Not possible to create Tum Bin music today: Composer duo Nikhil-Vinay on film’s two decades

Music composers Nikhil-Vinay (Nikhil Kamath and Vinay Tiwari) are ecstatic that today marks 20 years of their film Tum Bin, for which they scored the music. Counted as among the best albums of the early 2000s, the songs from this romantic-drama became a rage, especially Koi Fariyaad and Meri Duniya Mein.

Nikhil feels that composing an album like this would not have been possible in today’s time, when it is all about liked and views.

“If you go back to the glorious days of music then, all composers had distinct styles. Nobody told Anandji-Kalyanji to make songs like Laxmikant-Pyarelal, or vice versa. Though the corporate today is doing a great job, but somewhere, they’re pushing composers to the wall, by trying to create artificial music. The composer is very scared he’ll lose the project, so they’re trying to cater to the garden,” he rues.

He emphasises on makers of the film giving artistes some space to experiment.

“Some people may not choose Koi Fariyaad today. You’ve to leave the artiste alone and let him create what he wants. Bhushanji (Kumar, producer) and Anubhav (Sinha, director) believed in us. Bhushanji called the shots and we didn’t have any problem, it was like a river flowing through the mountains,” recalls Nikhil.

Talking more about Koi Fariyaad, sung by late Jagjit Singh, the track has gained a cult status over the years. Nikhil says the love it receives is not just limited to India.

“Even when I go abroad to judge contests, thousands of people in the audience don’t just clap for it, they give a standing ovation. That’s very touching, that the song has given tremendous happiness to so many people. It makes you feel you have done something great. It identified with so many generations,” he muses.

A couple of songs for Tum Bin were, in fact, ready in a matter of hours when Nikhil-Vinay were told about the film for the first time.

“Bhushanji told us that he’s making a film with Anubhav, and that night itself we got the synopsis. We started throwing songs, which were lying with us, we got excited. So some songs emerged at that time itself,” Nikhil tells us, adding, “Chhoti Chhoti Raatein came to us when Anubhav told us about the situation. They didn’t want a dance number for the marriage sequence. Who period bauahut achha tha.”