In his decade-long career as a composer, Vipin Patwa has delivered several noteworthy songs like ‘Sehmi Hai Dhadkan’ (‘Daas Dev’), ‘Vaddi Sharaban’ (‘De De Pyaar De’), ‘Auliya’ (‘Hum Chaar’) and ‘Matlabi Yariyan’, among others. When you go through his discography, you realize he has composed songs of different genres quite comfortably. Perhaps, that is a result of his extensive training in music.
In this interview, the young composer talks about his journey in the Hindi film industry, popular songs, importance of training for a musician, upcoming projects and more.
You most recent release ‘Nasha Ishq Ka’ from ‘Nikamma’ was a romantic with a lounge vibe to it. It was quite different from anything that you had composed in the past.
I had earlier composed dance numbers like ‘Vaddi Sharaban’ from ‘De De Pyaar De’ but yes, ‘Nasha Ishq Ka’ has been different from anything I have composed earlier. When you compose for films, you get the opportunity to experiment with different genres. As a composer, I constantly strive to offer the listeners something they haven’t heard before. Whenever I get a challenge, I get very excited. The situation for the song was very interesting and I had a great time working on it. I want to continue experimenting with different genres.
You have largely been a part of multi-composer albums. What are your thoughts on this trend of getting multiple music directors on board for a film?
There are both pros and cons to it. If the director has a good sense of music, he will make sure that each of the songs delivered by different composers serves the narrative of the film well. There are also filmmakers who just want songs that can be used for promoting the film. If the album doesn’t sound coherent, then it becomes a problem. The biggest beneficiaries of this trend have been new composers who have got opportunities to compose for films. I am okay with being a part of both multi-composer films and solo projects.
You have collaborated with Atif Aslam on two of your most popular tracks, ‘Sehmi Hai Dhadkan’ (‘Daas Dev’) and ‘Auliya’ (‘Hum Chaar’). How was the experience of working with him?
I had gone to Dubai to record Atif’s voice for ‘Sehmi Hai Dhadkan’. He really liked the composition and agreed to sing it instantly. While recording the song, we bonded very well. Atif told me that he had never sung an intense song like this. I had already composed ‘Auliya’ by then and had thought of approaching Atif for it as well. After listening to the composition, he said, “arrey yaar, yeh toh aur bhi achcha gaana hai”. After recording ‘Sehmi Hai Dhadkan’, we took a break for a day and then, recorded ‘Auliya’.
Today, many actors are getting behind the mic to sing for their films. You had recorded Parineeti Chopra’s voice for ‘Matlabi Yaariyan’ (‘The Girl On The Train’). How was that experience like?
Parineeti did a wonderful job with the song. There were two versions of the song. While one was sung by Parineeti, the other version was in the voice of Neha Kakkar. Neha, as we all know, is a wonderful singer. Since Parineeti was playing the character, she could also perform it very well.
One of your first songs was ‘Pyaar Tera’ from the film ‘Luv U Soniyo’ which was sung by Sonu Nigam.
Yes! I have had a very good working relationship with Sonu ji. It is an honour to work with somebody of his stature. At that time, I was new in Mumbai but he gave me a lot of encouragement. We recorded the song almost nine years back but the memories of it are still fresh in my mind.
You started learning music from a very young age. You trained under Pandit Harish Tiwari of the Kirana Gharana and went on to do a Masters (MPhil) degree from Delhi University. How important, do you think, is training for a musician?
If you are well-versed with the grammar of a particular craft, you will be able to understand it better. A trainer singer can sing all kinds of songs. If you don’t learn music, you will have certain limitations as a musician. Having said that, there are many singers and musicians in the industry who have not taken any formal training but are very good at their craft.
You started your professional journey as a radio jockey. How did that happen?
I was in my hometown Gorakhpur at that time. I got this opportunity to work as an RJ with a radio station and took it up. I was a fun experience.
What are you doing next?
I have composed a bunch of singles for Zee Music Company which should release soon. I will also be releasing a lot of music independently. I am also working on a couple of feature films.