“When we make music, we make it for our personal pleasure,” quips Shekhar, the classical, more traditional of the two who defines his life as one huge training session, right from his father who had accordian sessions with Mukesh, to his guru, the platform that Saregama provided him when he began his career to his partner Vishal who introduced him to Pentagram and rock concerts. “Be it the studio or the stage, when you make a song, you need to enjoy the process for this is where people get their energy after listening to your work,” feels Vishal the Pentagram ‘rockstar’ who stepped into the industry along with Shekhar and pledged to re-define the way music was treated in films. “There was a time when a signed letter having Shankar-Jaikishen’s consent for giving the music for the film got it financial support. That was a legendary phase where music director got their credit and god-like status. Then came this lull of the eighties and nineties where only formula music worked. It gave the directors a bad name. We wanted to change that, and so roped in authentic hip-hop, pure seventies melody, surf sound, fun and folk et al,” they say.
For Vishal-Shekhar, music in bollywood has evolved phenomenally. “The entire song structures have changed. This is also because of the changes in the socio-political realities in the country, in its people, their ideals and technological changes.” New directors, younger lot and high risks, Vishal and Shekhar got their kinda work, and before they knew, they managed to make a mark. “We are getting top of the line directors, we love our film as much as the producer/director loves it, I’d have no qualms in saying we are the best,” dimples Shekhar who had many hearts racing during his stint as a judge along with Vishal in Saregama. Now that we’ve teased the topic, how was it like? “They approached us, said they’ll pay obscene amount of money and we said yes,” humours Vishal. “Nah, seriously, right from Shaan, Anoushka, Kailash Kher, Sunidhi to now Raja, we’ve been in the forefront for finding new voices, with an edge and freshness. Zee gave us the opportunity to hear this talent over a long period of time in a legitamised organised fashion, and keeping the sms petty arguments miles away, we’d say that if such a platform can give three singers a beautiful career, then why not. Moreover, these shows are grooming schools that add to the repertoire of a singer. We give them the push, how hard they work to capitalise on it is up to them,” they obviously make sense. “An artist can’t underestimate the audience. Period.”
In the pipeline is Tashan and Bhootnath. But what has them excited is their record company - Vishal-Shekhar Record Company’s first album. “This boy from Bangalore called Raghu Dixit who writes, composes and makes his own music. Watch out for it.” We will.