Composer Vishal Mishra: Leave acting to actors

Vishal Mishra

Familiar faces of Indian television have been lending a breath of fresh air to the independent music industry of late, with actors like Sidharth Shukla and Shehnaaz Gill (Bhula dunga), Himanshi Khurana and Asim Riaz (Afsos karoge), and new additions Aly Goni and Jasmin Bhasin frontlining music videos of composers. But, in an era when a section of independent musicians are fighting for the opportunity to be the face of the art that they create, does the industry need to piggy-back on the fame of television's stars? Composer Vishal Mishra, who recently brought forth the Goni and Bhasin-starrer Tujhe bhi sataya jayega believes the development is necessary. "It is better to leave the acting part to actors. The value that [actors] bring to a song depends on the track, and how well they connect with it. But, decisions to [appoint] them are made in accordance with the demands of the song. I will feature in mynext video, because I fit the bill."

For Tujhe bhi sataya jayega, Mishra was in search of a female actor who could emote the tale of betrayal as powerfully as Bhasin did. "The song had to be told from a woman's perspective. We wanted a couple that had great chemistry, and immediately thought of them. They look beautiful together and share a positive vibe. We wanted to portray them in roles that showcased their camaraderie," he says of the video that was shot in Jaipur.

In the pipeline for Mishra is the next edition of Ekta Kapoor's Broken But Beautiful, the previous edition of which earned him adulation for the track, Teri hogaiyaan. "I've worked on projects like Kabir Singh, Jabariya Jodi and Notebook [for Kapoor]. The latest season of the show is special because the track has already received positive reviews. They wanted me to work on a new version of the song. I usually don't rehash songs, but since this was an extension of my number, I agreed."

Having revisited his music choices amid the isolation, Mishra is keen to explore new genres of music. His recent foray into Telugu music is a step in that direction. "When things were restrictive as they were in the lockdown, exploring something different, in this case, music in a different language, was exciting. I rendered a Telugu track at the behest of a friend, and now have been getting more offers to sing in the language."

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