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 since 13 years ever since I was a keyboard player. We share a great rapport and it feels comfortable to work with him. I never forego my creativity and go in sync with his thoughts. He understands my work and I know what he expects from me. Henceforth, it takes 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 feel it conveys. I also look for the combination as well. But, I don’t have any inhibitions on a 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 had 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 I took a collaborative decision of roping in Balakrishna. When we arrived at 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. His energy levels, grasping power are unique and his passion towards music has made the things easier for us. Adding to that, he knows that the song will be a rage. With his impeccable singing talent, the song came out way beyond my expectations.”
Paisa Vasool is Anup’s third film with a Nandamuri hero.
“I composed music for Jr NTR’s Temper and Kalyan Ram-starrer Ism. Working for those films helped me to understand the image and the fan base Balakrishna had. I’m thrilled with PV audio response from Balakrishna’s fans and it feels great when people call it your 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’s popularity becomes more 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 comply 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, 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 respite 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 updated 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 have known 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. and are good at one particular aspect too,” he concludes.