'Kanche' is an intense and emotional film: Chirantan Bhatt

Chennai: During his seven year long association with the Hindi film industry, music composer Chirantan Bhatt has already made quite a name for himself courtesy popular numbers such as ‘Teri Meri Kahaani’, ‘Mission Mission’ and ‘Kabhi Na Kabhi.

Now, the talented grandson of noted film director Vijay Bhatt is all set to make his debut in Telugu films with Krish’s ‘Kanche’.

In this interview, Chirantan speaks exclusively to IBNLive.com about his take on southern music, highlighting his professional goals.

How did your maiden foray into southern cinema come about?

I got introduced to southern music when I was studying in Chennai a few years ago and made it a point to try my hand at it at some stage of my career. After ‘Gabbar is Back’, Krish asked me to compose a song for his next Telugu film. He liked what I came up with and asked me do the entire album.

‘Kanche’ is a period drama. What are the challenges associated with composing for films belonging to this genre?

I heard a few songs and tried to familiarize myself with contemporary southern sensibilities. But as ‘Kanche’ is a period film that did not help too much. Moreover, as ‘Kanche’ an intense and emotional story we had ensure that the music wasn’t generic. it had to justice to the film’s scale.

Lastly, Krish has very good music sense. So sometimes satisfying him/his vision is not very easy. That way he is a difficult director to work with.

What are the main differences between the southern music fraternity and its Hindi counterpart?

Things down south are a lot more organized and disciplined. Moreover, there is a lot of emphasis on melody. As such, they prefer very traditional voices whereas in Bollywood even unconventional voices are accepted. Furthermore, in the south almost every household has some exposure to music or related art forms like dance. Hence, broadly speaking, there is tremendous awareness about music.

Now, let us talk about Chirantan Bhatt the person. How did your tryst with music begin?

I used to play the guitar in college. However, that hobby soon took a backseat and I got busy with other things. But when I underwent a course in software programming, I came across a program that allowed me to create and play with tunes.

As a result, my passion for music was re-ignited.

Interestingly, even though my family has always been associated with the film industry, they were not too happy about me taking up music professionally as it is an uncertain profession. There are no guarantees in this field. On the other hand, if you become a doctor/engineer there is still some stability at a certain point.

Have you ever faced a creative block?

Yes, such a thing does happen quite often. In fact, in a way it is inevitable. Whenever I fail to compose a song in a particular way or come up with something new I just take a short break. The idea is to get away from work, go out of town and look at things from a fresh perspective. On most occasions, such breaks help me overcome a creative block.

What type of music do you like listening to during your free time?

I am a romantic person at heart. As such I enjoy listening to slow melodies and even sad romantic numbers. They are extremely soothing. My personal favourite is ‘Yeh Raat Bheegi. The song very successfully transports me to a different era altogether.

What are the advantages of being associated with a renowned filmy family? Are there any disadvantages?

I don’t think there are any advantages or disadvantaged as such. Everyone ultimately gets a chance to prove his or her mettle. However, if you come from an influential background or have contacts you may get more than one chance to find firm footing. But, at the day, one needs to have an ‘X factor’ in order to be accepted.

What are the three main objectives you want to fulfil in the years to come?

To begin with, I hope to understand different cultures through my music. Then, I want to work in the Gujarati film industry which is pretty stagnant at present. And lastly, at some point or the other, I want to share my experience/leanings with youngsters.

Lastly, are there any professional decisions you regret?

Well, frankly speaking, there are a few projects I wish I had not been a part of. They were not promoted/marketed properly. Hence, my music could not get its due. However, it would not be fair to name these films.