‘Shah Rukh Khan added a different energy to our songs,’ recalls music composer Lalit Pandit
Music composers Jatin-Lalit are known for composing some of the most popular Hindi film albums of the 1990s. Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar, Yes Boss, and Kuch Kuch Hota Hai were among their biggest hits of the time. In a recent interview, Lalit Pandit recalled how their association with actor Shah Rukh Khan brought out the best in them.
In a chat with Bollywood Hungama, Lalit recalled that they were also in the early stages of their career when Shah Rukh was starting out. He shared that SRK had come to Mumbai to work on Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman, which featured their songs, but it just so happened that his other films, Deewana and Dil Aashna Hai, released first. “Humari ek jodi ban gayi, music aur SRK ki (It was a team, our music and SRK) Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa, Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman – both had wonderful, brilliant music,” he said.
Lalit then shared that they felt a certain responsibility when composing for Shah Rukh Khan’s films and had to deliver “nothing less than best.” “Whenever we composed for Shah Rukh, there was always a special thought that this is for SRK, there is a responsibility that we have to do our best. Nothing less than the best. And it was the best. In the picturisation also, we would enjoy watching him enact our songs because he used to add such a different energy to the song,” he said.
Lalit said that while they felt that Abhijeet Bhattacharya’s voice suited SRK the most, it was Udit Narayan who sang the most number of their songs for the actor. “It used to look like Shah Rukh is singing on the screen. The nerves around his throat would swell up when he performed those songs,” he recalled.
Lalit recalled that when they started recording for Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, they knew that this was going to be a special album as Shah Rukh and Kajol were coming back together after DDLJ. “When Alka Yagnik was singing the first song of Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, I told her that this is going to be a special album. After DDLJ, SRK and Kajol were coming back together. We worked very hard on it,” he said.
Apart from the aforementioned films, Jatin-Lalit also composed music for other SRK films such as Mohabbatein, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, Chalte Chalte, Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani.
