*Chirantan Bhatt comes from a family of filmmakers. Grandfather Vijay Bhatt made immortal classics like Ram Rajya, Baiju Bawra and Himalay Ki God Mein and father Arun Bhatt was one of the top directors in Gujarati films*
* http://www.screenindia.com/news/My-first-song-was-sung-by-Sanjay-Dutt/319056/ * Music abounded in his family and Chirantan Bhatt was into music, composing songs on his guitar during his college days, when he was a part of a band for two years at his Mumbai college, Narsee Monjee. "After graduation, I studied at NIIT, but my maximum time on the computer was spent working with music software. Then I became an assistant sound engineer, and while studying at SAE (School of Audio Engineering), I discovered that I could compose," says the youngster who could pass off as any upwardly-mobile young executive. "We would be given assignments during the course, and I always worked with my original compositions." Chirantan then did music arrangement ("Daljit Singh gave me a break, and I took it up to learn the tricks of the trade!") for many television promos including Nickelodeon, MTV and Channel [V]), Punjabi songs, ads and remixes. "My first break came with Sanober Kabir's album wherein I arranged Soniye dil nahin lagda," recalls Chirantan. "Then I met Ishq Bector who was looking for someone to compose and produce his album and so Aye Hip-Hopper happened. While working on this album, I signed my first film, Allah Ke Bande, which is being directed by Farouque Kabir, who also directed Sanober's video." Chirantan's big break came when he met Saurabh Kabra through a common friend. "Saurabh was looking for a producer and he wanted to carry some songs with him too. After a brief, I gave him a couple of songs that would go with his script. In a few days both his script and my songs got approved!" The film is Popcorn Motion Pictures' EMI starring Sanjay Dutt. "It was a dream come true for me," exults Chirantan. "My very first recorded film song was sung by . Dutt himself. I remember being extremely nervous on the day of the recording but he is the coolest dude I have met! I remember having a conversation with him on rock music for almost an hour on the sets of EMI and he really gave me a complex!" Mission Istanbul (which has two songs by Anu Malik and by some others) also came in because Suniel Shetty, co-producer of this film as well, put Chirantan in touch with director Apoorva Lakhia, who wanted a title-song. "They wanted a song full of attitude. I never even knew I had it in me to make a song like that. But after I came up with the beat and the melody I called upon my secret weapon, Hamza, who I think is one of the most talented singers around. We jammed on the song for a bit and he came up with the lyrics for it. Apoorva loved the song in the first hearing itself. The music sittings for this song would take place on the sets of the movie through the night between shots. I thank Appu for pushing me hard. Then we did another song, all thanks to Suniel's support and encouragement." Chirantan's influences include Shankar-Jaikishan, R.D Burman and A.R. Rahman. "I also admire Seal, Sting, Pharrel, Timbaland, Ian Anderson and Jim Morrison and my current favourite is Will I Am from the Black-Eyed Peas. " I confess that I listen mostly to non-Indian music, though my family has exposed me to old music with stories about oldtimers like Naushad and Shankar-Jaikishan," says Chirantan. But the youngster is really hooked on to making an album rather than film soundtracks. "In a film you are restricted by the situation and the lyrics," says Chirantan. "Changes have to be made according to several peoples' tastes and a song never remains like your original vision. I want to do an album where I can completely do my own thing." Chirantan likes to make his songs with his lyricist by his side. "I have no assistants, I do the basic programming myself and so I take a long-time on a song. I am very happy that I got a lot of freedom on EMI, but I have had some weird experiences already." Asked to elaborate on them, Chirantan said that he loves the way new ideas and talents are being accepted by the industry today but rues that art is losing out to business. "*Why is Rahman so good? Because he takes time.* But with producers approaching you to deliver a song within days or even hours, there is no chance to be creative. It's become a job rather than an art. I was approached to arrange a song with the brief that it should not sound good because the filmmaker is not known for good music. Can you believe that?" he quips. "I am mainly doing club and dance-oriented songs," he says. But Chirantan feels that soft songs are his forte and he would love to do ballads. -- regards, Vithur HELP EVER; HURT NEVER; LOVE ALL; SERVE ALL
