Rachana Dubey (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 5, 2014)

Salman Khan called you ‘average’ at the music launch of your private album, Raunaq, a few months ago. How is your equation with the actor now?
The incident was played up by the press. By the time Salman rang me up the following morning to say that the press had done its bit, I had moved on. Everything is fine between us.


Are you planning to team up with him? 
I would love to work with him. He has already approached me with three-four scripts. I may take up one of them. It will be very interesting to create a soundtrack for a Salman starrer because his projects are quite different from the films I have done so far.


After Kochadaiiyaan, you’re once again scoring for a Rajinikanth movie, Lingaa. What is the brief this time?
The film is set in different time zones. For now, I can just say that my music will work around these time zones, and hopefully, I won’t disappoint Rajini sir’s fans.


This looks like a good weekend for you with two films coming up.
I’m the last person to think on those lines but I’m happy that Million Dollar Arm and Kochadaiiyaan are opening together this Friday. I have nothing to do with their dates clashing. But if I’m not wrong, this is a first for me.


Unlike Slumdog Millionaire, there’s not much hype around the music you have created for Million Dollar Arm.
Slumdog Millionaire and Million Dollar Arm are Hollywood ventures with Indian backgrounds but their stories are very different. And so is the music. Million Dollar Arm is a sports-driven movie, so you shouldn’t expect the actors to spring into a song-and-dance suddenly. Meanwhile, I’m also working on two 2015 English releases, The Hundred Foot Journey, a feature film, and Monkeys Of Bollywood, an animated movie.


Coming back to Bollywood, have you started working on Imtiaz Ali’s Tamasha?
Yes, I have. I can’t divulge the details but it’s always a pleasure teaming up with Imtiaz because he’s such a chilled out filmmaker.


Ashutosh Gowariker is another regular on your list. You have two plum assignments with him, Mohenjo Daro and his TV show Everest.
I have been working on Everest for quite some time now. For the first time, I got about 20 of my students to collaborate with me on an assignment so I could teach them what the real deal is about.


But, why the decision to compose for a TV show at this juncture, given your long list of film offers? 
Ashu and I go back a long way. We’ve collaborated on several projects and over the years we’ve developed a synergy of sorts. I took up this project because television is a growing medium. And in recent years, several international shows like Game Of Thrones have used music in a big way. Given its scale, I thought Everest is a good show to debut as a composer on TV.


Have you already started work on Mohenjo Daro?
No, we will start on it after we wrap up Everest. It’s another time-consuming project and Ashu works on one thing at a time.