ANU MALIK
‘They are all playing my song’

The year 2000 was inarguably the best year for Anu Malik, with the composer delivering hit after hit musical scores. He proved his versatility with films Fiza, Josh, Refugee, Har Dil Jo Pyar Karega, Chori Chori Chupke Chupke and Kuch Khatti Kuch Meethi to name some. No wonder then that biggies like Subhash Ghai and Sooraj Barjatya are convinced of his talent and have signed him up. What’s more, he’s all set to make waves internationally now, with Hollywood actress Nicole Kidman all set to do a Urmila Matondkar, and dance to his tune of Chhamma chhamma...

“I was heart-broken when I didn’t win an award for Border which was the best score for that year. Everybody connected with that film got an award, even the lyricist and the singer. So how come the music director was left out?”

“I am the most original composer amongst my contemporaries. I was the first to start Disco-bhangra in Ganga Jamuna Saraswati a decade ago. I too can complain about plagiarism from the rooftops. I don’t because it hurts”

Anu Malik’s tastefully decorated house exudes warmth, just like Anu and his pretty wife Anju, who greet you warmly. Content is writ large on the composer’s face as he seems eager to talk about the new highs in his life and his only love - music. “This is the best phase in my career,” he declares, “I just want to work harder and harder, and I am enjoying the fruits of hard work.” In between listening to Anu giving you a preview of his forthcoming tunes on the harmonium, and sips of Coke, you ask:

Surely 2000 must be the most happening year for you?
You bet it was. I proved my talent and my versatility. I gave different types of music in films, most of which were hits. Refugee was so different from Josh, which was totally different from Fiza. Fiza was among the biggest musical hits of the year 2000. Then there was Har Dil Jo Pyar Karega, Chori Chori Chupke Chupke and Kuch Khatti Kuch Meethi, all of which have done well. In Refugee I went back to my roots and tried to give very ethnic music Indian music. My critics just couldn’t believe that I could come up with something so sober and rich like the music in Refugee.

Tell us about your other achievements?
I am doing films with leading filmmakers and top banners, like Mukta Arts, which is a big achievement. Subhash Ghai signed me up for Rahul first, being directed by Prakash Jha, and then Yaadien. I have just signed Sooraj Barjatya’s film Main Hoon Prem Deewani.

I am working with Santosh Sivan in Ashoka The Great produced by Shah Rukh Khan which has been very satisfying, because he has a great visual sense. Then there is Aks produced and directed by Rakesh Mehra, starring Amitabh Bachchan and Manoj Bajpai. Also I have Anil Kapoor’s and Satish Kaushik’s Badhai Ho Badhai, Anupam Kher’s debut film as a director Om Jai Jagdeesh Hare and Ajnabi directed by Abbas-Mustan. So watch out for my music in these films.

All this must have surely given you a high. How does it feel to be a most sought-after composer?
All these big films show that finally people have woken up to my talent. These filmmakers are the ones who are on a look-out out for genuine talent and they know I have it. See, nobody is out to do charity here. They have come to me because they know I can deliver the goods. And I feel vindicated that people who labelled me a plagiarist and had written me off, have to eat their words.

Can you say that you are at your creative best at this point of your career?
Yes, you can say that. Though I feel I can still do better, and my best is yet to come. Presently, I am all charged up and eager to work hard. With the coming of computers, and technology throwing up new innovations everyday, everything is becoming easily accessible. Thanks to MP3, music from all over the world comes to people’s houses in no time, and they want to hear only good music now. So composing has become an elaborate process today, because we have to put in a lot of hard work. People want to hear different types of music with melody, which is what I am trying to do.

I have grown up listening to music of Shankar-Jaikishan, Madan Mohan, R.D. Burman, which was high on melody, and I do try to see that melody is in all my songs. I updated my sound in Fiza, but I saw to it that it was melodious, and not too much of techno. According to me, my best song in the film was Na uthao mere yaar ka janaza hai, which brings tears to your eyes.

Despite of so many hits, people accuse you of lifting tunes?
Only God is original. After Him, everyone has been emulating others and learning. This in no way endorses copying or lifting of tunes. It’s only natural to be inspired by our predecessors, who in turn were inspired by other musicians the world over. Everybody’s into it. But blatant lifting of tunes should never be indulged in. My endeavour has always been to give something new to listeners.

Looking back, how would you assess your career?
I have proved myself at last with hard work and persistence. I have been around for 24 years, and stood my ground, in the presence of stalwarts like Laxmikant-Pyarelal to present-day A.R. Rahman. Today, filmmakers have faith in me, which is what is of utmost importance in a career. Music these days is sold at such a high price. The music of Yaadein was sold at 6.5 crores, a record-breaking price. Now Subhash Ghai or anybody else wouldn’t have signed me and invested so much in music if they didn’t have faith in me. It feels nice when people respect your talent. Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Hrithik Roshan, and directors Abbas-Mustan, who have been with me since Baazigar, all like my work. It’s said that things work out for you only when your waqt (time) is right. After struggling for so long, life seems happening. Now I am at a stage when I am working hard not to gain recognition or fame. Now it’s hard work to outdo myself and prove myself internationally.

Working with Subhash Ghai must be an experience?
You bet it was. It was like re-learning a lot of things about music. Subhashji was my tutor and composing for Yaadein and Rahul was the beginning of a new Anu Malik. He has so much knowledge about music and can convey the situations in a film so well, that you come up with what he wants. I call him‘Guru-Bhai’. He really motivates you.

After Aamir Khan, you have declared that you don’t believe in awards?
I have a strong reason. Since 1993, I have been nominated every year, for all awards, but never won. Yet I never felt bad when I lost, because I knew the others were more deserving than me. In fact, when R.D. Burman’s 1942 - A Love Story was pitted against my Baazigar, I was praying that he get the award, which he did. Or else I would have felt bad all my life that a superior work didn’t get an award. But I was heart-broken when I didn’t win an award for Border which was the best score for that year. Everybody connected with that film got an award, even the lyricist and the singer. So how come the music director was left out? I really couldn’t gauge that, and it hurt me real bad.

And so many people shared the same feeling, since I was inundated with calls saying that I deserved the Best Composer award that year more than anyone else. Laxmikantji (Laxmikant-Pyarelal) too called me up and expressed his shock. After this incident, I decided never to grace any awards function, because it is based on the whims and fancies of a few jury members. The public appreciation is a bigger award which I have been winning for score after score. So I have no complaints.

But we did see you participating in the Zee Sangeet awards this year.
I attended it because they wanted me to present an award and sing a few lines. You could see that my mind and my heart wasn’t there at all. This year, for the Screen Awards, my best score Refugee wasn’t nominated. But I have taken it in my stride. For me, bagging a big banner film like Subhash Ghai’s Yaadien is an award. The fact that Mansoor Khan wants to work with me again after Josh is an award. When Yash Chopra and Karan Johar sign me, it will be an award. And you will be surprised if I tell you about the latest happening in my life.

Tell us...
Well... Nicole Kidman might be dancing to my Chhamma chhamma... in a film directed by the Shakespeare In Love director. (Smiles happily). I am looking international now, and talks are on with a few filmmakers of Hollywood, who have taken note of my work. But I’d rather not talk about it till something concrete happens. Otherwise people will say that Anu is floating these rumours himself to gain publicity, which was what the media had written when the Kidman-Chhamma chhamma news broke.

So honestly, you don’t desire any awards?
(Thinking a bit). I do want to win one award badly - the National award. That’s one thing I am looking forward to. I’d like to be honoured by my country. That’s a prestigious thing because this country is everything for me. It has given me name, fame, made me what I am.

Is there any field in music which you’d like to work on?
Yes, I’d like to give more attention to the background score of a film. Usually music directors neglect background music, and most of the times, it’s done by somebody else. But I have decided to concentrate on the background henceforth, which is vital for a film. I had worked on the background music of Kareeb and Akele Hum Akele Tum which was very effective. When we see how Hollywood films get a boost because of their background score, we realise the second-hand treatment meted out to it in Hindi films.

You were said to be hurt when Vidhu Vinod Chopra didn’t repeat you in Mission Kashmir, after your haunting score in Kareeb?
Vidhu did come to me for Mission Kashmir, but he wanted to work with other composers too on the film. I have decided not to work with any other composer on one film. So we left it at that.

You have often said that women inspire you. But your statement has been misunderstood .
Let people read their own meaning into the statement, I don’t care. I stand by my statement. Women do inspire me because according to me they are God’s most beautiful creations on Mother Earth. My mother has always inspired me. My wife and my two daughters inspire me. I feel all pepped up when my elder daughter Anmol says, “Daddy, you got to be the best.” I want to live up to her expectations. A beautiful face inspires me because it makes me realise God’s power. I admire and respect women.
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Once and for all why don’t you come clear of the accusation that your Fiza hit, Aaja mahiya, is a lift of Shazia Mansoor’s Ghar aaja sohniya?

To those who say that Aaja mahiya is a lift of Ghar aaja sohniya, I’ll say that it has been inspired from my own song, recorded 15 years back for Sohni Mahiwal. (He hums the song). Sohni chenab de kinare...aaja aaja. That’s the song which inspired Aaja mahiya. So now who’s copied whom?
Let me list those songs of mine which have been copied by other composers. Here goes:
Kamaal Khan’s O o jaane jana is a lift of my Aisa zakham diya hai from Akele Hum Akele Tum.

Chaand chhupa badal mein from Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam is copy of my Jaanam song Kyon dil dhadakta hai.

My Rabbi re ralli from Yaarana was copied in Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani as Kuch to bata.

The orchestra I used in the Judwaa song Tan tana tan was used in Aati kya Khandala.

So I am the most original composer amongst my contemporaries. My music in Josh, Fiza or Refugee is there to see. I was the first to start Disco-bhangra in Ganga Jamuna Saraswati a decade ago.
I too can complain about plagiarism from the rooftops. I don’t because it hurts, and I don’t want to hurt even my enemies.

Salma Khatib
salmakhatib@hotmail.com

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