- Though knowledge of the principles and basic rules of music is essential, it is not necessary to learn music in a conventional way, at the feet of a master. I believe that music can be learned by the ear, provided one has the desire to learn. Music, much more than any other art, can never be hammered into reluctant pupils or doled out in daily tuition classes. The opportunity of working with stalwarts of classical music gave me a closer knowledge and understanding of music. Very subtly but insidiously, music strengthened its grip on me. Without quite knowing when or how, my ears began to echo with the rich melodies I heard everyday. And that was how I actually learnt music.
- Working at a stretch, day after day, is not my way of working. I need at least an interval of two months to abandon the mood of one film and take up another.
- In a film where three minutes is all the time given to a song, the foremost requirement of a song is only one thing; it should be capable of capturing the interest of the listeners in a short period and sustaining it in the years to follow.
- I remember the day I came to Bombay - unemployed, in search of a job, any job. A producer refused to even see me. Years later, the same producer signed me for his picture and when I reminded him of the day when I first came to seek an interview from him, he didn't remember or perhaps he didn't want to remember.
- The mysteries of the mind, the interpretations of dreams and the monumental probing into certain aspects of my thoughts provoked me to concentrate on film music. Music was in my blood. Nothing could curb it from coming out. Destiny decided that I part with my musical gift to music lovers.
- It is usually very difficult for a music director to get unusual song situations and one is quite thrilled and inspired for better composition when a novel song situation turns out to be a novel situation.
- A song gets a very big push from a genuine situation and even an average song correctly placed and picturised has chances of becoming very popular. If the song situation is good, then the people too who are seeing the film feel the necessity of the song and become emotionally attached to it.
- The situation for a song should inspire the music director to compose original tunes. If the song situation is good, any music director whose compositions are usually of a good standard will be able to do full justice to it and turn in a tune which has every chance of becoming a hit. Basically I am an emotional man and any song with an emotional approach inspires and spurs me to do something great.
- When I was doing Madhosh (1951), J.B.H. Wadia came up with a situation where he wanted a powerful lyric depicting the emotions of a betrayed lover. Raja Mehdi Ali Khan was writing the lyrics for the film. He was also sitting with us, he mentioned that he had written a song some time earlier and that may suit the requirements of the situation. He took out his notebook from his pocket and recited the lines. In less than five minutes, I tuned the song and played it to Mr. Wadia. He was extremely happy with it and the song went on to become very popular. It was "Mere Yaad Mein Tum Tum Na.
- About his early years in Bollywood: At one time, I was doing so badly that I had to starve for five days at a stretch. But not for once did I think of going to my people for help.
- When Aankhen (1950) was being produced, everyone discouraged us - the studio staff, even the technicians working in the film. I approached Lata Mangeshkar to sing for me. I don't know the full details, but I believe some people went to her and said that I was no good as a music director and she should not sing for me. I failed to persuade her to accede to my request. Later, she sung my compositions in Madhosh (1951) and she was so pleased with the songs and the music that she complimented me and apologized for not singing in my first film.
- About his term in the army: I was serving in the army as a lieutenant. I was physically fit to serve the army, but temperamentally my heart was somewhere else. Once, on my way from Bangalore to Bombay, I dropped in at Prabhat Studios and met the famous music director Husanlal, who were then on the threshold of a glorious career. I sat at the organ and played some melodies for them. I took a pledge, there and then, that one day I would be a music director myself. I mention this to explain that the creation of film music is not a mere mechanical and business proposition, but has its roots deep down in the past of a man - in his very sensibilities, upbringing, emotions, ambitions, hopes, loves and desires... all of which go into making the man he is. If I had not taken my pledge at Prabhat Studios seriously, in those days of army life, I would not be what I am today.
- Mohammad Rafi's song "Meri Awaz Suno" from Naunihal (1967) was very popular with the public as a disc even before the release of the picture. As the lifeless body of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru is carried to cremation, his message is given in this song. It is a message from one of the greatest world leaders to his countrymen whom he loved and for whom he had lived and died. The very novelty of the situation and the context of the song and the beauty of the message itself provided me with an inspiration which made me do my best and my very best. The song has become a unique creation and will remain evergreen in the minds of people for long. The song deserved all the respect due to it and had to be treated with the same reverence as to the great-departed leader. As we all loved him and as an Indian first and last, I was emotionally moved and inspired to do something which I had never done before in my career as a music director. This was also the first time I ever composed a song in a situation like this, which demanded every ounce of patriotism.
- Unlike the foreign films, we don't have films made as purely musicals. Here every film is made with all the entertaining ingredients, music being the major one, whereas it is not so in the case of films made in other countries. Seventy percent success of our films depends solely on the merits of the musical score. But it is still very exciting to be a music director.
- One must remember that a sad song, once it gets popular, has more chances of surviving and remaining popular for a long time than a light song. A light song, even the most popular one, hardly lasts for a year while a sad song survives for decades.
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