After a year-long self-imposed sabbatical, music composer Pritam Chakraborty bounced back with an interesting mix of songs. While the tunes of Salman Khan's Bajrangi Bhaijaan were in sync with the superstar's image, the Afghan Jalebi number in Phantom caught on with music aficionados, thanks to its catchy beats. His compositions for the Shah Rukh Khan-Varun Dhawan-starrer Dilwale, especially Gerua and Manma Emotion Jaage, were lapped by listeners as they were romantic and peppy. In a candid chat, Pritam tells us what's in store for him this year and why he is not in favour of many composers working on a single project...

The year 2015 ended on a happy note for you. What were the professional highlights for you?
I think last year has been really kind to me, as the movies for which I composed music did well. I've done over 100 films and every project has been important to me for one reason or the other. But, two special things happened to me in 2015. It was the first time that I worked on three Khan films (Bajrangi Bhaijaan with Salman, Dilwale with Shah Rukh and Dangal with Aamir) parallelly. Previously, my songs have jumped on music charts. But Gerua directly opened at the No. 1 position on the Radio Mirchi charts. Also, it ranked in the top slot in places like Malaysia, Oman, Sri Lanka and Bahrain. I never thought the track would get such a rousing welcome from music lovers in other countries.

You'd taken a sabbatical and started working only in the middle of last year. Why did you feel the need to take a break?
I'd signed on a lot of movies, with one overlapping the other. That left me with no time to take even a short break in a long time. So, I refused to take up any project ­ big or small. I have friends all over the place and so, I just took off. So, for one whole year, I just didn't sign anything. Life, I realised, is all about the journey, and not the destination. I wanted to enjoy my journey and remember every small detail. I'd never get time for stage shows before. But now, I've started giving live performances and even have time for pursuing other things that I like.

The year 2016 promises to be an exciting one for you...
I have very different kinds of films in hand this year - emotional, sporty and romantic.

Your songs are both peppy and soulful. But, is there a genre that you'd like to experiment with?
I haven't explored much of folk - rural, rustic music has its own charm and some day, I'd like to infuse it in my work. I like experimenting with genres, and though it was sporadic, I'd composed pop rock songs for Life In A... Metro. In fact, I've tried my hand at Broadway kind of music in one of the albums that will release this year.

What's your take on many music composers working on a single film?
I believe it's not a good thing, but this trend is here to stay. Serious filmmakers like to maintain a soundscape in their film. But, several composers can work together in masala movies, where directors aren't bound by restrictions and can insert a song that has the potential to be a hit. I feel that this trend has made directors and producers impatient; if they can't get a catchy, hit tune from one composer, they simply go to the other person. It took me 45 days to crack just the hook of Tumhi Ho Bandhu (Cocktail). It was ages before I finalised the tunes of Subha Hone Na De (Desi Boyz) and Badtameez Dil (Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani) as well. I think a director and a composer must jointly collaborate for the music of a film to succeed. I somehow feel it doesn't happen when multiple composers work on one project.

And, what about singles?
It's a lovely idea as non-film music needs to be encouraged. However, the biggest challenge is to ensure these don't ape filmi sounds. In the 90s, bands like Euphoria and Silk Route introduced interesting genres of music and gave the songs an individual flair. If I come up with an interesting composition that I can't place in a film, but want the audiences to hear it, I will be excited to launch it as a single.