What is Mitwaa, your new album, all about?

Roop Kumar Rathod: Mitwaa is a friend, someone very close to your heart. We thought the title was apt because the album caters to the younger generation. Normally a ghazal or a geet album consists of songs on khuda, mehboob or sharab. But we wanted to be different. So we worked with the lyricists and got what we wanted. We have even managed to create a new sound in this album as far as music is concerned. It is a total commercial album with a new feel to it.

Sonali Rathod: To sum it up, it is an album for young people as well as for people young at heart.

Like you said, ghazal, generally means songs on forlorn love, sharab and shabab. So in what way is this album different?

Roop: Frankly speaking, I feel Mitwaa is not a ghazal album because it consists more of geets. We have a message for young lovers in every song. This album is a tohfa for every lover from Sonali and me.

There is this notion that ghazals are meant for people above 25 years. We noticed that youngsters rarely attend ghazal concerts. So our aim is to attract the younger crowd. And I am certain that after Mitwaa, this change will come as we have tried to incorporate the feelings of a young lover in it. A ghazal generally is not a duet. This is another freshness that we have brought in this album.

Sonali: Actually the tradition of ghazal gayaki started with Begum Akhtar. In her times, ghazals were purely classical-based. Mehdi Hasan changed the trend by making it light music. But it was Jagjit Singh who managed to take this art form to the aam janta. In the same way, with Mitwaa we have tried to create a new sound for ghazal lovers. The thoughts are very fresh and we have changed the entire trend of ghazal singing by giving it the treatment of soft jazz. If this catches on with the masses, then I am sure it will be a new trend.

Do you think this album will get a good response?

Roop: Like I said, the lyrics in our album are so simple and new that everyone can understand it easily. And as miyan-biwi in real life, when we sing on the stage or at concerts, people generally relate the love songs with us. If you notice, our songs are mostly in the question-answer or the sanvad form which people enjoy a lot. So that should help to make the album a big success.

In Ishara, our first album, there were some tongue-twisting shaayaris, while Khushboo was for people connected with high class literature. Mitwaa is for the common man. I want to capture the crowd that is more attracted to Channel [V] and MTV. I am sure after the release of Mitwaa, there will be programmes for our songs, too, on the small screen.

Sonali: Recently we had a very interesting experience. Our ghazal from Mitwaa, Pyar mein chup chupke milne ka mazaa is being telecast on MTV for a few days now. We did not realise its popularity till we saw a huge crowd of youngsters going berserk in Shimla where we had gone for the summer music festival. It was a gathering of about 20,000 people, and most of it were teenagers. The moment our song was announced, the response was tremendous. It was even greater than Roopji’s songs from Border. We were amazed because the police had to control the crowd. And Mitwaa was yet to be released.

What, according to you, is the highlight of your album?

Roop: The simple lyrics. The treatment of the songs is also very unique. Anyone can hum the songs as the compositions are very simple.

There was a long gap between Khushboo, your second album and Mitwaa.

Roop: That’s true. You see, we believe in quality, not quantity. We would rather release one good album a year than four flops. Also most of the time we are busy with concerts in India and abroad. And working on an album is like delivering a baby, a nine month process. Out of about 150 songs, we have to select only the eight BEST that will be featured on the album. Later comes the music. So I feel the wait is worth it.

When was Mitwaa conceived?

Roop: In August (laughs). It consists of eight ghazals from eight shaayars. They are Israr Ansari, Panchhi Jalonvi, Qateel Shifai, Madan Pal, Rahat Indori, Anjum Rahabar, Tahir Tarash and Ikhlas. One of them is an 18-year old who has penned the best lyrics.

Sonali: Of course, there is no competition to classic shaayars like Ghalib or Mir. But we like to experiment. I would like to state that though we are in direct competition with film as well as pop music, our albums have always managed to create an impact in the ghazal market. Till date, I have about seven solo albums to my credit while Roopji has four. And together we have two albums, Ishara and Khushboo. We have realised that people are always looking forward to our albums.

What, according to you, is the reason for this?

Sonali: I feel it is our personalities that attracts the media attention. Basically it is not the age of the singer that captures the audience. I guess, in some way, young singers do attract a younger crowd.

Roop: That’s true.

As a team, do you think you have performed well or was it better to go solo?

Sonali: I think we are better as a team. And we promise to do even better in future.

Roop: I feel one should be optimistic.

Mitwaa is about love. Does it in any way relate to your personal life?

Roop: While recording for Mitwaa, we were reminded of our courtship days, especially the Pyar mein chup chupke number. Anyway, every song took us down memory lane. So we have incorporated our experiences too.

Sonali: It is a romantic album. We have been married for nine years now. And we still feel like newly weds. We enjoyed recording this album because we could sense the lover’s anguish and pain while thinking of his beloved.

In today’s era of fast and loud music, do you think there is potential for ghazals?

Sonali: There is potential for any form of good music. I won’t categorise it into ghazals, film music, pop or qawwali. There is always an audience for genuinely good music, lyrics and orchestra.

Roop: I feel our type of singing is very powerful with meaningful shaayari. During our shows, people demand ghazals more than film songs. Unfortunately, the need of the times is for fast rhythm and melody. A.R Rahman has won the hearts of the younger generation with this kind of music. Since we perform regularly we know the pulse of the audience. When we sing the typical old ghazal numbers, people get bored. But if the same songs are sung in faster tempo and rhythm, it becomes more enjoyable.

Does that mean that you have to follow the trend and sing fast numbers, too?

Sonali: Of course not. But yes, the song does need to be a little upbeat. Sometimes we are lucky to find lovers of pure classical music and thus we can satisfy our urge to sing them.

Do you ever crave to sing something else, apart from ghazals?

Sonali: As I said, people want good music. On our shows, we sing all kinds of music, ghazals, thumris, khayal, classical and film songs, too and thus we satisfy ourselves.

Now that you are a team, do you think you will ever go solo?

Roop: There is no restriction between us. Khushboo was Sonali’s solo album but I did sing a duet in it. In Mitwaa, we have two solo numbers each and the rest are duets.

Sonali: We will sing solo numbers only if it is a special project.

Roopji, have you cashed in on the success of Sandese aate hain from Border?

Roop: I can only say that I am lucky that today I have several films to my credit. There is Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s Kareeb, Sunny Deol’s London and Champion, Laawaris, Albela and Hero Hindustani. In Gulzar’s Hu Tu Tu I am singing for Nana Patekar.

Sonali: On my part, I am enjoying singing at concerts. If I do get film offers, I shall take it up provided it suits my voice.

How did you feel when Sonu Nigam walked away with the award for Sandese aate hain?

Roop: I was hurt because I had really worked hard on that number. I thought it was a good break and was sure it would be acknowledged. Even J.P Dutta, the producer-director of Border, was shocked because he was expecting an award for the song and not to one singer. I cannot recall, ever, an award for a duet going to one singer only. I am sure both the singers are equally judged. In this case, we had equal division of lines in the song. Even Anu Malik was puzzled.

Sonali: I think it was very unfair.

Do you think you have any songs that will catch the public’s attention this year?

Roop: It is too early to say. Every singer does his best, but one never knows the ultimate result. After one bitter experience, I am only going to work harder and not worry about the future or about winning awards.

With your brother Shravan venturing into solo music direction, do you think he will sign you on?

Roop: I have sung for Nadeem-Shravan earlier, but the films never got released. Thankfully, today I have enough work. I would rather producers asked my brother to sign me in their films. I will never ask Shravanji for work.

What have you planned next?

Roop: For our shows of Mitwaa, we plan to have a different kind of set-up. As ghazal singers, Sonali and I sit on the floor and perform. We want to change the image of ghazal singing with exotic sets, new ideas and audio-visuals on the background.

Sonali: You see, showmanship counts. If there is no presentation, people don’t enjoy the show.

Have you planned your next album? Will it be a pop album for a change?

Roop : Not yet. We are awaiting the response to Mitwaa. We shall never make a pop album because it is not our sanskriti. It is unfortunate that we are more inclined to western music while the foreigners are learning our music.

Sonali: And I am allergic to the word Indian pop.

Roop: Whatever we do as a team, we will never copy western stuff. I don’t think we shall ever be able to copy their music or their style of singing. Our music is so rich that even after 500 years of learning there is so much to learn. That is why Indians believe in punarjanam. We have only seven surs, but each sur has a different raag. We have different raags for each day. We have raags for different seasons, too. In the west there are only a few scales. So there is no comparisons at all.

Is your daughter interested in singing?

Roop: Our daughter is six years old, and already she is very much into singing. She is also learning piano because I believe that it is a complete instrument. We are teaching her Indian classical as well as western music. Her favourites are Yanni, Beatles, Aamir Khan, Ghulam Ali’s ghazals, and she is a Lata Mangeshkar fan.

Does she criticise her parents?

Roop: Of course. She corrects us. She feels bad when she listens to our sad numbers. She is too small to understand the lyrics but she can sense the meaning of the music.

Sonali: She gets emotional with our singing.