Dhaval Roy (DNA; November 18, 2018)

Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani (better known as Vishal-Shekhar) have had just one release in 2017 (Tiger Zinda Hai, TZH) as well as in 2018 (Telugu film Naa Peru Surya, Naa Illu India), but 2019 looks big for the duo. Apart from Salman Khan’s Bharat, they have Karan Johar’s Student Of The Year 2 (SOTY2) and YRF’s as-yet-untitled film starring Hrithik Roshan and Tiger Shroff. Right now, they can be seen as judges of music reality shows Indian Idol and Zee TV’s Sa Re Ga Ma Pa, respectively. They spoke to After Hrs about their upcoming movies, their partnership, creative differences and solo works.

THREE BIGGIES NEXT YEAR
Even though TZH was their only movie album last year, Dil Diyan Gallan and Swag Se Swagat were both chartbusters, with the latter being the first Hindi track to cross 600 million views on YouTube. Quiz the composers why they have been missing in action of late and Vishal replies, “SOTY 2 was supposed to come out sooner, so we spent a lot of time working on it. On a few occasions, release schedules go for a bit of a toss. We normally do two films a year, but next year will be three.”

Shekhar reminds us that they composed for Fan, Befikre, Sultan, and TZH back to back. “So, it might look like just a couple of films a year but suddenly for us it was a lot of work,” he says. Having fewer films does not bother them. In fact, the former states that it works well for the two. “We like to focus on what we’re doing, and give it the time and love it deserves,” he avers.

Describing the three projects, he says, “SOTY 2 is young and hip while keeping its soul intact.  The Hrithik-Tiger film is a dance-action flick, so there are just a few songs, but they are quite cool. Bharat is rooted and large in terms of the number of songs as well as the scale of the sound. So, what we are trying to do is like leading three different lives simultaneously.”

GOING STRONG SINCE TWO DECADES
Remind the duo that it’s been almost two decades since they debuted in Bollywood, with Pyaar Mein Kabhi Kabhi (1999) and he exclaims, “Is it? Damn! Time flies!” Shekhar beams with pride and says, “We have done about 450 songs and been together on stage, television as well as in the studio having a blast. It feels like we’ve just got started.” The Chennai Express composers say that they have stayed on top of the game by never treating their work as a contest. “We have a duty to elevate each film that we do, both emotionally as well as at the box office, and that’s what we focus on,” Vishal emphasises.

CONFLICTS GALORE
Though they dish out crackerjack tunes together, differences between them are inevitable. Shekhar explains, “I have my views and he has his, but that’s how music is created. It’s all about jamming. Sometimes, I sing the first line and he nails the next one and vice versa.” At other times, one dislikes what the other has created and he adds, “We have creative differences in almost every single song, but that makes the number bigger and better.” These days, however, their greatest fights are about nuts and coffee! “I keep stealing almonds and walnuts that Shekhar stows away to snack on in a hunger emergency,” Vishal states. “And I slink his coffee,” the latter laughs. Their last explosive fight was back in 2009-10, when Vishal was going through a bad personal phase and it percolated into work. “Thankfully, Shekhar kept a cool head and was patient with me. That was the last big one,” he recalls.

SOLO WORKS
Vishal frontlines one of the biggest Indian bands Pentagram while Shekhar has a solo career, too. However, in the indie space, they haven’t collaborated yet. “That’s going to happen soon,” reveals the soft-spoken singer-composer, adding, “There will be an announcement of something big.” The musicians have co-judged Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge in 2007 and Indian Idol Junior in 2013 among others, but now they stick to separate shows. “There is no one else I’d rather judge a show with. But, production houses or channels always try to get us as a ‘package deal’,” Vishal reasons candidly. Shekhar adds, “He is my best and the most ideal co-judge. If someone pays us a fat cheque, we will do a show together.”


Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani (left); and Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif in a still from the song Swag Se Karenge