This story is from October 16, 2007

I will direct my own film:Ismail

Rajat Ghai / TNN / Oct 16, 2007, 00:00 IST

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You have heard his soulful symphonies. You have seen him rant at a popular music show. Now, hear from the man himself. Ismail Darbar speaks his mind in an interview with CT

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Ismail Darbar. (TOI Photo)You have heard his soulful symphonies. You have seen him rant at a popular music show. Now, hear from the man himself. Ismail Darbar speaks his mind in an interview with CT
His long tassels dyed faint blonde and trimmed stubble make him stand out. Ismail Darbar is in Surat for ‘the world’s biggest Navaratri,’ as hoardings in the city have been proclaiming over the past few days.“I wanted to give to and have something of everybody: children, elders, the youth and the dance itself,” says Darbar.
After a visit to the Radio Mirchi studios in the afternoon, and having broken his roza with the evening iftaar, Darbar has finally arrived at the venue for the grand spectacle. “I just hope everything goes well,” he says.
Talk naturally veers to the popular show that he is judging at the moment on a channel. And one is tempted to ask him that much-harangued query: Do musical reality shows truly churn out long-lasting talent?

I very much believe in the concept of musical reality shows. In fact, earlier the ugly bits were edited in the telecasts.
Now, this is happening. Because, we do want to show the ‘reality’, which is always ugly. This, in complete contrast to the allegations of the fights on these shows being orchestrated,” he says.
Darbar also feels strongly in the churning capacity of these shows. “I firmly believe that one of the finalists, who is from my gharana is the next singing sensation. These shows are like jauharis which can identify whether or not a contestant is a khara sona or not,” he adds.

Growing up in the streets of Sagrampura in the Walled City of Surat, Darbar was a mischievous lad. “I used to run after kites, bunk classes and play cricket,” he says with an impish smile. A turning point in his life came when he left the alleyways of Sagrampura for the bustle of Bandra when he was 13 years old. “My parents were worried as to what would become of me. So, I was packed off with my father, Hussein, who played violin and sax in the Mir Muhammad Band there,” he recalls.
Growing up in the utter poverty, Darbar vowed to reach the zenith. He trained under famous music director, Pyarelal’s father, Pandit Ram Prasad Sharma, and later under one of his disciples, Ganesh. Darbar first composed music for serials named Ittefaq and Main Kaun Hoon, either of which flopped or did not take off. Then he worked for Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Khamoshi.
But, I was a just a face lost in the throng of the orchestra,” he exclaims. He struck pay dirt when Kunal Ganjawala, a cousin of Bhansali’s, recommended him for Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. “A gruelling six months passed before Bhansali finally signed me on,” he adds. And the rest, as they say, is history.
Darbar isn’t very excited about his new avatar as a singer, in his forthcoming album, Tere Pyar Mein. “It’s only on Himesh’s (Reshammiya) insistence that I agreed. But do not hope much. I am a good composer but not a good singer,” he says. One thing that he does promise though is the director’s chair.
I will direct my own movie, compose my own music and write my own lyrics one day. And that day, all of you would be proud that Surat has produced such a worthy son,” he signs off.

End of Article