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Jasleen Royal prefers doing the full score of films
India, it’s a connection that the band dearly misses.
“Of course we miss performing in India. As a live band, we try and perform in every city where our fans are, at least once a year or once in two years. It is very important for us to perform, and unfortunately we haven’t been able to do that for almost five years now. I am sure there is a live connection there, and we want that connection back. I am sure our fans also miss that,” he says, adding that he hopes the ban is lifted soon.
But there’s another way the band has managed to stay in touch with Indian fans and that is through collaborations with Indian musicians. Their most recent offering has been the song Naina, for which they teamed up with singer-songwriter Sona Mohapatra.
“Collaborating with different artists is the most beautiful process of making music. We’ve thoroughly enjoyed it every time. As a musician, one keeps evolving; however, collaborations teach you so much more. Be it Bolo Bolo with Hariharan, Pal with Sagarika, or Jeet Lo Dil with Euphoria, ties made while working together on these songs will last forever,” Faisal says.
About their experience recording Naina, he shares, “We wanted a singer with a rustic tone with pop sensibilities. We saw Sona Mohapatra as the perfect fit. Despite being well aware of the issues involved in obtaining Indian visas, we were determined to make it work. The entire recording was done online and Istanbul was decided as the location for the video. Sona has brought an amazing emotional value to the song. We are extremely grateful that she accepted our offer and took this song to a different level,” he signs off.
For composer-singer Jasleen Royal, it doesn’t matter if she is getting a chance to compose just one song on the film’s album or the complete score. “Something exciting” is the only thing that matters to Jasleen whenever she is approached for a project.
“After Hichki (2018), I did a single for an upcoming Zoya Akhtar film. I am happy to be a part of it, because you know something super exciting is coming your way,” she says.
“I [do] prefer doing the full score but it also depends on whether the project excites me or not . [After this single], my next project is Gulab Jamun for which I am doing the full score,” adds Jasleen, who is known for songs such as Din Shagna Da (2013; Phillauri, 2017), Peh Gaya Khalara (Fukrey Returns; 2017) and Laaj Sharam (Veere Di Wedding; 2018).
She is also looking forward to another single, which will be featured in the upcoming Akshay Kumar-starrer film, Kesari.
“I have been fan of Anurag Singh’s (Kesari’s director) work and had loved Punjab 1984 (2014),” she says. Talking about the single, she says, “This song takes me back to my childhood, when I used to toy around with my beeji’s (grandmother) harmonium.”
Jasleen is one of the few female music composers in the industry, and although she admits that it would be “nice” to have more women composers, she insists that she only looks at the positives.
“What I know is that I am a person who will always see the positive. There is a difference in proportion of male and female artists but we know that’s true for any field. We are also lucky enough to be living in a time when things are changing and more women have started following their ambitions,” she signs off.