A win for music

Remember the haunting song Kitne Ajeeb Rishte Hain Yahaan Par that knitted to life the box-office hit Page 3? Indian music composer Shamir Tandon has been flexing his creative chords to churn out Bollywood hits and international collaborations over the years. Some excerpts from an interview...

So you got your break by humming a tune in a coffee shop to director
Madhur Bhandarkar. Cut to 2016...
Yeah, that was good fortune when me, as a country head, bumped into Madhur and during the course of my conversation, realised he was making a film and wanted songs. And I just bagged my first film. The last 14 years have been fun; ups and downs... interesting times. In 2016, it’s back to action after a hiatus — from an entire album for Priyanka Chopra’s web series to recreating Sare Jahan Se Accha with Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia.

How do you feel now? You are a super-successful, award-winning music composer, spotting promising newcomers and helping them along?
Well, it’s been fun spotting promising artistes. I was wearing a marketing hat when I promoted Shaan’s Tanha Dil and Shubha Mudgal’s Ab Ke Sawan. As a composer, it was fab working with the Sa Re Ga Ma Pa and (Indian) Idol winners for various albums.

If you had to pick the most important turning point in your career, which one would it be, and why?
The music opportunity I got to score the entire album of National award-winning film Page 3 with Madhur has been the turning point. I quit my job as a managing director to become a music director. It sounds heroic to say, ‘pursue your passion’, but it’s difficult.

What prompted you to curate the 6 Pack Band? Why this name?
Full marks to my producer Yash Raj Films and its head, Ashish Patil. I owe it all to him. For a production house of this level to back a project with transgenders! We wanted it to be respectful, so we gave this name. Since it also has the word ‘six-pack’, it resonates with the youth. It’s an honour to be recognised at the Global Cannes Award for this effort.

What has been the most important takeaway for you, personally, from this project?
A genuine desire to make a change in the society. A genuine wish to give this community an opportunity to have equality and voice. I’m glad to be loved by this community now. I am glad the new generation is now looking at them with respect.

Personally, it makes me happy when the members of the band are approached for autographs and selfies.

What is the most challenging aspect in your line of work?
When it’s film music, it’s difficult to convince the producer-director about your own work. When it’s composing for 6 Pack, it’s winning their faith. When it’s creating non-film music, it’s a challenge to scale the popularity of the songs to the level of Bollywood songs.

Share three of your quirks that help you in composing music...
Endless drives in Mumbai; being on the road for hours is the best time to compose music! Good poetry always drives me to compose. When I hear a song and feel I should have composed it, I start composing music keeping in mind the similar situation.

Who inspires you?
My wife has been a great inspiration for me. When I wanted to quit my job a decade ago, she stood by me to take this massive risk. Our desire to not join the rat race and actually make music and try to use our music to change the perceptions of people, like we have done through 6 Pack Band, is something that keeps me going.

Collaborations, top-line Bollywood music, non-film projects. You’ve done it all. What’s next?
It was great working with boy band Blue for our chartbuster, One Love; and then to recreate Heartbeat (originally by Enrique) featuring Sunidhi Chauhan. It was also the best experience to do the trilogy of Madhur — Page 3, Corporate and Traffic Signal.

Non-film was best when I worked with Ashaji of ‘Asha and Friends’, featuring Sanjay Dutt and Bret Lee. Musically reproducing some inspirational songs with the likes of Pt Harpirasad Chaurasia is what’s keeping me busy now.

What has been your biggest learning so far in life?
Good, consistent and true karma is important.

A pearl of wisdom for aspiring music composers?
Compose what you love; don’t compose to make others happy. Our own conviction will make others happy.