Some of the most memorable songs in our growing up years such as Ladki Badi Anjani Hai, Tujhe Yaad Na Meri Aayi and Baahon Ke Darmiyaan were composed by the musical duo Jatin-Lalit. However, an unfortunate turn of events made them split right after a successful outing with Fana in 2006. Ever since, the younger brother of the two- Lalit Pandit has worked with over 25 films independently which in itself is also quite a feat. To celebrate the occasion, and the opportunity to perform live after a two year hiatus, Lalit Ji has organised a show named Eternal Hits Once More, all set to take place at Shanmukhananda Hall, Mumbai on September 23rd. The show will be graced by Javed Akhtar while celebrated artists like Udit Narayan, Alka Yagnik, Shaan and Babul Supriyo amongst others will be going live on stage to hum some evergreen tunes. We speak to Lalit Pandit ahead of the event:
What can we expect from your concert this year?
A similar concert was organised by me right before the pandemic, and I had planned to make this an annual affair. However, after a two year hiatus I am back with it and plan to make it happen every year. The concert isn’t just a celebration of my compositions but an acknowledgement of my small steps independently, as I didn’t even realise until now that I have worked in 27 films separately. Stalwarts like Udit Narayan, Shaan, Alka Yagnik will be coming together to grace the occasion and the amount of money gathered from the tickets of this show will be donated to senior musicians and assistants who have contributed to my music over the years. My sons Rohansh and Abir will also be performing with me in the concert.
How different has it been working individually?
Over a span of one and a half decades, Jatin-Lalit had become a brand in the world of music composition, which is impossible to achieve for either of us individually. I believe we both have realised that. However, the fact that I get to make my own decisions without being interrupted gives me a lot of mental peace. I am happy with the reasonable amount of success I have garnered individually. But, it is true that once a brand is broken, people lose confidence in the individuals to some extent and in the process think twice before signing them up in a project until and unless they have proved themselves in their own ways.
What do you think about the current commercial music scenario?
The idea of remixes is usually from a director’s mind because they think since it worked in the original, it will work today as well. People understand the importance of music but they fail to deliver. Today, we can’t really blame the composers as they have to do what the production companies deem fit. To consider the prevalence of auto tune when it comes to vocalists, reality shows have somewhat impacted the quality. I have been a part of the jury in some, and I have experienced how we have to hype up the raw talents which affect them adversely.