Talktime | Jasleen royal
The 25-year-old composer-singer, who got her first break in Bollywood with Preet in Khoobsurat tells SHAlINI SAKSENA that many people inspire her & being self-taught has meant that she can experiment with music even it meant missing out on understanding basics
How did music come to youIJ
No one in my house has a musical background. But my mother loves poetry; she would read and write. We too listened to music. I was the younger sibling and was given a Fe bowl as a hand-me down. I am curious and restless as a person and kept experimenting and trying to figure out how to play different tunes; that’s how it all began.
You are self-taught. If you had had professional training your music would have been differentIJ
Yes, definitely. I have not taken any professional training and learnt from experience. I am learning from observing people, meeting other singers and trying out different things. But I would not have been able to do a lot of things that I am doing today and restricted me. But if I had learnt the nuances, I would have understood the basics; I would have been a better singer. There are pros and cons to everything.
Who is your inspirationIJ
There are a lot of people who I keep meeting. I am hungry for knowledge. I remember going to bookstores and browsing through foreign magazines and learn new things. Also, the Internet has taught me a lot. I am fascinated by who others work like Vishal Dadlani. I am huge fan of AR Rahman.
Was giving music for Phillauri differentIJ
Each movie that you do is a different experience. When Baar Baar Dekho happened, it was my first film as a composer-singer. There were big people like Karan Johar and Farhan Akhtar. It was a big project and happy that it happened; then came Shivaay. With Phillauri, it was different because it was like one big family. In fact, I told the team that they have spoilt me. We had so much fun; it was amazing.
Does the singer in you clash with the composerIJ
Never! I always wanted to be a composer. Singer just happened when I sent music to producer-director. They take a call to retain my voice as well. The idea is to do whatever sounds good. In Shivaay, the song, Raatein, was supposed to be a male voice but then Ajay Devgn took a call on my voice. So it all depends on producers and directors.
Is Indie music changing BollywoodIJ
Yes. There is more variety — different kind of music. People are open to more singers and multiple composers.
What was your reaction when you got your break in BollywoodIJ
My problem is that I don’t know how to enjoy success. WhenKhoobsurat (song Preet) happened, I was overwhelmed. In Bollywood you never know what things stand. Voices are changed overnight. Songs are cut; lot of things happen since there is not just one person involved. When the song was out, I was calm and relieved.
Would you be able to categorise musicIJ
For me melody is melody including background score. There is no difference when it comes to pop, indie or Bollywood. There are a lot of singles that come out and I get hooked on to them. Music is music.