Composer Mithoon creates music album virtually

Released on Disney+ Hotstar, songs from ‘Khuda Hafiz’ sees artistes work together in virtual studio

He may be born to the music fraternity but he’s pretty down to earth and has hits like ‘Woh Lamhe Woh Baatein’ to ‘Tum Hi Ho’ under his belt. Over the years, Mithoon has become a household name in Bollywood. His biggest influences — grandfather Pandit Ram Prasad Sharma and father Naresh Sharma — gave him the opportunity to create a career in music.

His latest songs in ‘Malang’ and ‘Kabir Singh’ have become one of the most-played songs in the recent past. However, this week’s release ‘Khuda Hafiz’ is what Mithoon is currently most excited about.

He takes some time off to speak to Metrolife about working on the songs during the lockdown.

What was it like working on the album of ‘Khuda Hafiz’?

I had put down some ideas and recorded a song and we jammed the idea with the director Faruk Kabir. Unfortunately, the pandemic hit and there was no certainty of when or where the film will release. I found out in May that it’s going to be released on an OTT platform and I had very less time to create the music. I was very reluctant — I was going to back out because I wasn’t sure I could interact with so many singers and put the album together. But the director really motivated me and we figured it’s the best message of hope to put out there for artistes.

So how did the virtual studio actually work?

We created a virtual studio where all the singers rehearsed from across the globe. Sonu Nigam was in Dubai, Vishal Dadlani at his farmhouse, Vishal Mishra was in Chandigarh, Ahmad in Los Angeles, Ishaan Chhabra in Arizona, Javed Ali in New Delhi and Armaan Malik was working from his home studio. It was a very unique experience.

Does romantic music come naturally to you?

I don’t know… I go by what people tell me. But I do believe love is a foundational factor in my life and that cannot be ignored.

Does the platform on which the music releases matter to you?

I’ve always been a big-screen fan. I think theatrical experience is part of our life, but times are different now. The only thing constant in life is change and in order to survive, we need to find new means of communication.

In the nepotism debate: Were things easy for you?

I’m not sure if I can comment on the industry, but in my experience, I did get a creative opportunity because of my father. I got to spend time with the leading artistes, had access to the studios and meet them. They became great influences and great sensors for my learning. So yes, I did get the benefit. But at the same time, we need to understand that the audience is king. I’m glad that people have connected to my music and I belong to them more than I do with my own family.

Which album of yours are you most proud of?

I’m very happy with ‘Kabir Singh’, not just my song, but everyone else who worked on it. It came out a time when recreations were getting so loud; questions were raised on the fraternity and its ability to create original content. So for an original album to come out and break all records, and for people to accept it, shows that the audience still celebrates original music.