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The more things change in Bollywood, the more they remain the same. As the old guard gives way to the new, things change dramatically, but not always. Even today, music plays a major part in turning a movie’s fortune every Friday. Even today, some film-makers score over this point more than others.

Subhash Ghai
He was once hailed as the second showman, a title originally bestowed upon Raj Kapoor. Starting with his first directorial venture, Kalicharan, his films carried a special musical feel. With Hero, he launched his own production company Mukta Arts and straightaway stamped his authority on the way music for his films was created and presented.

Though completely commercially driven and aimed at the masses, his movies had songs that would be the year’s biggest chartbusters. His insistence on orchestration paid rich dividends. Laxmikant-Pyarelal’s brief was to create grand and opulent orchestrations. Hero, Ram Lakhan, Karma, Saudagar and Khalnayak had super hit music. Even for Pardes, his brief to Nadeem-Shravan was the same. That’s how Sonu Niigaam’s ‘Ye Dil Deewana’ was composed.

Whether it was Kalyandji-Anandji, Laxmikant-Pyarelal, Nadeem-Shravan or the current favourite A R Rahman, Ghai always briefed his composers and got the best music for his films. Even for his recent film Yuvvraaj, composer Rahman was given specific brief to set the music on the lines of Western Operatic symphonies. The movie might have flopped but the songs were well received.

Mani Ratnam
Mani Ratnam’s trilogy of Roja, Bombay and Dil Se had some of the best songs Hindi cinema produced in the past two decades. Rahman’s genius was spotted early on by this film-maker, and Rahman continues to be Ratnam’s choice of musician for his films. Mani Ratnam’s ability to present his songs differently and artistically too has helped the songs score in a big way with the audiences – ‘Chhaiyan Chhaiyan’ is a case in point.

Although they were commercial failures, the music of Dil Se and Yuva had the nation swaying to its tunes. There is not a single film up until Guru – including Ratnam’s Tamil films – that had a weak soundtrack. The film-maker must have a good sense of music to beget such soundtracks in film after film.