Few composer duos in Hindi cinema today straddle madness and melody as deftly as Sachin–Jigar. Over the past decade, they’ve swung between quirky tracks like Kamariya, romantic numbers like Mileya Mileya, and chartbusters like Aaj Ki Raat. Ahead of their latest outing, Param Sundari, the duo talks about their mindset, music, and their tribute to the master. Excerpts from the interview.

Sachin: It is destiny. We never sat in business meetings to plan this partnership — it just happened. I first met Jigar to share some workload, and there’s no way two people living so far apart could’ve just decided to become a jodi. It feels like something beyond us put us together. Let me give you a recent anecdote: I needed Jigar not just as my business partner but as family, and he came through for me. That’s when I realised I admire him beyond music. He’s five years younger but has this politeness, manners, and ability to communicate that I really look up to. He’s also the rebel in our duo, the one who pushes.

Jigar: The common thread between all of us is that we’re mad but sane enough to know that we’re mad! Otherwise, who decides to make a song “Baba Ji Ki Booti”? And when we did that track, everyone sang — Raj, DK, Anand, Kunal, me. Whoever was in the room. None of us was in it for stability. I think it’s that madness that connects us and keeps us together.

Sachin: Jigar doesn’t sleep — and he doesn’t let anyone else sleep either! (laughs) For him, the moment a song works, that gate is closed. He won’t allow us to repeat ourselves in the same way. That forces us to think differently, and that’s why we’ve managed to stay versatile. For me, that success gave me a certain ease. I’ve lived through the struggle of not finding popularity, so to be on the other side feels nice. But we were never in the game for just hits or flops. We came here to make good music, and even after success, that hasn’t changed.

Our mantra is never to define a “Sachin–Jigar sound.” We don’t want people to say, this is exactly what they always do. We move on, leave that sound behind, and try something new. If others want to pick it up, great. If not, no problem. That’s why after Stree 2, we thought, okay, we’ve done the madness in Stree, we’ve done dance numbers, now how do we break out again? That’s how Param Sundari happened. It’s become an unplanned pattern with us — one big dance number, then one big love song, then something unexpected.

Jigar : We’re also conscious of not getting typecast as “the commercial dance anthem guys.” So if we’ve just done a massive dance track, next time we’ll want to balance it with a love song or something soulful.

Sachin: A day before Jigar and I flew to Dubai for the Param Sundari music session, Dinesh Vijan called us to his office and told us this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Instantly, [A R] Rahman sir started playing in my head. Roja [1992] changed my life forever — if I’m a composer today, it’s because of those five years of listening to him. So working on Param Sundari felt like living a dream.

Jigar: South Indian music has also inspired us a lot because it stays rooted in its culture. Even in the most commercial films, you’ll hear classical influences. I trained in classical singing for 10–12 years, and often had to “unlearn” some of it to compose for cinema. But “Param Sundari” brought everything we wanted together, it felt like a dream we didn't want to wake up from. As for Sonu Nigam: growing up, albums like Yaad, Deewana, Jaan were my everyday listening. First it was a dream to see him live, then to hear him sing songs we produced. The first track we ever programmed was sung by Sonu Nigam. That was already a big moment.

But as composers, we never got to record him again. We always kept it inside us. One day, we have to make a tune worthy of his voice. I was such a huge fan, I would literally pray to him before going to school! (laughs) So when we composed Param Sundari, we both knew deep down: this is it. We didn’t even say it out loud to each other, but we knew this was the song for Sonu Nigam.

We called him, he heard it, came to the studio, and recorded it in half an hour. It was magical. For us, it’s the greatest tribute — to have the man who inspired us be part of our music. Recently, he called and told us how much love he’s receiving for the song. To hear that from your idol — that’s the biggest moment of the year.

Jigar: Definitely the latter. That’s not our job. Once we put our music out, it belongs to the audience. As fellow creators, we may form opinions, but as listeners, people have the right to completely own or dismiss what we make.

We learned early in our careers to detach ourselves from the fate of a song. It hurts when a track you love doesn’t do well, but once you release it, it’s no longer yours. You’ve shot the arrow, and it’s out in the world. What feels “good” to me might not land with someone else, and that’s okay. So yes, we’ve made peace with it. Especially today, when there’s such great indie music and such strong new artists coming through, we’re not greedy. We just try to give our best and then leave it to the universe.

Jigar: Many times! One example is Happy Ending [2014]. The album actually caught on months later. At release, it didn’t get the traction we hoped for, though we felt it was a true coming-of-age album in terms of sound and concept. The first song, Jee Phaad Ke, generated noise, but the other tracks didn’t bloom immediately. And because once a producer sees one song breaking through, he’ll naturally invest all his energy and money into pushing that one, the rest often get sidelined. We always believed the album would find its way — and it did, but very late. There are other examples too. A beautiful song like Pinjra Tod Ke in Simran, or Hoor in Hindi Medium with Atif Aslam. We thought they’d immediately catch on. They didn’t at first, but later people came back to them, and now they even request us to perform them on shows.

Sachin: It’s a part of the game. That’s why having the first song of an album break through is actually a huge victory. Because imagine if you’re waiting until the fourth track for something to click — by then the producer may lose hope, and the entire album can collapse.

Jigar: For us, every film’s music carries big stakes. Actors want to be seen in a good light, producers are investing heavily, directors have worked hard. If the first song doesn’t land, there’s panic. And in those moments, you have to put art aside and think practically: we have to make this work. When the first track works, it also gives us the liberty to experiment with the rest of the album. For example, because Stree worked, we could make Stree 2 completely different — even put a ghazal on a beat. That was a risk, and it only happened because the first one clicked. So yes, we’ve learned that “first song tracking” is the safer and better place to be in, even if the others don’t explode in the same way.

Sachin: Dinesh is extremely critical of his own work, and Amitabh Bhai is the same. He’ll come back after six days to change just one word in the last line of an antara, or fight with us about a line even before a shoot mix is delivered. That level of self-criticism keeps the bar high.

The truth is, at the end of the day, no matter how many aspirations or ideas we all come in with, there’s only one song to be made. That perspective keeps us grounded. We keep checking each other.

Dinesh loves to experiment — he’ll come to us with a reference, or say, “Here’s this Afro-inspired song, can we make it a love track?” He’s always hustling, always infusing new ideas. Jigar, as I’ve said, is the rebel — he refuses to repeat himself, and he shares a bond with Dinesh that goes beyond work, which makes them almost like brothers.

Jigar: For me, I try to stay objective, to keep perspective when things get too passionate. And Amitabh Bhai has this magical ability to bring in a word or phrase that sparks a whole song. Among the four of us, someone always has the starting point.

Because this unit has delivered before, we have the courage to keep pushing further — to take one more risk, one more step. The balance of being able to check each other and push each other is what keeps us both grounded and moving forward.

Also, we’ve been through failures together — films that didn’t work, songs that vanished without a trace. That’s why now, even if something doesn’t work, it doesn’t shake the association. Our bond isn’t dependent on hits. It’s dependent on whether we’ve fulfilled each other’s creative soul. If between the four of us, we’ve inspired and satisfied each other creatively, then that’s success,  no matter how far the song travels.

Sachin: Never. From the beginning, this song came from a place of pure art, dedication, and a tribute to the master. For us, it’s a matter of pride if one of our songs even gets compared to his work. I look up to Rahman sir not just for his work, but for the person he is. On the inlay card of his first independent album [Vande Mataram], he wrote: ‘Hope to become the song of an independent India.’ That’s the man we’re paying homage to.

Jigar: When people say Param Sundari feels familiar, for us, familiarity isn’t bad. Familiarity can make you feel at home, and once you’re there, you can surprise the listener with new things hidden inside.

WILL PARAM SUNDARI BE A SUCCESS?

June and July were great for Bollywood, but the same can't be said about August. The first two releases, Son Of Sardaar 2 and Dhadak 2, flopped. A lot was expected from War 2; however, it proved to be a mega debacle. Hence, all eyes are now on Param Sundari, the last release of the month.

Param Sundari stars Sidharth Malhotra and Janhvi Kapoor and is directed by Tushar Jalota of Dasvi fame. The teaser of the film was unveiled with Bhool Chuk Maaf way back in May and it caught attention, especially the song 'Pardesiya'. Soon, the song became a huge hit and contributed significantly to a craze for the film.

Param Sundari is backed by Dinesh Vijan of Maddock Films, and he is known for going all out while promoting his films. But with Param Sundari, the lead cast members haven't opted for interviews and instead done public appearances at events across the country. It has helped in generating attention. Meanwhile, the trailer has also been decent.

With no other film in competition and with holdover releases coming to an end of their runs, Param Sundari will get a huge release. It is expected to open at Rs. 7-8 crores, which is a great number for a romcom.

A good word of mouth will help Param Sundari achieve a weekend of Rs. 30 crores. If it manages to trend well on the weekdays, it'll manage to sustain in the second week despite competition from films like Baaghi 4, The Bengal Files and The Conjuring: Last Rites.

In June, mid-day reported that Param Sundari’s release was being pushed from July 25 to avoid a clash with Son of Sardaar 2 (Making way for Ajay, June 21). But it looks like there was another reason why the Sidharth Malhotra and Janhvi Kapoor-starrer’s date with the audience was delayed. Sources say that the makers didn’t want it to come on the back of two romantic releases — Metro…In Dino and Saiyaara — this month.

Tushar Jalota’s directorial venture will apparently now release on August 29 or September 5. A source said, “Param Sundari has its own voice. With two romantic dramas releasing in quick succession, the makers didn’t want it to be reduced to just another love story. They felt that Param Sundari would benefit from a breather.”

We’ve heard the delay is being utilized to the fullest. “The team will shoot a promotional track closer to the release as Sidharth is currently busy with his new role as a father,” added an insider.

A spate of actioners later, Sidharth Malhotra is in the mood to explore romance again with his next, tentatively titled Param Sundari. We’ve heard the actor began shooting Tushar Jalota’s directorial venture in Nerul earlier this week. The first schedule will run for the next two weeks, with leading lady Janhvi Kapoor joining the shoot in early January.

Earlier, mid-day had reported that the love story sees Malhotra essay the role of a suave business tycoon hailing from Delhi to Kapoor’s free-spirited artist from Kerala (When north meets south, Oct 27). Sources tell us that in the ongoing leg, the director intends to shoot key scenes depicting the male lead’s emotional journey.

An insider reveals, “The Nerul shoot is crucial for setting up the protagonist’s backstory. Kharghar and Nerul will be the unit’s locations for the next few days, as Tushar cans emotional scenes featuring Sidharth. After Janhvi reports to the set in January, they will film the pair’s romantic sequences. Following the Mumbai stint, the director has lined up extensive schedules in Kerala and Delhi.”

The source adds that the rom-com, which marks the actors’ first collaboration, is part of a larger on-screen universe being developed by producer Dinesh Vijan, outside of his horror comedy universe.

In his 12-year career so far, Sidharth Malhotra has done a handful of rom-coms, including Hasee Toh Phasee (2014) and Baar Baar Dekho (2016). It’s time for the actor to give romance another shot with his next, tentatively titled Param Sundari. Last week, mid-day reported that Malhotra and leading lady Janhvi Kapoor were to originally front a thriller, but had a change of heart and decided to team up for a rom-com instead (Thriller aborted, rom-com on, Oct 18). Now, a bit of digging has revealed that Tushar Jalota’s directorial venture is a classic story of opposites attract, with Malhotra’s character hailing from north India and Kapoor’s from Kerala.

Sources tell us that the leading man essays a suave and rich business tycoon from Delhi. “Janhvi plays a modern artist with strong views and value system. Her character is a south Indian woman from Kerala. The film chronicles how the two fall in love despite having such contrasting personalities,” says a source. 

Pre-production on the love story, which marks the lead pair’s first collaboration, has begun. Jalota, who previously helmed the Abhishek Bachchan-led  Dasvi (2022), is apparently planning to take Param Sundari on floors in December.

“The first schedule will kick off with Sidharth in Delhi. The team will then head for a stint in Kerala, following which the rest will be shot at specially constructed sets at a Mumbai studio. The production design team has been instructed to erect two elaborate sets in Mumbai, one reflecting a sprawling house as seen in Delhi and another reflecting the earthy interiors of traditional Kerala homes. If things go as planned, filming will wrap up by February 2025. Sheetal Sharma, who recently worked on Munjya and Stree 2, is serving as the costume designer on this project. The look tests of both actors were conducted recently.”

With the movie’s title having its roots in Kriti Sanon’s dance number from Mimi (2021), rumours are rife that she will have a cameo in the Dinesh Vijan production. The makers, however, are tight-lipped about it.