Kumar Taurani‘s Suggestions Industries, one of many largest music firms has acquired the official music rights of Mani Ratnam’s Ponniyin Selvan: I and PS II which goes to launch in April 2023. In addition to this he additionally acquired music for the Telugu movie Shakuntalam directed by Gunasekhar and Hari Har Veera Mallu. In an interview with Filmfare he talks about his new ventures and extra. Excerpts
What prompted you to amass music rights for the Tamil movie Ponniyin Selvan I?
Now we have been within the music enterprise since 1981. Then from yr 88 we began producing movies as effectively. In between we now have additionally accomplished South and Punjabi movies. Our music enterprise was in a little bit of hassle because of MP3 and radio, however now the enterprise has picked up in the previous couple of years. We began once more and created our personal YouTube channel. We began working in a number of languages. After we considered the Tamil business, we determined that we might enter there with a giant movie. That is why we selected Tamil movies like PS I and PS II. That was the rationale behind buying music rights of the Telugu movie Shakuntalam as effectively. PS I has nice music by AR Rahman, director Mani Ratnam can also be a legend and has such an incredible star solid. Jab sab kuch grand hai, to apko sochne ki zaroorat hello kya hai!. So we contacted the producers and confirmed curiosity in shopping for the music for the movie. Ham determine karke gaye the ki is ek assembly mein hello deal accomplished karni hai aur hammne kar diya.
The South Movie Trade is doing higher enterprise than Bollywood lately. Was this why you considered associating with South movies?
We acquired the rights of the movie on this yr of March-April, until then there was no such scene. Yeh sab hamare liye mayne nahi rakhta hai. Now we have seen a section the place 30-35 movies have been a brilliant hit in a row and typically movies flopped because of working with massive filmmakers. Ups and downs are a part of life.
Nevertheless it’s a incontrovertible fact that Bollywood movies aren’t doing effectively on the box-office at the moment…
No worries in any respect. I feel enterprise requires some freshness. As a consequence of Covid, many movies immediately stopped within the center. Then the lockdown went on for a very long time. This has some affect that’s seen in latest movies. However if you happen to see, Bhool Bhulaiyaa and Brahmastra have accomplished effectively. Sure, individuals want to grasp that content material is king. I feel Bollywood will bounce again massive time.
What’s your technique for the long run?
Suggestions ne hamesha bahut accha kaam kiya hai. Within the ’90s we have been No. 1 not solely in music, but additionally in manufacturing. Now we have entered into manufacturing once more. Every part goes effectively.
How do you decide a movie to amass music rights and likewise what’s your standards to supply a movie?
Speaking about music, if a movie is massive, we see who’s the music director and who’re the actors. If it’s a small movie, we advise the producer that we’re taking your movie and contain us too in no matter music you create. Largely the producers agree and collectively we create music. Like we had accomplished with Anil Sharma’s Genius (2018), earlier than that Aksar 2 (2017) and Shab (2017) with Onir. The music of these movies was superb, as a result of we created music collectively. However when the movie is massive, the accountability of the producer turns into extra. If we discuss of manufacturing a movie, a very powerful factor is the story. If the story is nice and the director is nice, then the suitable star solid additionally occurs.
Do you suppose the viewers’s tastes have additionally modified after the pandemic?
If you happen to see our movies, we now have made an motion movie like Soldier (1998), family-friendly movie like Kya Kehna (2000), comedy movies like Kunwara (2000), Albela (2001), horror like Raaz (2002), The Legend of Bhagat Singh (2002) a patriotic movie. Even right now, within the checklist of high 20 movies there shall be 3-4 movies from Suggestions. I feel the story must be good. Jab aap theatre mei jaayen, lights off ho aur movie shuru ho, tab display par aata hue character ne aap ko pakad lena chahiye. If the viewers catches it, they’ll undoubtedly just like the movie. Your script must be tight. The viewer who’s sitting within the theatre after shopping for a ticket of Rs 500, shouldn’t rise up from the chair earlier than the movie is over. Agar aap ye nahi kar sakte toh, movie banane ka kya fayda?
Suggestions Music Firm’s journey began with cassettes, then CD and now digital…. How do you see the journey from then to now?
Each section has benefits and drawbacks. Earlier we had energy. Ham maalik the, un dinon hamara rubaab hua karta tha. As a result of the distributors and sellers have been smaller than us. They all the time needed to promote our stuff. Now the sport has modified. The period of cassettes and CDs isn’t any extra. The companions we now have proper now, be it Spotify, YouTube, Zee TV or Sony, are billion greenback firms, so the equation has modified. My music is unique. In order for you Taal or Raaz’s or no matter music, then it’s a must to take it from me. When this new section of digital began, individuals considered avoiding Suggestions, however not now… they can not keep away from us.
How do you see remixes and recreations of unique songs that are already very talked-about… Many individuals consider that the songs are being spoiled by remixing.
Jo ye baat karte hain ki gaanon ko spoil kiya ja raha hai, wo wahi hai, jo unique songs se jude hain. And they’re principally artistes who’ve composed the unique track. They’ve so many emotions and feelings related to their creation. Truly, we’re the proprietor of the track. So If I recreate it, I’m additionally proper. When a brand new track comes, it earns quite a bit within the first yr. You could hearken to this track 1000 occasions, however after 5 years you’ll hardly hearken to it and won’t even get enterprise. If I recreate an previous track, then there are two benefits. One, the corporate will certainly earn cash, secondly, the brand new track will even have publishing rights, this implies some revenue goes to the musician and lyricist too. Part of what we earn undoubtedly goes to them too. The brand new Chhama Chhama with Elli Avraam bought one crore views. And after this individuals watched the previous track as effectively. Now individuals are watching Urmila Matondkar and likewise Elli Avraam and each are getting good views. Another factor, the brand new viewers won’t join with Urmila Matondkar, however with right now’s era actors like Sara Ali Khan or Kiara Advani, they’ll join extra. So I do not suppose we’re doing one thing fallacious.
How do you stability creativity and enterprise features?
See, If I’m the proprietor, I cannot enable my track to get spoiled, proper? Now it’s my choice what is nice or what shouldn’t be. Nobody can say that creativity is correct or fallacious. Some individuals will discover it good, some won’t. There isn’t any finish to this dialogue. I consider that the proprietor has the proper to know the way and with whom to recreate his track.
Will your son Girish Kumar be seen once more in a movie?
Girish is ready for script. He was provided three-four movies in the previous couple of years however they did not attraction to him. He’s serving to me within the enterprise. If he likes a script, then he’ll undoubtedly get again to appearing.
