A new sound Meet Rahul Sharma, debut composer of Mujhse Dosti Karoge

Deepali Nandwani

June is the month of reckoning for santoor player Rahul Sharma, son of maestro Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma. At the end of the month, his first album with pianist Richard Clayderman hits the shelves.

"The album," says Sharma, "has Indian sounds which is what Clayderman wanted. We have fused together the sounds of santoor and piano. We have done six original numbers for the album, and four cover versions, which includes three old Hindi songs and one Beatles number, Norwegian wood."

Also, in June Sharma debuts as music director in a Yash Chopra production, Mujhse Dosti Karoge. "A year-and-a-half ago, my dad called me up, when I was on a concert tour in London and asked me if I wanted to score the music for a Yash Chopra film. It was like a dream come true," he says. "Composing has been my first love. When I was younger, I would compose tunes on a synthesiser my father brought from Japan for me."

Sharma had been offered films earlier, especially while assisting his father who, along with flautist Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, composed music for films like Lamhe, Chandni and Darr. "But this seemed the right time to debut. And the project, too, seemed right," he reveals. "I had a few music sittings with Aditya Chopra; we gelled well."

The music for Mujhse Dosti Karoge, is "young and fresh". Directed by first-timer Kunal Kohli, the film stars Hrithik Roshan, Kareena Kapoor and Rani Mukherji. "The film is about urban young people, so the music had to be romantic and soft," adds Sharma. "The music arrangement is very Indian, but the feel is Western. There are a few romantic numbers and an item number."

To add that slight classical touch to the compositions, he has used santoor and flute in a few pieces, as well as a proper orchestra with 60 violinists playing.

"It is much more challenging composing for a live orchestra. If even one musician plays out of tune or something goes wrong, the song has to be recorded all over again," points out Sharma. "When my father was composing all those years ago, he used live instruments. Now, everything is programmed. I used electronic music in the film, simply because of its superior sound quality."

Despite the technical differences, his training under Pandit Sharma, Pandit Chaurasia and Yash Chopra, especially when he sat with them during their music sessions, has helped him now, as a composer. "I learnt how songs are recorded, how singers are trained, how the whole system works," he says. "In fact, I composed a few tunes for Lamhe. I would play them out for my dad, and if he liked it, we would take it to Yashji."

Sharma plans to be a more permanent fixture in Bollywood unlike his father, whose last film as a composer was Darr. He has already received several offers, though he has not taken on any new project. "I want to do two or three quality films a year. I would love to work with Subhash Ghai and Karan Johar, simply because they understand music, and it plays such an important role in their films," he says. "Composing for films is thrilling, especially when you see the end product on screen. It is a vast medium and reaches millions of people. Lots of things follow --- fame and money, for example."

Given that, Sharma still likes "the impromptu nature of Indian classical music. However much you rehearse, you have to be spontaneous and react to the situation on stage. You have a certain framework within which there are several permutations and combinations," he reveals. "Each time you a play a raga, it sounds different."

Sharma feels he can use films to introduce classical instruments to a younger audience. "I hope to popularise santoor through the music of Mujhse Dosti Karoge. It will help attract younger generation listeners to my concerts and to classical instruments in general because they are more open to instrumental music."

Sharma is also experimenting with fusion, which involves merging Western and Eastern sounds. His next album, Zen, has him playing the santoor, while Kesri Lord plays the electronic keyboard. For this album, Sharma has used the Iranian santoor, which has a completely different tonal quality from the regular Indian one.

One of his biggest concerns, Sharma says, is to find ways and means to attract the yuppie crowd to his kind of music. "The problem is people believe they have to be trained to understand classical music, even if it is instrumental. That is not true," he asserts. "You must allow music to touch you. The sound of the santoor, flute or any other instrument grows on you gradually."

Just as it grew on him. Although Sharma grew up listening to the santoor and the flute, training to be a classical musician was difficult. "It needed a lot of discipline and was also boring at time," he admits. "I did not know whether I wanted to be a musician or music director or even whether I wanted to have anything to do with music."

Today, he says, "Nothing besides music interests me too much

Cascading tunes

Santoor musician Rahul Sharma's enthusiasm for his new album “Rainchanted” is palpable. “Personally, I am enchanted by the rains; hence I chose to name my album ‘Rainchanted'. The rains in Mumbai are beautiful and the monsoons are my favourite season.”

How did he manage to express the beauty of the rains through the santoor? “The santoor is reminiscent of water. The tunes and notes that flow from the instrument sound like cascading water. In fact, an album interestingly named ‘Santoorain' captures this essence; the name suggests a blend of the santoor and the rains. Also, the pitter-patter of rains has a splendid rhythm.”

It's not just the rains that have inspired him, but his frequent travels all over the world. Rahul found his journey to the Serengeti plains in Tanzania a memorable experience and this finds expression in the tracks in his album.

Rahul learned to play the santoor at age 12, but his knowledge of both Eastern and western music is impressive. “Though I learned to play the santoor when I was a child and eastern classical music was encouraged at home, I have listened to different kinds of music, from rock to jazz.”

Rahul is a fan of the Beatles, U2, Pink Floyd and Peter Gabriel. Each style of music, according to Rahul, has a unique charm. “Bono has his own style of music while Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan has his own.”

Rahul expounds on the essential difference between western and eastern classical music. “Western musicians read music while playing. Although both Indian and western music is born from the seven notes, in Indian music, however, there are multiple shrutis and corresponding variation in pitch, and also so many different Indian musical instruments, each with a temperament of its own. In Indian music there are scales of ascending and descending order with different permutations and combinations. Much of Indian music, except the composition, is unwritten.”

What about ragas? Do they assume a life of their own when played? “A raga can be compared to a painting. A painter starts off with a blank canvas. The painting evolves in front of the viewer as the painter fills his canvas with colour; thereby a definite form or expression emerges.”

“In the same way, when a musician plays a raga, he begins with the alaap, moves to jod andjhalaa. All this put together builds the structure of a raga. To achieve mastery over music it takes a lifetime. You have to allow music to take over your soul and senses, and become one with it.”

Rahul's father, the legendary Shiv Kumar Sharma made the santoor an independent instrument, and Rahul has continued the legacy. “In my fusion music, the drums, keyboard and tabla plays to the composition of the santoor. I prefer to keep it that way as I compose my own music.”

Though music is considered a universal language that unites people across nationality and class, Rahul contends that music doesn't necessarily have to have a message in it. “It's good for music with lyrics to have a message in it. That being said, music should not be restricted by messages. Music should be fun too. The appeal of instrumental music lies in its expression of different moods.”

Fusion is a rage among the youth in India. “The youth listen to fusion music first and later move to Indian classical music,” says Rahul. He plans a tie up with jazz musician Kenny G. “In my next album, you will see the santoor and the saxophone come together,” he signs off.