Himesh Reshammiya has donned many hats ­ music director, singer, actor, producer, writer and lyricist ­ with élan, but he reveals he enjoys composing music for films immensely as his fans motivate him to do so. The versatile artiste is on a high right now as the sound track of Prem Ratan Dhan Payo (PRDP) has been lapped up by music buffs and is topping the charts. In a candid chat, he tells us how compos ing for PRDP made him nostalgic, why he is indebted to Salman Khan and what makes his compositions popular among the masses. Excerpts...

How did you bag PRDP?
It happened thanks to Salman bhai. He recommended my name to Sooraj ji (writer-director Sooraj Barjatya). The movie had his style of music.

There are 10 songs in the movie and each of them is a far cry from your earlier compositions.
Yes, the PRDP album is completely different from what I have done before. My songs have usually been contemporary, but for this movie I opted for Indian melodies and soft mellow numbers. This was done according to Rajshri Productions' style of music. The music in Sooraj ji's films is completely in sync with the subject and the way he looks at every scene in detail. He is never insecure as a filmmaker and that's what makes him the legend that he is today. His brief to me was to come up with pure melodies that are in tandem with the situations in the movie. I am happy that the title song is the most downloaded and dubsmashed track. It is great to know that it has broken huge records. I am glad that the songs have been appreciated by critics and music lovers alike.

The sound of this album is very 90s, the time you started off. Was it nostalgic for you?
Yes, it did make me nostalgic as it's the kind of music that I started with in Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya. I am truly indebted to Salman bhai for giving me a break with that movie, which has resulted in my journey of so many super hit songs worldwide. He has a good ear for music.

You and Salman Khan have been a hit combo. What kind of an equation do you share with him?
Salman bhai has been the backbone of my success. He is my brother and the most generous human being I have ever come across. I believe he is truly blessed by God.

Earlier, only one singer lent his voice for the character of Prem. But in this film, many artistes such as Aman Trikha, Shaan, Neeraj Sridhar, Mohammed Irfan, Vineet Singh, Shabab Sabri and even you have sung for him. What prompted the decision?
I used new singers as well as established names, keeping in mind their range and voices that would suit Salman bhai's personality as Prem. All of them are talented. Musicians and singers, new or old, are my colleagues and not contemporaries. It makes me really happy to collaborate with each of them. I'm working with a lot of singers and musicians for my future projects too.

What's your formula for being consistently popular with the masses?
It's nothing but God's blessings. There is also tremendous support from the film industry and my parents. The key factor of my motivation is the immense love of all my fans and the audiences worldwide. Whenever I perform live, it motivates me to compose better music. I forget my previous hits and start making music like a newcomer. I am grateful to God for having given me this huge fan base that inspires me to make better music each and every day.

What are your future projects?
As a composer, my immediate release is Vinay and Radhika's Sanam Teri Kasam, and as an actor there are two films of mine which are under production. After the success of The Xposé, I have been very selective as an actor, composer and singer.