Ahead of the release of his second song in Khan’s film, Sukhbir on how actor gradually doubled up as lyricist for track
Salman Khan and Sukhbir
When an industry colleague shares Sukhbir’s contact number with us for this interview, we can barely contain our laughter. It reads: ‘Sukhbir Singer Oho ho ho’. Obviously, we, (just like you) read the words as though Sukhbir himself was crooning his popular song. Even before he tells us about it, we’re sold on the impact of a powerful chorus. “There are no words in this line, but people still remember the song and sing along with the chorus. The chorus is powerful. I start my song with it, and the rest of the melody falls in place later,” he says while making a case for his success in the industry.
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Sukhbir is responding to questions on the recipe for the making of a hit party number. The second aspect, he reveals, is to ascertain if a song is ‘danceable’. “The bottom line is, it needs to be peppy. I’ve seen slow songs being [remixed] to increase the tempo for the occasion. If I can dance to it while I’m in the studio, I know people will dance to it too,” he says, asserting that his recent release, Billi billi, was also created with intention.
Following a 27-minute conversation with Salman Khan, Sukhbir concluded that this track that was in store with him, was apt for Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan. “We did have to tweak elements. Apart from making the Punjabi song suited for the [Hindi-speaking audience], we had to revisit the introduction because Salman had some ideas in mind for the screenplay. He wanted us to start with a tumbi [section]. Following some back-and-forth, we arrived at the final track,” says the composer, who speaks fondly of his experience of interacting with the star, instead of the head honchos of music labels.
“He was hands-on, and that was very impressive. He has a keen sense of rhythm, knows what he wants, and knows how to get it. He is also collaborative, and not assertive. So, it eventually turns out to be an enjoyable process.” A yet-to-release track, he says, has been inadvertently penned by Khan. “I didn’t know Salman was a writer too. He wanted another song, so I sent him a few options. He wanted me to combine two of them, which I did, and then [worked with a lyricist]. Salman liked the song, but wanted something that was not typical. He began to introduce changes to the lyrics, and a major portion was rewritten by him. I insisted on giving him the credits as an additional lyricist.”
The affable musician, referred to as the Prince of Bhangra, has enjoyed a long-running career in the independent and commercial music industries. An avid consumer of the works of other musicians, he says the most notable change in the music-making process today is the minimal influence of Hindi music, in Punjabi music. “If you see the works of today’s [Punjabi] artistes, you’ll see a lot of western influences. Sidhu Moose Wala, for example, had hard-core traditional melody, with an RnB base. AP Dhillon’s music has an entirely different feel that is appealing to today’s youth. There are fewer Indian influences, which is a nice and refreshing change. The melody may be Indian, but the music is western.”
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