Interview with Nitin Shankar – By Jyothi Venkatesh

Interview with Nitin Shankar – By Jyothi Venkatesh

“I am happy that my passion has become my profession”

NITIN SHANKAR

He is a versatile all rounder, be it a percussionist, a rhythm arranger, a film producer, or for that matter a music composer. Nitin Shankar is a renowned musician and has been in the film industry for the last 38 years right from 1979, though it is with the Marathi film What’sapp Love that he is at last making his debut as a full fledged music director. In this interview with JYOTHI VENKATESH, Nitin Shankar talks about his journey in films.
Nitin-Shankar
With which film did you make your debut as a music director in Hindi film industry?
It was with the film Nehle Pe Dehla starring Sanjay Dutt that I had made my debut as a film composer. After that films like Bombay To Goa and Maa with Asha Bhosleji playing the title role followed
Whatsapp Love is your debut film as a music director in Marathi. Isn’t it?
Yes. Earlier I had composed an album of aartis with Ashaji called Siddhi Vinayak Mahima in Marathi .
What is Whatsapp Love all about? Is it a love story?
Whatsapp Love is a story about love which evolves through chatting on the whatsapp. It is actually a very contemporary and bold story of an extra marital affair. The mahurat of the film was held recently with a song recoding by my favorite playback singer Ashaji though the film is yet to go on the floors shortly.
Is Whatsapp Love a musical film?
The film has music and has three songs composed by me. Besides Ashaji, Shreya Ghoshal and Javed Ali also have sung for the film for me. I have recorded three songs in Marathi which will be dubbed in Hindi for the Hindi version of the film, which will also be shot simultaneously.

You seem to be a staunch fan of Panchamda.
Yes. I am a big fan of the late Panchamda. In fact, I became a musician only by listening to all the songs of Panchamda. I have been influenced a lot by his rhythms. It has always been my ambition to play with Panchamda in his troupe, right from the day when I was schooling in Pune.
Was it very easy for you to meet Panchamda?
I left Pune and started my struggle in Mumbai when I happened to meet Maruti Rao, a rhythm arranger of Panchamda, who eventually introduced Panchamda to me. I am glad that I was associated with Panchamda for seven years before he breathed his last.
Besides Panchamda, who else has taught you singing?
Besides Panchamda, I have also learnt a lot about singing and music from various people including Ashaji and Allah Rakha Khan.
Do you feel that rhythm arranging your forte?
Yes. I feel that I am the best in rhythm arranging. I can say this at the cost of sounding very immodest. If you ask me how good am I as far as singing is concerned, all that *I can say is that Ashaji herself has told me on my face that I am one of the finest composers that she has ever sung with. What better compliment can I hope to get? Shreya Ghoshal has also gone on record that a song which I had composed with her was soulful to the core.
Which was the first film for which you did rhythm arrangement?
It was Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander which was released way back in 1989
Which are the music directors with whom you have worked till date besides of course Panchamda?
Jatin-Lalit, Kalyanji -Anandji, Lakshmikant-Pyarelal, Anand -Milind and last but not the least Honey Singh
Which Panchamda songs do you like the most?
Though I like each and every song that Panchamda had composed, my favorites are his evergreen songs like Piya Tu Ab To Aa Jaa and Dum Maaro Dum
Which is tougher-Composing for Marathi films or Hindi films?
I feel that composing for Hindi films is far easier. In any case, I have spent very less time in Marathi film industry. Even Ajay – Atul who are the top composers in Marathi films have called me only for recording their Hindi songs though my mother tongue is Marathi.
Who are your favorite playback singers?
Kishore Kumar and Asha Bhosleji are my most favorite playback singers. Both Kishoreji and Ashaji are versatile singers. If Ashaji can sing lavnis, cabaret numbers, ghazals and bhajans with effortless ease and is like water which can blend easily with any genre of music, Lataji is like Saraswati and is a melody queen.
You owe a lot to Allah Raakha’s family.
Yes. I met Taufiq Qureshi, the brother of Zakir Hussain and the son of Allah Raakha Khan and we became very good friends. Taufiq took me to his dad to learn music. My life changed a lot after I met him and also my approach to music changed. Today I am whatever I am only because of Allaah Raakhaji.
Are you happy with the way your career as a musician has progressed over the years?
I think I am the luckiest person in the world as my passion has become my profession. I frankly never ever thought that a day would come when I would scale great heights as a musician in my career. Today, though I have no face value, I think I have a place value. I am extremely glad that I have reached this position.
Nitin-Shankar-with-Vidhya-Balan
What next, after Whatsapp Love as a music director?
I am in talks with a couple, of producers to compose music for their films. One of them is in Marathi and the other is in Hindi. The biggest problem is that my personal pr is very bad and I do not sell myself though I have worked with the topmost music directors in the industry. I have no regrets that I am not in the limelight because I know that my work will speak for itself and the media will not put me in the limelight when I am working with legends like Ashaji.