Among Bollywood’s most popular music directors, Sajid Ali and Wajid Ali were in the Capital recently. The music composer duo that first became popular with the Salman Khan starrer “Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya” has since composed songs for numerous films over the past decade or so. As “Ajab Gazab Love” releases, Wajid reveals that music has not just been in the family but in their blood and breath as well. Excerpts from an interview:
If Given a chance, which legendary singer would you like to work with?
To be honest, if given a chance I would love to work with every singer, be they known or unknown. Specifically, once I was going from Rome to Turkey. There by chance they tuned into the Indian channel which played a song by Rafi sahib and Lata Mangeshkar. Trust me, at that point of time I felt so blessed that we have and had such beautiful singers. I approached Lataji many times but because of her age she stopped singing. She is someone whom I admire and would just love to sing with.
What is of major importance plays a major role for to you — the lyrics or the composition?
Composition is more important for me as compared to lyrics. I personally think that lyrics alone fail to provide the soul and feel to the song. For example, the famous “Laggjagaley, ke phirr, haseen raat ho na hoshayad iss janam me phir, mulaqat ho na ho…” This phrase may not be successful as it was or as it is now also, if it had some other kind of tune or composition. For me composition has an upper edge, although it carries a husband-wife relationship with lyrics. Composition plays the role of the driving force in the relation. I always do composition before lyrics.
You are a man of constant hits… how did you planned the music of “Ajab Gazab Love”?
Firstly, I am not the man of hits; we (me and Sajid bhai ) are the man of hits! We always keep the tracks which come in our mind and later show them to directors and other people. The best part of “Ajab Gazab Love” and especially the song “Boom Boom” was that Jackky started dancing when we first showed the song to the team; Jackky started dancing without the music. We first presented the song without composition and everyone liked it to that extent. It is now the number one track running on radio and I take this as a success of the song.
What makes a song your music a signature ‘Sajid-Wajid’ track’?
Making our signature track is a learning process. We all learn from our own experiences. Experience with age is something which will nurture your hidden talent and let your inner power grow and utilise it to the maximum. We both go hand in hand. If I am the heart, Sajid bhai is the beat. We are together and this is our strength. Let us show you… ( They both sing ‘Boom-Boom’)
What in your view according to you makes your music stand out from other music directors?
One thing I have learnt in my life is that you have to be true to yourself in order to succeed or to be different. I have always tried to put my best foot forward. Everybody tries to do that only. But us being different or not from others, I always leave this thing to public. Let them decide what is best and who is best.
