If you are a Hindi music fan, then I am sure you have hummed or even sang along to his tunes. Ehsaan Noorani is one part of the master music director trio of Shankar, Ehsaan and Loy (SEL). SEL have composed some of the greatest songs in Hindi cinema, including our pick for best song in 2009: 'Iktara' from Wake Up Sid. The trio always try to better what they have done before and have succeeded outstandingly in their compositions for My Name is Khan. It is, according to Ehsaan, more of a background score, not your typical filmi soundtrack, since there are no lip synch songs or item numbers. Not what you would expect to go with a Karan Johar directed, Shah Rukh Khan - Kajol starring film, but the story of My Name is Khan is not what you would expect either, and the music matches the mood and the feeling of the film perfectly. I got the chance to have a chat with Ehsaan about the music of My Name is Khan - have a look at what he said.

What was the brief that Karan Johar gave you for the music?

Well, actually there was no particular brief. He just read us the script of the film and we basically got an idea of what kind of music the film required. Of course, he and we were on the same wavelength. We wanted to keep the music very simple, very lyrical and melodic, without getting into any item songs or forcing in a club song or anything of that sort.

Tell us about composing the music - how did you guys work together.

The first song that we composed was 'Sajda', which was the song Rahat Fateh Ali Khan sung. It was a very smooth process. We just sat in the studio with Karan and you know, it all fell into place.

So tell us about the other songs do you have a favorite?

I like this song 'Noor-e-Khuda', which has been sung by Shankar, Adnan Sami and Shreya Ghosal. That is a very interesting song, you know. It has got a young, very acoustic feel to it. Actually the entire album is a really nice mellow album, but I guess 'Noor-e-Khuda' would be a favorite.

The music certainly has a different vibe and feel and sound. What have you done differently in MNIK?

Like I said, the songs are very simple, the songs are very under-produced. There is none of the electronic stuff, none of the Punjabi stuff, in the sense that it has none of the dance-Punjabi-bhangra kind of stuff. There are no item songs, so there is no 'It's the Time to Disco' or 'Where's the Party Tonight' (laughs), like Karan has always done in his films. You can't do that kind of music in a film like this.

There seems to be a lot of Islamic influences.

Yes, yes, definitely there is a lot of the Qawaali influences in the music because it is about a guy whose name is Khan, and that would be the strong backdrop for the film.

There is also the instrumental...

That is the theme of the film and it appears in quite a few places in the film - in some certain crucial places. hat was fun composing. We love doing that kind of stuff.

Which comes first, the music or the lyrics?

What we normally do is we compose the melody first and we come up with some rough words, just as a working thing, but very often a lot of the words get used in the final track. Like 'Sajda' or 'Tere Naina' that Shankar came up with, those words could be used in the final track. Then Niranjan, of course, he wrote some beautiful lyrics. So, normally it is the music first, the melody first and then the lyrics are written but it does work vice versa, too.

The lyrics are gorgeous; tell us about working with Niranjan Iyengar.

There were no lyricists yet and we were just working on the melodies. We called him because he is writing the dialogues for My Name is Khan. We called him in to just write some rough words, and those rough words finally became the words of the song. From literally writing one song, he ended up writing the entire album.

It seems they are much more background songs or for montages than how songs usually are used in films.

They are all background songs and lyrically and situationally they are very important to the film, because like I said, they are not forced in like we would have done in earlier films to have that popularity value. Karan is very, very true to his script and each song comes into a situation where it is required to come. Of course, you could show the scene without a song too, but it helps, and give it that certain buoyancy which is required for an Indian film.

It seems that lately more of the songs in many films are being used as background. Do you like that as a musician and a composer?

Yes, there is nothing wrong with it. That is the way it works in most part of the world, where there are films that are not necessarily musicals all the time. It is good to do that, too.

In what ways has this album been a challenge?

See, the thing is, doing anything good is a challenge. (laughs) For us, every film that we attempt and every song that we attempt is a challenge because you are always trying to better yourself. There is a lot of pressure from ourselves.

How do you decide which voices will fit your songs?

It is a thing of trial and error. There are of course the established voices, but then also you try something new. It is an experiment you have to try, and most of the time it works out.

Who do you like working with?

Well, all the singers, whether it is Shafqat Amanat Ali or Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, they are all great singers and always fun to work with. I mean, they are immense talent, there is a lot of talent there. They always deliver.

How long does it take to record a track, say, for example, like 'Sajda'?

It all depends. We are always treating the song all the way to the end. The actual recording could take between 4 to 5 days to 10 days because we always want to do another thing to the song right to the end.

When composing songs, do you hear a melody in your head and then write it down on paper or do you guys jam together to get it?

What we do is jam together, though sometimes you may get a melody in the strangest of places. Luckily mobile phones can record so we can get it down on the mobile phone and that is a great help. Most of the time it is about jamming in the studio and coming up with something spontaneously.

Is it the guitar that you compose on?

Yes, I definitely mostly compose on guitar, but like My Name is Khan the theme, I wrote on keyboards.

SEL has done a variety of albums, from the spectrum of Rock On to My Name is Khan. Tell us how you can go from one end to the other with such ease.

It is basically the script that determines what you write. I mean you can't put a song like 'Rock On' in My Name is Khan. (laughs) Well, you can, you can, but it wouldn't be very appropriate for the kind of film that it is. Literally, it is about the script.

Karan Johar has said this is his bravest film yet.

Yes, it is.

Would you say that the music of the film reflects this?

Yes, definitely, because like we said, he has not done the clichés in this film like having an item song. Having an item song with Shah Rukh and Kajol in it would be an instant hit, you know, because of that pair and the history that goes with that. So, in that way it was a challenge.

I'm not sure you can reveal this, but do you have a favorite moment in the film that has one of your songs backing it up?

Well, you are right, I can't really talk about the film until you see it, but every song that appears in the film has a very strong emotional connection with the script. It will move you either way, whether it happy or it is sad, but it is very effective in the film.

People have loved 'Sajda'; they have really responded well to the album. How does that feel?

Yes! It is such a thrill to see your music becoming popular and it is wonderful to be driving in traffic and having the car next to you playing 'Sajda' on the radio, you know. It feels good! (laughs)

Does that surprise you, because like you said, there isn't a 'Where's the Party Tonight' or a dance track on the album?

I do believe a good song will become popular if promoted well and put in the right film, and this is perfect. See, a good melody is a good melody - it will stay with you whoever is in the frame, or what movie, or whatever. Like, the title song of Kal Ho Na Ho was a huge hit.

Speaking of Kal Ho Na Ho, why were there four extra tracks from SRK films included on the soundtrack?

Well, actually that is just that Sony music wanted to put them on because they own a lot of the catalog of Karan's films.

What are you working on next?

Well, we have a soundtrack that is released now, Karthik Calling Karthik, which is already climbing up the charts. That is kind of the popular youthful stuff when you listen to it. We have Patiala House, which is directed by Nikhil Advani, and we have Houseful being directed by Sajid Khan. There are a bunch of things happening.

Why do you love being a musician and a composer?

The thing is, in what profession would you love to be waking up one Monday morning looking forward to going to work? We want to be in the studio. There is something beautiful all the time. It is not political, it is not corporate. We can dress how we want. (laughs) There is a lot of stuff. It is great fun. I mean when we perform we have thousands of people clapping for you and going ballistic. It is beautiful, it is a wonderful high.

We here at BollySpice certainly loved the My Name is Khan soundtrack and think that SEL did indeed top themselves yet again. My personal favorites are 'Sajda', 'Noor-e-Khuda' and 'My Name is Khan - Instrumental', and I cannot wait to see how they are used in the film. You can check out the soundtrack now, and the film? Well, you only have to impatiently wait about 2 more weeks, because on February 12th, My Name is Khan opens worldwide! See you at the movies!