Ravindra Jain (centre) in Ranchi on Friday. (Prashant Mitra)

From Ram Teri Ganga Maili to Ramayana, Ankhiyon Ke Jharokhon Se to Alif Laila — Ravindra Jain’s kind of music is as diverse as the films and telefilms he has scored tunes for.

And, mind you, he can easily come up with peppy numbers like Sheila ki jawani and Munni badnaam hui too. But his school of music is more about “decent” stuff, something that the entire family can listen to together and hum too.

During a brief visit to state capital on Friday, Jain engaged in a tête-à-tête with newsmen at an upcoming residential apartment in Kokar with music, films and of course, Ranchi dominating the chat.

“I had come to Parasnath in Giridih for some personal engagement after which I had a family get-together in Dhanbad on Thursday. I will be flying back to Mumbai this afternoon (Friday),” said the composer-cum-lyricist-cum-singer.

This was the second time that Jain visited Ranchi. The last time he came was in 1955, when he spent over a year with his elder brother here.

“I can’t recall the Ranchi of those times,” he smiled before continuing, “but I can sense that the place has changed drastically as honking of vehicles is bound to drive you crazy now”.

On his current projects, Jain, who won the Filmfare Best Music Director Award in 1985, revealed that he was working on a Bhojpuri film, which is being produced by construction major Vasundhara Associates. The film’s title is still under wraps.

“The reason I agreed to work on this project is because of the subject of the movie. It’s a complete family entertainer, which motivated me to say yes. Not that I cannot score songs like Sheila ki jawani and Munni badnaam hui, but I believe that my creations should be decent enough for the entire family to sing together,” said the powerhouse of talent.

So what can people of this neo-music age expect from a veteran like him? “All I can say at this moment is that I would try to recreate the Ankhiyon Ke Jharokhon Se charm,” said the maestro, who had become one of the mainstays of Rajshri Productions projects from 1980s to 2000s.

As for the present genre of Hindi film music, he said today, almost every song became a hit, but what set it apart from the gems of yesteryears was its shelf life.

“Laxmikant-Pyarelalji, RD Burman, OP Nayar saab, Kalyan-Anand bhai — pick any song from the collection of these masters and you will still love listening to it,” he signed off.