His debut song, Banno (from Tanu Weds Manu Returns) catapulted him into the big league and Tanishk Bagchi followed it up with equally successful numbers like Bolna (Kapoor & Sons), Allah Hu Allah and Rabba (Sarbjit) and now Fake Ishq (Housefull 3). In a conversation with Bombay Times, the composer tells us why he believes everyone should have 'song banks' and how he is hoping to create music out of nothing...

Within two years, you've managed to become a household name in Bollywood..
(Laughs) My journey started with Tanu Weds Manu Returns. Before this, I used to produce and arrange music for TV shows, including Dance India Dance and Thapki Pyar Ki. I had a bank of songs, but I was scared to play it to others. But after Banno became popular, people started giving me importance and I gained the confidence to pitch my tunes to others. My friend Vayu, also a lyricist, and I collaborated on many tracks and director Aanand L Rai happened to hear one of them. That's how we landed our first break. The makers of Kapoor & Sons had our songs in their bank and when they needed a romantic track, we modified one of our works to create Bolna. Similarly, I'd met one of the producers of Sarbjit a few months ago. They were looking for a qawwali and I played them Allah Hu Allah, which I was planning to release as a single.

Is that how Housefull 3 also happened?
Actually, this is an interesting story. I'd heard from a friend that directors Sajid-Farhad were looking for a track that would complement the fun element in their film. So, I approached them like a newcomer without mentioning about my previous works and made them listen to three of my compositions. They were so humble and encouraging and locked Fake Ishq. It's a fun number.

Are you following Hollywood's way of pitching songs to producers from a bank? Do you think B-Town is adapting that format as well?
I would think so. Composing tracks and saving it for the bank, I think, is healthy and I believe everyone should have a bank. This way, if a film's theme matches with tracks that you have, you can easily adapt it to suit the director's requirement. It's easier to pitch your work to producers. That said, it's also important to view the movie through the director's perspective and composers should be willing to adapt.

But isn't there a different charm in composing songs exclusively for a film, like how it happened till the 90s?
My father worked with RD Burmanji and I remember how much of fun people had when they sat together and composed songs. My dad used to tell me that composers would visit the set and see what's being shot to come up with tunes. They composed on spot and it's such a refreshing experience to listen to people doing it. I follow Rahman sir and I've heard he doesn't like to whip out songs from his bank just for the sake of it. That's why I maintain that composers must modify their songs today to suit the director's need.

Have you always been into music?
I actually wanted to be a pilot. But I started learning music when I was very young. I learnt piano when my fingers were too small to even reach the keys. But somewhere down the line, I came to believe that musicians don't get their due and got very little money and because of this, we were losing many talented people. So, I didn't take music seriously because I thought I would also end up like that. But as I grew older, I saw my parents dedicating their lives to music and it inspired me and revived my passion.

You've managed to deliver different kinds of songs till now - from peppy folk and romantic melodies to heart-wrenching numbers...
My dad is into western classical and mother is an Indian classical singer. So, I've grown up listening to almost all genres of music. When I hear the situation, I can subconsciously decide what kind of song would suit the space. Right now, I'm trying an experimental project - creating symphony from natural sounds. For instance, even if there are no instruments in a room, I want to be able to produce music from whatever is there in front of me.

With so many young composers out there, does that make you insecure?
I've no intention to compete with other composers. Music is beyond competition and politics. That's why even if I win an award, I'm not overwhelmed because I believe that other nominees who put in as much effort into composing a song equally deserve the award.

So, you have no problem in being one of the many composers in an album...
Absolutely not. I think having multiple composers lends a varied flavour to the project. And it will help the directors visualise and shoot the songs better. Similarly, I'm always on the lookout for fresh voices. Every singer brings his own input to the table. I have a fibre, a certain texture in mind when I record a song. That's why I keep asking for demos online.