He’s like an elusive spring shower. He comes with a refreshing dazzle of drops to rejuvenate your parched-for-melody soul and then, fades away with the rainbow, leaving you hungering for more. Even after a decade MM Kreem continues to be a visitor to Mumbai and Hindi films. His annual trips to the city usually coincide with the release of a Bhatt production for which he has, yet again, scored the music. So a couple of weeks ago, when we learnt that Kreem had flown in, we wondered if Pooja Bhatt’s Rog was ready to hit the theatres. “No, but then this year, Kreem is not just composing for Rog, he is juggling three Hindi films,” we were told. That was news. Was Mr Exclusive suddenly turning accessible? To find out we dashed across the city to a seaside Hotel in Juhu only to be told that the music director was not in his room. A good three-quarters of an hour passed during which we were left wondering if he had gone underground again, before Kreem checked in. And opened up in a rare tete-e-tete.

You have a habit of disappearing down South after delivering a chartbuster instead of staying back and consolidating your position. Is Mumbai still alien territory?

(Chuckling) No, I like Mumbai well enough. The people here are friendly and though I still don’t speak Hindi I understand it quite well. Mumbai is home away from home. But Hyderabad is where I live and that’s where I head after completing my work here. I’ve done good, bad and indifferent films in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada but when it comes to Hindi cinema, I don’t want to take any chances. That’s why I’m so selective. I’m also not into public relations and self-hype. So, it amazes me that I still get a lot of offers and manage to come up with at least one Hindi film score every year.

Most of your films have been with the Bhatts...

(Interrupts) It’s an honour when someone like Mahesh Bhatt prefers you to other composers. Our first film together, Criminal was way back in ’95. It’s been a decade-long association. Bhattsaab is a very philosophical person and music is philosophy. It speaks its own language. And when Bhattsaab and I get together, the communication is from the soul.

Is it wise aligning yourself to one particular camp?

For the first time, I’m working on three Hindi films simultaneously. Besides Pooja Bhatt’s Rog, there’s Amol Palekar’s Duvidha and Rajiv Babbar’s Kasak. I’m comfortable with any kind of work but where Hindi cinema is concerned, I’ve decided not to score for regular masala, movies.
 
But Rajiv Babbar is very much a mainstream maker?

He is but Kasak is not run-of-the-mill. It’s an interesting revenge drama starring Lucky Ali. Rajivji is a nice gentleman and there’s scope for good melodies in his film.

Rog is another unconventional film. The heroine, I’m told, is dead.

I don’t know the story but I believe she’s not actually dead. Even if she is it doesn’t make a difference. The music will be very Indian...very seductive...
 
Very Jism?

Well, it belongs to the same family but has a different flavour. I don’t want to get stuck in a groove. An artiste can get saddled with an image but a technician has to be versatile. He has to be able to change his style from film to film, from song to song, from time to time.

Considering your close ties with the Bhatts one was surprised that you didn’t compose the music for Pooja’s directorial debut Paap, more so because it succeeded the superhit Jism?

Hey, I don’t have a contract with the Bhatts that I should compose for every film they produce! If Bhattsaab feels I can add my bit to a project I know that he will call me. And I’ll accept his offer, no question about that. But Bhattsaab and his family have other friends and relatives too whom they might want to work with from time to time. It doesn’t upset me. Why should it?

A lot of composers including Shahi and Music Mushrooms from Pakistan collaborated with Anu Malik on the score of Paap. Would you have been comfortable in such a set-up?

I’ve nothing against collaborations. But when you’re roped in for just a song or two there’s no commitment to the film as a whole. You record your song, pick up your cheque and walk out. It’s just a job then. But when you have the responsibility of a whole score you can’t but give your all to the film and add to its flavour.

If the buzz is to be believed your other forthcoming project, Amol Palekar’s Duvidha is a period film with a classical score and is being produced by Shah Rukh Khan?

I don’t know about Shah Rukh but yes, it is a film set in the past with a classical touch. More than that I can’t say because Amolji keeps changing the script. I’ve been to Pune, we’ve tossed ideas together. He is a very nice gentleman too and Duvidha will be an unusual film. My music too will be very different.

Why is it that besides AR Rahman and you none of the music directors from down South have made an impression on Hindi film music in recent times?

How can they when so few of them succeed in making an impression even in regional cinema? It’s only because so many films are being produced that so many mediocre composers are still in the market. When there is demand there has to be supply too. That’s the law of economics.

Is that also the reason why compositions today have a short shelf-life?

There are two types of songs—beat oriented and melody centered. The former may become a hit but its appeal diminishes in a few weeks or at best a few months. The latter could survive for years depending on the strength of its melody. Unfortunately, today, most music directors compose for dance directors rather than directors. As a result the songs don’t come from the heart and rely only on beats. Choreography is the culprit. If you notice some of Raj Kapoorsaab’s best songs were beautifully picturised but hardly had any complicated dance steps. That’s why they are hummed even today.

Sur and Jism still reign on the charts.

Yeah, but I can’t take full credit for these scores because had it not been for Mahesh Bhattsaab who ensured that everything was in the right place so I could execute my work effortlessly, these compositions might well not have happened. Songs like ‘Aa bhi jaa...’ and ‘Jaadu hai nasha hai...’ came partly from my talent and partly from the atmosphere created.

You have a way of moving from the sublime to the sensual, from the frothy to the philosophical with enviable ease.

(Smiling) The human brain is like the hard disc of a computer. Irrespective of whether you’re working on Windows or Macintosh, if you insert the right software, the computer will get the job done. Since I’m a music director I should be ready for any challenge. Unlike a singer who specialises in ghazals and croons only about love, loneliness, Sufism and separation, I should not confine myself to any one particular type of music. That would be a handicap. When a director asks me to compose a song I just do it. Period.

And how do you do it?

Think of a hotel. In one room a mother is feeding her baby. In another room a man is killing his wife. The situations are different, the emotions are different, but all four are under the same roof. They’re human beings and not aliens from Mars. And when you’re dealing with your kind, it’s easy because whatever the situation, all you have to do is work up human emotions. Tomorrow, I could be offered a cartoon film. If the project’s interesting and the money is good I may well do it. And I’m confident that with a little homework that would entail watching similar cartoon features for a few days, I would be able to come up with a unique brand of music.

Are you looking for cartoon films then?

(Chuckling) Not cartoons but I’d be interested in doing a horror film like Bhoot or Raat. I enjoy such films. I’ve seen The Exorcist, The Poltergist, Omen and Dracula. I read Stephen King’s books. The opportunity hasn’t come yet but if it does it might be an interesting experience.

For a song to be successful what is most important?

There are three factors that contribute to the success of a song or a score—the director, the actor and the pre-publicity. Obviously, it has to be sung and recorded well too. That happens in the normal course today because all our singers are professionals and the recording studios are well equipped with the result that the audio is of a high quality. The director is responsible for how the song is picturised. A song that sounds and looks good is an instant hit. A top-ranking star brings in a bigger audience and publicity adds to it. Of course, eventually, the film’s box-office performance tilts the scales. There are exceptions though. My Sur didn’t fare well commercially but it was a bestseller for over a year. In fact, the audio sales zoomed after the film’s release.

Sur still figures in the top 50 charts even after two years. However, it didn’t pick up any awards. The jury reportedly ruled against you because Lucky Ali may have an expressive voice but is a far from perfect singer.

For me beauty doesn’t lie in perfection. It’s like you know the flush in your toilet is not working perfectly and you need to press down the lever hard to release the water. But you’re used to it so you’re fine with what would be an irritation for a guest. Your kitchen floor has a tile that’s slightly raised and a stranger could stumble. But you know the problem and never miss a step. For you your home is perfect because you’re comfortable there despite its drawbacks. That’s how it is with me and Lucky. Beauty, in my opinion, should be like a mandering river whose natural course takes it through different twists and turns before it finally reaches the sea. In contrast the canal is an engineered wonder, with its straight lines and structured perfection. But I still prefer the free-flowing river any day. The so-called pundits may well grouse about the imperfection of Lucky Ali’s untrained voice, but I know that ‘Aa bhi jaa...’ would not have been the song it is if it wasn’t for his soulful rendering.

We saw you as a judge on Zee’s musical show, Sa Re Ga Ma recently. What was the experience like?

It’s wonderful when you get an opportunity to mingle with upcoming singers. Most of the youngsters performed very well. It was difficult to opt for one over the others. I used to feel very sorry initially for those who lost out even fter giving their best. Now though, after coming on the show 5-6 times, I’m becoming more professional and detached. But even now I can see myself in those young, eager faces. The man I had been all those years ago when I was struggling to make a name for myself in this industry. When I was crying out for a chance to perform...