Bollywood Hungama

EXCLUSIVE Alphas 18- and 21-year-old composers Abeer-Rohansh reveal Alia Bhatt CALMED them during Massacre recording: She realized we were nervous; recall Aditya Chopras GOLDEN advice: Its not the film Ive given you thats big

The music score of Alpha was appreciated and interestingly, it was composed by two young, talented brothers 18-year-old Abeer and 21-year-old Rohansh. Interestingly, both are sons of Lalit Pandit of the iconic Jatin-Lalit duo and a fifth-generation representative of the esteemed Mewati Gharana. In an exclusive interview with Bollywood Hungama, Abeer Pandit and Rohansh Pandit spoke about composing for the songs of Alpha, working with producer Aditya Chopra and actors Alia Bhatt and Sharvari, and a lot more. How has the response been to the songs of Alpha, not just to your work as composers but also to the singers and lyricists? Abeer: It's such a nice feeling to see your work come to life and reach people through a film like Alpha. I think that's a big moment for Rohansh and me. We've been seeing so many reels on Massacre and Champagne, and all the dance Reels that have been blowing up. So, it's always a very good feeling as an artist to see people enjoying your work. And as you mentioned, it's also our first time being introduced as singers. We've sung a couple of songs on the album, so yes, I think the response has been really nice. Rohansh: I think the music has been received positively by people. It's been slow and steady, but obviously our music is reaching a wider audience, and we're very happy that there is an acceptance for a slightly newer genre of music in this kind of cinema. And obviously, it was a leap of faith that the director and the team took with us. We're very happy with the way the music has shaped up. Alpha is a huge YRF Spy Universe venture. How did you both bag the film? Abeer: It was a very organic process. We had been working on music and developing our sound for a while, and eventually the opportunity came through YRF. Once we understood the world of Alpha and what the film needed musically, we started experimenting and putting the songs together. It was a very collaborative process, and I think over time, the music became a very important part of our relationship with the film. Rohansh: It was a surreal journey, honestly. We had been making music for a while, developing our sound and figuring out what kind of genres we wanted to lay our hands on. And when Alpha came our way, we knew immediately that this was something that needed a fresher approach, a different approach. It was our first film, and we had to forget that. When you enter the room, it just needs to be you and the music. The film itself demanded a very specific sonic identity, and we spent a lot of time experimenting before arriving at what eventually became the album. How was it working with Aditya Chopra and what was the brief given by him? Abeer: Aditya Sir has played a huge part not only in Alpha, but also in creating and pushing us into the field of music as music directors and singers. He's always been the one who's actually rooting for us, pushing us towards different genres, experimenting with us and helping us explore our horizons with our music. And I remember when Sir told us that he was giving us Alpha, he told us one thing that will always stay with Rohansh and me: It's not the film that I've given you that's big. It's what you do with it that's big. That's something that will always stay with us. To have him mentoring us and guiding us is honestly the biggest blessing we could ask for. Rohansh: Yes, absolutely. As Abeer mentioned, I think those words are always going to stay with us. Not just for Alpha, but for everything that we do ahead, it's not the film, it's what you do with it. I think that's what really makes the difference. Abeer and I have always had a love for music, but it's Adi Sir who's given that love for music a direction. And Alpha is the first step into that alley. I think we've had so much fun with the music sessions because we've grown up listening to stories about Adi Sir and the music sessions he used to have with Dad. And I'm so happy that at the end of Alpha, we have a couple of stories of our own with him. Dad has always told me that there's nobody like him who has a musical ear, and that's absolutely right. I think it's the instinct he has. We've also learned so much from him musically through the process. So, it's been incredible just sitting in a room with the legend himself and being able to absorb all the sessions. Just the way he works, I think that's been a big, big learning for Abeer and me, and something that we'll always cherish for the times to come. Did you guys get to meet Alia Bhatt and Sharvari? What did they have to say about the songs? Abeer: Yes, it was so much fun. I think Alia and Sharvari have been not just incredible actors, but such nice people to talk to. We actually have so many instances because they used to sometimes shoot at YRF, and since the audio team would be there, Shiv used to sometimes call us on the set. So, we would go and meet them. And I think they also sort of realized that these boys are quite young and they're just starting off their journey. I remember, in fact, when we were recording Massacre, Alia had come to dub the lines. Usually, the way it works is that the music composer makes the artist feel a little comfortable before they go on the mic. But it was, in fact, the opposite this time. I think she sort of realized that these boys were a little nervous, so she just made us feel comfortable and broke the ice. We had a very nice conversation with her. And yeah, I think she was very, very happy about the soundtrack and very encouraging, to be honest. I think getting such nice words from somebody who's done such incredible work and has such an incredible discography as Alia, being able to give music for her and just hearing such incredible stuff over the years, and then working so closely with her, has been a really, really great experience. And I'm hoping that our paths cross again with them sometime in the future. Both Alia and Sharvari look stunning in the song 'Massacre'. Do you feel their arresting screen presence and visuals added to the song's appeal? Abeer: Absolutely. I think not just Massacre, but all the other songs as well. I think they've added so much of their own flair and made the songs their own. They made Massacre, Sharvari in Champagne, and both of them in Haaniya. I think they captured the essence of the songs brilliantly. And yeah, I think they've really, really hit it out of the park with the sort of performances they've given with the music and, obviously, through their characters in Alpha. Bam Bam also became quite popular. How did you approach recreating the song while ensuring that you did justice to the original? Rohansh: We're both huge fans of Hugo's. We even went for one of his concerts when it happened in Mumbai. And the next thing we knew, we had an opportunity to recreate the iconic Bam Bam track of his. So, it's been a process, and we always approached it with the thought that we should give it our best and make sure that if we're taking something so precious and recreating it, we do justice to it. This is definitely a big soundtrack to have in our body of work. And I think it's also to do with the vision that Shiv had for the song. He entrusted us with this track, and yeah, I'm very happy. I think it's one of the last songs that we did for the album, which then made it to the trailer. But I think it's been such an incredible journey. It was one of the most fun tracks to do because we were working on the visuals at that time. Hence, there was a lot of fun involved, and it was a very different process from the other songs that we've made for Alpha. How did your legendary father, Mr Lalit Pandit, react to the songs of Alpha? Also, is he a tough critic? Abeer: Dad was part of Alpha's journey from the start to the end. But obviously, he allowed us to grow in our own ways as music composers and gave us the freedom that was needed. He's always been honest with us. He's always given us his feedback from the heart. And whenever we went to him, in case we had an idea that we wanted to run past him or something, he was always there. He would always give us honest feedback, and he could always tell us how we could fix something. His experience is something that's so great, especially with the kind of music he's done. It's honestly a blessing for us. It's easier for us to throw our ideas at him and for him to just break them down and tell us, This is the right way, and maybe you can approach it this way. But overall, he always gave us the room to create our own sound and make our own music. If there was ever a little bit of a hiccup, he would always guide us. So, that was something that was really a big blessing throughout the journey of Alpha. Also Read: Kajol comes out in support of Alia BhattSharvaris Alpha; calls the idea of a female-led action film absolutely FANTASTIC