Mahesh Raju Naik has provided background music for approximately 5,000 TV episodes since 1983. Not just for Hindi serials, but Marathi, Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil and Gujarati as well. "This is definitely not something that happens everyday," insists 37-year-old Mahesh. Practical and outspoken, he firmly believes he has made a unique contribution.

Now his only ambition is to feature in The Guinness Book of Records.

Unfortunately, he has already been turned down in India by the Limca Book of Records, as the authors felt that there was nothing extraordinary or creative about his achievement. Disappointed, he nevertheless agrees with them. "Eighty per cent of the video world uses stock music for serials, so I guess it is basically a rehash of one score or the other," says Naik, a trifle bitterly.

Naik started out as a serial editor in 1981, and two years later got a chance to be the music director for the serial Natkhat Narad. Mahesh got his second break, when 26 episodes later, he took over Buniyaad from his father, the noted music director, Raju Naik. Though this boosted his confidence, it did not do much for his career.

And after his initial spurt of luck, the next eight years were very dry. He did a few Marathi serials but things just did not click. During this phase he also tried his hand at writing lyrics and penned 40 songs. However, only eight were accepted and telecast. "I was composing for friends who accepted them unquestioningly,''admits Mahesh, ``Otherwise, even these eight would not have seen the light of the day. I never got any offer from outside," he adds somewhat sadly.

Around the time he was almost ready to give up, Zee TV entered the fray with it a bottomless thirst for serials. And in the attempt to outdo each other, directors also began to look at music as a hook for their serials. Stock music -- pre-recorded scores for different situations, like emotions, suspense, climax -- gave way to exclusive melodies that matched the mood of the character. But live music is time-consuming, expensive and involves coordinating with a band of musicians. It takes around five to seven hours per episode, whereas stock music does the job in two hours. Mahesh claims to have worked round-the-clock, providing music to 17 episodes at a single stretch. These episodes were for a range of serials from Yug, Raahat and Sailaab to Tara, Chandrakanta and Parivartan. Currently, he is composing music for Betaal Pachisi and Thoda Hai Thode Ki Zaroorat Hai.

So is quality being compromised for quantity? "Quality doesn't count in the industry,'' complains Mahesh, ``Tomorrow, a producer will switch to any composer who agrees to work for less than me. You can never even go on a holiday, as you might return to find yourself jobless." Oh dear.

"A technician has no life, no security. Once a director got wild when I told him that I couldn't come for the recording as I was not well,'' recalls Mahesh unhappily, ``But he insisted that I had to finish his work." However, Mahesh harbours no false illusions about his profession."Today, I have fame and money, but what about tomorrow? Once I feel secure enough to give my kids a decent life, I will quit," he says with finality.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.