?Hrithik, the backbone of my music?

Hrithik Roshan and Priyanka Chopra in Krrish

After Kaho Naa? Pyar Hai and Koi? Mil Gaya, you must have been under a lot of pressure to deliver in Krrish?

The pressure is not there because we are a family and we are all fond of good work. There is no ego between any of us and the whole atmosphere is always very peaceful. You can say it is a kind of responsibility we take on our shoulders to try and come up with the best work possible.

Did you decide on a new sound for Krrish since the film breaks new Bollywood grounds in terms of visuals?

Krrish is divided into two halves. The first half is based in the village and the second half is about the character?s superheroic activities in the backdrop of a city. So, for the first half we have gone for melodious songs based on Indian classical music and for the second we have used modern, hi-tech tracks.

But melody continues to be your forte?

Yes, you can call it our domain. We would like to dwell only on melodies and not deviate from that.

Is it the desire to produce your best work for your brother that has stopped you from making music for others?

It?s not that I have stopped working for others. There are a couple of other projects in the pipeline. But yes, when I was working on Krrish, I was only working on Krrish. I got the full time to produce the music and also the required peace of mind. See, even abroad, musicians work on one album at a time. Of course, they get well paid in terms of royalties. So in a lifetime they come up with hardly two or three good albums which is good enough to make their huge wealth. Here, the scenario is different but irrespective of money, I would like to work on one project at a time.

So, how long did it take you to score the music of Krrish?

Rakesh gave me five months for the seven songs in the film. Then I took one month to remix a couple of the songs. And finally around two-and-a-half months more for recording and mixing the tracks. So in eight-and-a-half months, the whole album was ready. Of course there were phases when there was no work.

Rajesh Roshan

Are you happy with the way the Krrish soundtrack has turned out?

I wanted the soundtrack to be an album for all ? for the young, for those who understand music and mostly for those who love and enjoy melodies. I can?t be sure yet as to how it has turned out to be. Yesterday (Wednesday) only, I was listening to the whole album after a long time and I found the songs very refreshing and very soulful. Also, the mixing has been done very nicely, so the sound is very clear. Then again, I would like to add I cannot be the best judge of my music.

Do you compose keeping Hrithik in mind?

That happens at the subconscious level. In reality what is more important is the story and also the times that we are going through. Hrithik, of course, is there. He is the backbone for the songs, a pillar we all can rest on. We needn?t bother about him. We have to take care of the market needs. The music has just been launched and the T-Series people told me that the initial reports are extraordinary. Our fingers are crossed for tomorrow because in this industry anything can happen anytime.

How different are the Tamil and Telugu versions of the Krrish album?

The tracks are the same but we had to get the singers to dub the songs again. So the entire process of recording and mixing had to be done again. That was time consuming.

You have gone for newer voices this time?

Udit Narayan is there for one track. We have introduced Sonu Nigam and Shreya Ghoshal this time. There?s also Kunal Ganjawala singing a dance number. You can say they lend a newer sound.

You have again worked with lyricists like Ibrahim Ashq and Vijay Akela who are not used by other music directors?

I don?t know why others have not been able to tap these talented writers. I cannot work with people who say that they cannot change the lines. There has to be that flexibility since the whole burden will be on me.

How would you rate the music of Krrish compared to Kaho Naa? Pyar Hai and Koi? Mil Gaya?

That?s too early for me to say. I believe Kaho Naa? Pyar Hai, Karan Arjun and Koi? Mil Gaya were on a par in terms of music. I don?t know why Koi? Mil Gaya did not become such a big musical hit. Now when you listen to the film?s songs on TV or radio, you find the tunes evergreen whereas the so-called bigger hits of that year have lost their shine. I fail to understand the tide we were swimming then. As for Krrish, we have to wait and see how people react to the music but I can definitely say it is a cut above the rest.