Aadesh Shrivastava, a distinguished music composer known for his original compositions, left a lasting impact on the world of Bollywood music. He worked with many notable music directors before establishing himself as an independent composer. On the occasion of his birth anniversary, in a throwback interview he highlighted his views on originality in music and his opinion about the industry.
In an exclusive interview with Lehren, Aadesh Shrivastava discussed the issue of music directors copying tunes from others. He expressed his disagreement, stating, “It is very bad to copy music from others. Whether it’s Punjabi or South Indian music, every composer puts in a lot of effort and copying their work is disrespectful.” He further also mentioned that he had similar experience, sharing that his own style of music, particularly his Punjabi compositions, were often copied without any acknowledgement and recalled saying one of his song was directly used in a film which was credited to another music director.
Adding on, Aadesh Shrivastava also commented on the picturization of romantic songs in movies. He believed that romance should be depicted naturally between two people rather than relying on a large number of background dancers. “Yeh action filmein jo hoti hai, aaj kal romantic gaane bhi aisa lagta hai ki action kar rahe hai, the way they picturize. Vo lagta hi nahi hai ki vo romance kar rahe hai. Romantic gaana 2 characters ke bichme hona chahiye because it is love and male-female wapas mein pyaar karenge, piche 10 background dancers ko nachayega thodi khada rakkhe (This action that happens in films, nowadays romantic songs also seem like they are doing action, the way they picturize, it doesn’t seem like they are doing romance. Romantic song should be between two characters because it is love and male-female will make love back, not by dancing in front of ten background dancers.)”
He cited older songs as examples of how romance can be effectively portrayed through simple and intimate settings.
During the interview, Aadesh Shrivastava also talked about his family, including his wife, Vijayta Pandit, an actress and playback singer. Additionally, he reflected on how earlier iconic composers like RD Burman and Laxmikant-Pyarelal used to bond like brothers, which is missing today. He said, “It looks very bad,” revealing the darker side of Bollywood. He pointed out the artificiality in the industry now, contrasting it with the genuine connections of the past, which led him to avoid Bollywood parties.
For more on Aadesh Shrivastava’s insights and his influential legacy, watch the full interview.
Aadesh Shrivastava, who passed away on September 5, 2015, just a day after his 51st birthday, battled cancer for several years before his death. The music director’s career began as a drummer from with renowned composers such as Laxmikant-Pyarelal, Pancham Da, Rajesh Roshan, Ravindra Jain and others. He then ventured into independent music in 1992, gaining recognition with his work on films like ‘Kandyadhaan’ and ‘Aao Pyaar Karen’.
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