Music composer Daboo Malik turns writer with W. He told Karan Bhardwaj that the musical drama is his tribute to womanhood
This month Bollywood will pay tribute to women with films like Gulaab Gang and Queen. If Madhuri Dixit-Juhi Chawla starrer Gulaab Gang is about women power, Kangana Ranaut’s Queen talks about freedom. Behind these two much-talked about projects, there is another movie titled W, which is a tribute to womanhood. It is a collaborative effort by three men, Daboo Malik (script, lyrics and music), Tarun Chopra (direction) and Subhash Sehgal (producer). “I was always fascinated by the challenges and the turbulences that women go through in their lives. I have seen my mother struggling a lot. I always wanted to make a film on this subject,” says music composer Daboo Malik, who has donned the hat of a writer for the first time. W is a story of three young girls who want to lead an independent life to fulfill their dreams. They run an event company and also a music band. During the concert, they face some unbelievable challenges which ruin their dreams. However, the girls fight back and come up strong. There’s also a part dedicated to outrage over crime against women. “People may link it to Nirbhaya case but the fact is that we completed the first sequence of the film three months before the real incident,” informs Malik.
The film has a fresh star cast of leeza Mangaldas, lezlie Tripathy and Sonal Giani. “We don’t have any crowd-puller but I assure it is an innocent story with an honest thought. People will come to watch it as it is very moving and emotional story,” he says. Malik has given music to films like Tumko Na Bhool Paayenge, Maine Dil Tujhko Diya, Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam and I am Proud to Be an Indian. But with W, he has pushed the envelope. “I am experimenting with my music. Tracks are a mix of pop and independent music. The climax track is beautiful with all women-band singing together. I have never done such music in past,” he says. Though he has slowed down his work, he is content with his sons taking the legacy forward.
“Both Armaan and Amal are making great music. They have learnt it from international institutions and are collaborating with global artistes and musicians. Armaan is singing a lot. Hi three tracks in Jai Ho were hit. Amal is more interested in composing tracks,” says Malik.
He is progressive and finds some legendary work being done in the industry. “There was redundancy a decade ago but now Bollywood is churning out excellent music. Some of the songs by new-age lyricists like Irshad Kamil and Amitabh Bhattacharya have been beautifully written and will stay forever,” he says.