In the spate of a zillion talent hunts flooding the tube-screens, there’s every reason now to pan the camera towards manufacturing composers after churning out singing starlets and nimble-footed dancers from the factory of reality shows. “It’s a valid logic to set the stage for the upcoming music directors. But there’s a technical glitch involved to jeopardise the process. It is comparatively simple a task to produce singers and dancers but making a music director isn’t an easy bet at all that it seems,” holds Bappida aka veteran Bollywood composer-singer Bappi Lahiri.
“Singers can be groomed and imparted with taalim (lessons), keeping in mind a role-model like Latadi (Mangeshkar), Asha Bhonsle, Manna De, Kishore Kumar, Mohammad Rafi and others from the playback industry. One can modulate his voice or the tonal quality and ape the artistes’ gayaki (style) and andaaz. But what about a music-maker? He needs a muse to exude his creative juices and retain his exclusivity. His individual traits and originality should speak for his calibre as a composer. One can’t be so influenced by an erstwhile or a contemporary music director that he would be blind enough to end up reverberating the latter’s scores and notations in his own repository. Otherwise, the risk of being labelled as copy cats will be hounding him! Remember: A composer’s creation is known by his signature touch and can be identified instantly,” endorses Bappida.
However, this hitmaker with a tenure spanning 40 long years, now avows to float his flagship institute in the near future. “I have plans to open up an academy in the coming seasons, wherein the focus will lie on teaching a pool of students about music. Perhaps no composer will emerge from that aegis but how about evolving minds and enabling them to flower with mature sensibilities from an ignorant bud with a keen knowledge of music?,” he adds.
Not sounding upbeat about the current-day Bollywood music scene, Bappida resents: “Given the present scenario, it’s difficult to set a benchmark here. The filmi tracks reek of more outsourcing business and less of haunting melodies. The infiltration of hi-fi technology, electronic elements and jugglery of genres are calling the shots in Bollywood, with only a handful making a mark with lilting and soulful notes. It is a far cry from creativity and a huge departure from tuning in to the ear-soothing songs of the bygone era that would leave an embalming effect upon the strained nerves.”
He continues to dart his gripe: “Today, most of the music output gets tailor-made and just a meagre ratio can claim to be the true blue result of a bonafide creation. There is a paucity of discreet listeners too. But I can’t blame them as they have to remain content with what has been catered to them. Somewhere, the envelope has to be pushed further.”
If tunes have gone awry, can the lyrics be any better? “Tacky is the word that reflects the overall output. From the yesteryear’s poetic verses to today’s lousy wordings, the pen has hit the nadir. Gone are those days when luminaries like Majrooh Sultanpuri, Anand Bakshi, Shailendra, Sahir Ludhianvi, Shakeel Badayuni would scrawl the writer’s wall with their golden texts and shayaris. Their lines and couplets connoted the glorious hallmark of some rare artistic gems. So, deterioration is conspicuous in every department of music, barring a few exceptions of course. At the moment, I can only have my heart with Gulzarsaab and Javed Akhtarji’s poetry. Thank goodness, their lyrics are still ruling the roost!” Bappida elaborates his point with an emphasis.
Having been trading off with New Age composers like Vishal-Shekhar and A.R. Rahman as a vocalist in films for instance, Taxi No. 9211 and Guru respectively, Bappida feels it’s a good trend to speak of. “Why what’s the harm, if two sets of creative people exchange notes and reverse roles in a comfortable space of a healthy camaraderie? It is but a natural development. No big deal here!” he shoots back in wonder. Cutting the long story short, he further reasons for his nod: “Look, I’ve now graduated to the seniormost league of music directors with Pyarelalji and Kalyanji still batting strong at their creases. So, when these dynamic young talented guns cordially entreat me to croon to their numbers, I can’t flatly refuse on their face. Rather I promptly give them my consent.”
Good news is that the man with innumerable charttoppers under his belt is hatching a brand new album in his kitty. “It’s complete and ready for release in the US this August. The Indian launch will follow. Titled World, Peace, Love and Harmony, the album is an oven-fresh overture from the sphere of world music,” he summarises. Listing his own compositions on the inlay-card, the album also uncorks Bappida’s lesser known beat exploits on the tabla. Besides, the other two clinchers come in the likes of world-renowned Grammy Awardee Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt’s veena licks and internationally famous American jazz saxophonist Gerald Albright, who has pitched in with his instrument on this album. “It’s unarguably, a classic venture,” he remarks.
Talented music director Bappa Lahiri too has stepped into his dad’s shoes as a music man and is effortlessly scoring music both for Bollywood and Tollywood in high spirits. Producer Anjum Rizvi’s (of A Wednesday fame) forthcoming endeavour Flat will be composed by Bappa, informs the proud papa. “Bappa had already made inroads as a guest composer in Jimmy, the launchpad for Mithun’s (Chakraborty) son Mimoh. If God willing, then both Bappa and Mimoh can strike a next-gen magical jodi as mine and Mithun’s pair had been in the 80s. Our combination spelt much fireworks for Mithun’s movies at the box-office,” he puts in as a reminder.