‘I’m always open to singing for friends’

Singer-composer Shankar Mahadevan tells CT that he is also singing for Vishal-Shekhar in 'Bachna Ae Haseeno'.

Farhan Akhtar��s Rock On!! is all set to hit theatres. How has the album shaped up?
As the very name suggests, Rock On!!, is high on fun. It��s complete unadulterated Hindi rock. All the songs have been sung by Farhan. He has also played the guitar. I can vouch for the fact that he is a superb musician. His voice has a raspy kind of texture that perfectly suits the look and feel of the film.
Despite awards and back-to-back hits, unlike your contemporaries, why don��t we see you making music for too many films in a year?
We are very particular about not going on a signing spree.We prefer to do just three-four albums but all of them should be such that they excel each other. The music should be such that they blend in with the look and feel of a film. We never do boring or repetitive stuff.

As a singer, how do you decide on not singing a particular composition?
If you see our albums, we always have a buffet of singers. The song is the priority. We don��t consider things like whether this voice will match that hero or not. In fact, we have also used a lot of fresh talent from
reality shows.
And now, you are judging Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge 2009. Are reality shows a good ground for scouting fresh talent?
Judging Sa Re Ga Ma Pa is proving to be a very refreshing experience indeed. The best part about these shows is that one comes across a wide range of voices on the same platform.

So, what projects are keeping you busy at the moment?
There��s Karan Johar��s My Name is Khan for which we have just finished reading the script. That apart, there��s Banda Ye Bindaas Hai and Chandni Chowk to China.
You also have to your credit the melting background score of Taare Zameen Par. Do we see you doing more of that?
Background scores play a key role in making or breaking a film. And since they take a lot of time, we��ve become a lot more choosy. We would do background scores only for those films that boast of innovative storylines. We wouldn��t want to do it for those on generic lines.
And do we hear Shankar Mahadevan crooning for projects other than the trio��s in the near future?
Oh yes! I have sung for Vishal-Shekhar in Bachna Ae Haseeno. I��m always open to singing for friends.
Finally, where does that leave time for those much acclaimed live performances?
Live shows keep happening now and then, but certainly not as frequently as they used to be. Actually, Bollywood has taken over so much of our lives that it rarely leaves time for anything else. And there��s no shying away from the fact that everything in this country is Bollywood driven. But I��m keeping my fingers crossed (winks).

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