‘I’m thrilled with response to Paisa Vasool's audio’

Sensational composer Anup Rubens has been showered with plaudits for his soulful music and is, perhaps, going through the best phase of his career with a handful of exciting projects. He now awaits the release of Paisa Vasool directed by Puri Jagannadh. It’s Anup’s fifth project with Puri and speaking about his equation with the maverick director, he says, “I have known Puri Jagannadh for 13 years, ever since I was a keyboard player. We share a great rapport and it feels comfortable to work with him.” The composer adds that he never has to compromise on his creativity when working with the filmmaker, and that their thoughts are always in sync. “He understands my work and I know what he expects from me. So, it takes only four-five days for me to record the entire album. Puri was spontaneous and never had second thoughts about my work. If he likes a song, that’s final and vice-versa.”

Before signing for a film, Anup looks for the story and has no qualms about the genre. “I always give preference to the story and the emotion it conveys. I also look for the combination as well.” But, he doesn’t have any inhibitions about any particular genre. “I don’t like to differentiate music and I want to try fusion, melody, etc. If you see my career graph, I have churned out different songs which catered to all sections of the audience.”

All his spirited songs which are an ode to the art of drinking starting from I wanna party now to Mama Ek Peg Laa have gone viral for their killer hooks. Excited about the reception they have garnered, Anup explains, “I’m a teetotaller who doesn’t smoke either. It feels great that all my drinking songs are a rage now.” As for Mama Ek Peg Laa, Puri and Anup took a collaborative decision to rope in Balakrishna for the song. “When we went to him with the idea, he was excited and instantly gave his nod. After two days, he walked into the studio and listened to the song. He took just one hour to complete the recording. He has shown a lot of dedication and his voice sounds great,” he gushes, adding that Balakrishna's energy levels and grasping power are unique, and thathis passion towards music made things easier for them. “With his impeccable singing talent, the song came out way beyond my expectations,” he says.

Paisa Vasool is Anup’s third film with a Nandamuri hero. “I composed music for Jr NTR’s Temper and the Kalyan Ram-starrer Ism. Working on those films helped me to understand the image and the fan base Balakrishna had. I’m thrilled with the response to Paisa Vasool's audio from Balakrishna’s fans, and it feels great when people call it my best work.”

On the usage of Hindi words in his songs Anup reasons, “Being a Hyderabadi, I’m quite fond of Hindi. While recording a song, I randomly get some hook lines like Choolenge Aasma and Mama Ek Peg Laa. These words bring a lot of freshness to the music and instantly appeal to the people.”

The sensational composer has mixed feelings on the latest trend of releasing singles. “It’s killing the excitement of an album. There were days when we used to curiously wait for the audio. But, times have changed and people have become judgmental much before the rest of the album hits the stands. And that particular single becomes more popular than the other songs. The only good thing is, every song will get its space and people like to listen to it again and again.”

Anup’s last film Katamarayudu tanked at the box office and he faced criticism for his work from Pawan Kalyan fans. He admits that it feels sad when someone questions his contributions. “The audio of Katamarayudu was a big hit before it was released. It was a raw film and the music didn’t fit with the story. Also, there were a lot of external factors which worked against me. Be it lack of time or release deadline or something,” he says, adding that it’s unfortunate that the film didn’t click. “I sincerely did my job and spent sleepless nights. Everyone will face such situations and I know it’s part of the job. The only consolation is that my producer is aware of the state of affairs.”

Is it a good precedent to attribute a film’s failure to a composer? Anup elaborates, “Making a film is a team effort. If a light boy didn’t turn up to the shoot, the proceedings will be chaotic. So, after putting in a lot of hard work for months, we definitely feel bad for such things. Sometimes, things go beyond our control and it also depends on the makers’ decision. But, I’m not depressed of my failures and try to learn from them. I don’t think I will get stereotyped if one of my films fails to do well.”

The prolific music composer says that he likes to keep himself up-to-date with the latest music trends and is fond of trying different instruments. “I research a lot and also discuss with my musicians about the latest instruments and trends. I know a few shopkeepers from Dubai, Chennai and Hyderabad, who keep me informed about these developments.”

The 37-year-old composer reveals that he enjoys his contemporaries' works. “I liked Vivek Sagar’s work in Pelli Choopulu. The music of Devi Sri Prasad and SS Thaman appeals to me a lot. They are a talented and a hardworking lot,” he concludes.