Speedy six with Atif Afzal

Atif Afzal first came into limelight with his compositions for Hindi film Prague and Marathi movie Pune 52. This former IT consultant is Bollywood’s latest musical pin- up boy. Catch his favourite playlist..

For music director Atif Afzal, it is always a ‘ no risk, no gain’ affair. Hence shifting gears from engineering to a career in music, he quit his high profile agency job only to pursue his passion and be a part of the Indian film industry. He has been recently signed on by DAR Productions for its film, Baji. Also, Monsoon Shootout will be one of his forthcoming plum releases. Besides, he is all set to write the musical notes for a Hollywood feature film, Somewhere Quiet with a promise of an interesting score. What’s playing on your I- pod now? Baji songs playing in a loop. Nowadays, I am hearing more of my own stuff and enjoying it as well! Also, I’ve been listening to Yenga Pona Rasa from Maryan by none other than A. R. Rahman. Name your following favourites: Musician: Slash Singer: Eddie Vedder

Composer: Hans Zimmer, Clint Mansell and of course, A. R. Rahman

What do you tune in, when you feel the following?

Low or down: Play my guitar or the piano. It’s too inspiring I must say. It automatically lifts up my mood. Happy: Rock and roll Romantic: Eric Clapton is super special. Favourite musical genres: One of my favourites has to be rock as I started my music with it. I enjoy EDM a lot too. However, something that I spend hours listening to is symphonies from greats like Bach, Mozart, Wagner, Stravinsky, et al. Favourite musical instrument: Everytime I hear a new sound, it excites me. But a key favourite is the cello. Musical inspiration: Without a doubt, my idol A. R. Rahman and Hans Zimmer. I had the privilege of visiting Hans only last November, while I was in Santa Monica, LA.

As told to Pramita Bose