worked on the song 'Teri Jawani Badi Mast Mast Hain' which was filmed on Arbaaz Khan. Now Dabangg is again with Salman and Arbaaz. We love our journey with the 'Khan' brothers.

"Background score of Dabangg is 'todu'"
We haven't done the background score for Dabangg but our musician Sandeep Shirodkar is doing it. He has done the programming and most of the arrangement we do. We do all the themes and original soundtracks. The background score of Dabangg has shaped up just like the look of the film: 'todu' as we say in our slang.

"Background score scene in India is improving"
Background score in India isn't given much importance as much as they do in Hollywood. But now-a-days, background score has improved a lot in our films. The problem is that only big banner films concentrate on background score. Background is very interesting if done properly because it can make or break your film. We've done background score for Welcome. Background should bring out the elements of that particular character and more importantly, the flavour of the film.

"The amount of money Hollywood puts in songs and scores is equivalent to the budget of our films"
In India, our forte is Indian classical and all. That's our upbringing. We are learning and we are fast learners too. The amount of money Hollywood puts in songs and background score is equivalent to the budget of our films. The intelligence which they use in their films is far better than us because they are sincere and their filmmaking is like an institute. When you see their visuals, you get stunned, shocked, and speechless. There is a certain kind of truthfulness in their work. Music is the only thing that has reached the West from Bollywood. No actor or a director has got an Oscar. It's the music that has got the Oscar. Music is the purest form of creativity.

"We would like to work with all big production houses"
Yes, there is a group created even in music now. Many production houses want to work with their favourite music directors. There's nothing wrong in that but if the same production houses wants to work with us, they need to approach us without spoiling relations with their current ones. I would love to work with Karan Johar too and prove many people wrong. Sajid- Wajid wants to work with everyone. 'Tere Mast Mast Do Nain' won't sound like a Pritam song and that's what we are good at. It will only sound like our song because that's our trademark. All the rest of our talented music directors also have their trademark.

"Vishal & Shekhar are the only ones who experiment with their music"
In my eyes, I'd consider R.D Burman as a maestro, Kishore Kumar as versatile, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy as brilliant, Amit Trivedi as a learner and Vishal Shekhar as the new age sound. Out of all the above, and I'm not disrespecting any of the superb music directors of our industry, Vishal and Shekhar have taken their music to another level. They have their own style but also surprise you a lot. 'Aankhon Mein Teri Ajab Si' from Om Shanti Om was a brilliant composition but when you hear a different song from the same film 'Jag Suna Suna Laage', you feel their passion for music and where they can take it to. But people like Illayaraj, AR Rahman, Pancham-da, Kishore-da should not be even compared to us current lot. Those were and some are trendsetters.

"We composed the title track of Dabangg even before hearing the full script"
When Abhinav narrated us the script along with Arbaaz, we loved it. Dabangg's title track was made in front of Arbaaz and Abhinav. Before he completed the narration, we came up with the track. We made the song on just a mere character sketch of Salman. But imagine a debutant director like Abhinav and his film becoming a movement. Man, he can't be blessed better. He is born noble. People like Abhinav Kashyap and many others are always accepted with open heart in the 'Khan' family. Those who don't get quick opportunities in life need to meet the 'Khan' brothers. Abhinav is lucky.

"Munni is a Jatin-Lalit song and not a Lalit song"
The more I say about Lalit ji is less. But I don't want to address him as Lalit. I would say Jatin-Lalit because my heart cries when I see their split up. When the names of two brothers are taken together, you feel blessed and happy. 'Munni' is a Jatin-Lalit song and not a Lalit song. It's a great song which is helping our film. 'Munni' song is mesmerizing.