Decoding Ismail note by note

“Twenty years ago, I composed my first soundtrack for Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. Today, I am all set to do my first background score for Sanjay Dutt’s film, Bhoomi. So in a way, it’s my debut all over. I am as excited as I was two decades ago,” Ismail says.

He mentions Bhoomi is an emotional film about a father-daughter relationship. “Sanjay Dutt has done many memorable films, but in Bhoomi, you will see him in a never-seen-before avatar. This movie promises to touch hearts, and will be the best of his career,” he adds in confidence that comes with the knowledge of his craft.

“To score the background music for a film such as Bhoomi, you need to have lived and loved as a parent. I am a father of five children, and even then, it isn’t a cakewalk to translate all the emotional strings of this story. The father-daughter relationship is incomparable in this film. Sanjay stands by his daughter against all the odds and how! Everyone will take away something from this movie, and we will be forced to rethink our relationship with our daughters for sure,” he adds, empathetically.

“Interestingly, I was never associated with the film. I was invited to watch the rushes while director Omung Kumar was not in town. I was so enamoured by the sensitivity of the subject that I requested my friend to allow me to do the background score for the film. I haven’t yet started work, but it is all sorted in my head and heart,” says Ismail.

Perhaps one of the most successful collaborations that Ismail has been a part of is that with Sanjay Leela Bhansali. “Music cannot be composed under restrictions. Sanjay has an excellent ear for music, even then I never allowed him to interfere with my work. However, a good suggestion is always welcome. I remember when I composed Dholi Taro Dhol, Sanjay was not mighty impressed with it. Six months went by, and I almost considered telling him I quit. That’s when he asked me about the tune I was humming the last time we spoke. I then gave him a disc with Tadap Tadap and when he heard it, he continued doing so on a loop. I was sitting behind him, counting the number of times he replayed the song. Finally, after about nine times of hearing it, Sanjay turned to me, almost red in the face and exclaimed, ‘This song completes my story. I now know where to break for an interval and where to cut the climax.’ Imagine my happiness when I realised that the song had completed his story. And, he had not even confirmed my services yet,” reminisces Ismail.

He beams when he talks about his family. “I am lucky to have Ayesha in my life with whom I have a beautiful son. She made the impossible happen when she married me as we come from different cultural backgrounds. Our son, Imaan, got his name from Sanjay Dutt, is adored by both families. My eldest son wants to become a choreographer while his younger brother is prepping to be an actor. As a father, I will do everything to provide equal opportunities for my daughters and sons. My first wife, Farzana, is not a part of my life. Ayesha is the mother to my kids, and for that, I owe her my life,” he concludes.