He is spontaneous.. He is supremely talented.. He Loves his work.. He Lives his work... An amazing composer who knows the vibes of his audience and his music is adored by all. A current sensation of the Marathi music industry. Let's Talk Life with Music Director, Nilesh Moharir, where he talks about his life, his love for tennis, how he decided to be what he is today, his passion and immense love for Music, his upcoming projects and how he wish to conquer the world with his Music
- Kindly tell us something about yourself ?
Born in a conventional Maharashtrian family in Mumbai, my childhood was a
perfect blend of the Brahmin community culture & a liberal lifestyle. Yet,
I had my fair share of complexes & inhibitions that made me a bit
introvert. And maybe that led to my fixation of the aesthetic. I was fascinated
by arts, especially that involved colours & musical notes. I began painting
and singing on a facile level. Playing the harmonium came naturally to me,
without any pro tutoring. Recognizing my talents, my parents provided for my
abilities to foster by enrolling me in various art classes. My mother
encouraged me to participate in every other extracurricular activity during my
early schooling. I was fairly good at studies as well, enjoying my languages
more than my Math & Science! Yet, (I don’t know why) I chose the commerce
faculty to complete my graduation & secured my Masters degree, from the
Mumbai University. While completing the academic courses, my passion for music
kept me restless, resulting in me earning diplomas in Music Composing and Sound
Recording -Reproduction from the Mumbai University’s Music Department. As an
individual & a budding artist I had developed my own set of likes &
dislikes! Anything that was meaningfully aesthetic, touched me; & anything
that was mediocre or gross, I hated it!
- What are you currently doing professionally?
I am composing music majorly for Marathi films along with television &
non-film albums. Also, recently I have collaborated with Universal Music and
produced my first international single “Lounge Ganesha”, which has been
released online on various music engines. With this spiritual spa series of
various singles we intend to blend the Eastern subtlety with the Western sound
design & create a unique audio experience for the listeners.
- What made you choose this career ?
All through my college life I pursued this dream of becoming a Composer; in
fact I had a strong intuition that I would become one with a certain degree of
pre-eminence. It felt like I had already made my choice the day I was born. And
here I am, composing my way through life & it’s various dispositions!
- What kind of Music do you enjoy?
Anything that truly communicates! It can be a film song, a raga rendition,
a Ghazal, an instrumental theme, a hip-hop dance number, a folk hymn,
anything…! It just has to have that spiritual quality to it combined with an
exotic appearance!
- Tell us about your musical journey as a music director till now?
My debut film “Yand Kartavya Ahe” released in 2006, gave me
my first musical hit “Aabhas Ha”, followed by another hit title
track “Kalat Nakalat” in 2007. The success of these 2 songs
opened the doors for various new opportunities & since then I have composed
for more than 15 films, 50 television projects and various non-film ventures!
By the blessings of my Guru, the support of my parents & the love of my
audience, my journey till date has been a ride of success, awards &
accolades & is getting more musical with every passing day!
- What is Music for you ?
Fundamentally, music is a “Language” and it needs to be spoken like one
with the syntax & semantics intact! Only then, it stands a chance to become
universal. Musical elements used, just to create some good sound or an
adrenaline rush, will not appeal to you if you truly understand this phenomenon.
For me, Music is a natural way of self-expression. I may not be able to
verbally explain certain intricate emotions but they come out in the form of
natural musical phrases. For me, my phrase has to convey what’s between the
lines and not just provide for the phonetics of the alphabets!
- You are considered as the most romantic composer by the youth ? What do you have to say on that?
What can I say, I think it’s the best compliment an artist can get. I feel
honored & grateful. Love is the core of every emotion, and you receive love
only when you give it! Today’s youth is highly perspicacious & they speak
their mind without any inhibitions. So if they feel I am the most romantic
composer, then I probably am. And again, I believe that your Music is like the
way you are! (wink wink…)
- You have beautifully carved a mark in the Marathi movie industry, any plans to enter Bollywood?
I intend to do world cinema and Bollywood happens to be a BIG part of it!
But I have never planned any career moves till date! Regarding getting easy
opportunities, I believe, you either have to belong to a family with a musical
legacy or have a Godfather backing you; and I didin’t have both. My talent was
my only Godfather & whatever next opportunity I got was because of the success
of my previous work! Hence I decided to go with the flow; and here I am! Also,
musically it’s an SOS situation for Bollywood so they better find me fast ; I
fully intend to play the knight in shining armour (wink wink…)!!!
- Apart from Music , what do you do in your past time?
I love watching & playing tennis! I also love to travel, watch english
films, read, hear classical music, watch lifestyle channels, shop and click
pictures of anything that takes my fancy! I also love writing & have
written a weekly column for almost a year for a leading marathi daily.
- Perks of choosing your career?
I get to do what I enjoy the most! My work never bores me; My passion is
now my profession and that’s a sheer blessing! And then, the recognition,
respect and love you get is something else altogether!
- Challenges that you faced during your journey ? How did you overcome them?
I didn’t face the routine industry challenges that we have read so much
about. In fact, by God’s grace, opportunities came knocking at my door one
after the other and I was able to explore them fully with awards &
accolades flowing my way. But your early success might intimidate a few in the
industry & the media, especially if you are of strong character and don’t
indulge in puffery & cater to hierarchy. Such hostility, in spite of your caliber, can be a bit annoying initially, but then gradually you get to know
how to deal with it. Once you understand that you had nothing to gain from a so
called lost opportunity, you are fine.
- Any upcoming projects that you would want to share?
I have a lot of releases this year. After the successful Mitwaa my next
movie release will be Online Binline (3rd July), Dhol Taashe (3rd July),
Shortcut (10th July), Aaji, Radio Nights, GR, Vijay Maurya’s
directorial debut produced by Neha Rajpal & 2 more untitled ventures!
- How many years does it take for one to be a professional in this field?
It Depends. Many factors combine & contribute in making an artist out
of an individual. The kind of upbringing & grooming one gets plays a
significant role in the development of one’s musical sensibilities. Again, your
musicality depends upon how sensitive you are as a person. And you need to be
tech savvy as well. Gone are the days when composers used to compose a tune on a
harmonium & give the tune to arrangers and singers to work upon. Today a
composer should be able to compose, arrange, programme, sing, record and mix
his track if the need arises and then should also know how to promote his work!
There’s a lot of homework to do to be able to do all this!
- What was your 'Nothing is Impossible moment'?
Every composition is a tour de force, a feat that seems impossible to
achieve but gradually it attains the form of a creation and then you are on
your way. So, in a way, every song is like a “nothing is impossible” moment.
But personally, my nothing is impossible moment was when I completed my masters
with flying colours. During my final year of graduation I had lost my interest
in studies and was completely hooked to music! I thought it was futile for me
to get a degree since I was destined to be a pro musician. As a result I
performed poorly at the board exams which caused a lot of distress to my
parents. It made me unhappy to see them upset. I realised what I had done, and decided
to study further and complete my masters along with getting degrees in music
composing & studio technology. Initially it seemed very difficult to bring
back the lost interest in studies, especially after I started getting lucrative
music assignments. It seemed “impossible”. But as they say “God helps those who
help themselves & with good intentions you achieve what you desire”.
Handling my music assignments on one hand, I studied all by myself without any
classes or tuition and passed with good marks. It gave me a sense of
liberation & I felt deserving enough to choose music as my career. When you
“earn” your right to choose, your success is predetermined.
- Lastly what advice would you give to the aspiring music directors who want to make their mark in the field?
I won’t advise, but I guess I can suggest. Choose to be a music composer if
you feel it’s your path of self expression & you are passionate enough to
walk it and sustain in spite of it’s tricky challenges. Try to judge your own
work before you judge others; you will find a lot of flaws with yourself.
Improve those with integrity and move on. Don’t indulge in puffery. It will get
you somewhere but definitely not where you wish to be. Rather, see to it that
you are working to the fullest satisfaction of your producers & directors.
Be active on the social networks, more with your work and less with your
personal life. And last but not the least, BE ORIGINAL. Don’t copy ideas or
phrases knowingly. It ceases to be your creation if you steal or even borrow.
Be yourself & the rewards will be yours! Always have an efficacious belief
that “Everything Is Possible”!!!
