Music composer Mithoon: Completed an entire soundtrack for a film during the lockdown

Music composer and lyricist Mithoon had utilised the lockdown to the fullest. The musician not only managed to do a lot of songwriting, but also completed recording the entire soundtrack of a film that was released recently on an OTT platform. Says the composer, “After the lockdown (in March), I was spending a lot of time writing and introspecting about my work. Then in May, I was informed that the film that I signed last year was all set for release and I was asked to complete the entire soundtrack. I honestly thought that it would be impossible as so many singers had to be recorded, so much instrumentation and mixing were to be done and I didn’t know how all that would happen without personal interactions. But then I spoke to my team, who took it up as a challenge and as a project that would keep them engaged creatively. So we started the recording -Sonu Nigam recorded from Dubai, Armaan Malik from his home and so on. It was a collaborative effort and yes, it was challenging, but we also thought that, maybe, it would be an opportunity to send across the message that this too shall pass and we will survive this.”
The music composer, who is now busy recording and creating music for upcoming projects, says that he is lucky to have his recording studio in his residential complex and he is avoiding going out as much as he can. “I am blessed to have a home studio and I spend a lot of time writing and recording there. I only go out for urgent meetings and I am taking each day as it comes without fretting over how things will be in the days to come. I think one of the biggest lessons that we have learnt over the last few months is that we can never be prepared for what is going to happen, so better stay positive and encourage each other,” says Mithoon.
The music composer, who is known for composing music in films like 'Bas Ek Pal', 'Anwar', 'Aashiqui 2' and 'Kabir Singh', comes from a family of musicians - his grandfather, Pandit Ram Prasad Sharma was a renowned musician, and his father, Naresh Sharma was a well-known music arranger - and says that though he had a creative access to learn from some of the best-known people in the music industry, one has to prove one’s talent to the audience.
“I feel that the audience is the king and they decide what will work and what won't, no matter who you are. As a musician, my struggle in the industry was more internal. My father taught me that as a composer and songwriter, it is important to have a message in my music. As a 19-year-old, I had to learn and come up with my own interpretation of my music to make my mark. My father and grandfather have trained many music stalwarts. As a kid I had access to learn from the best people in the industry, but then you have to improve on yourself and it is the audience who decides what (or who) will work or won't,” says Mithoon.
He adds that the recent discussions going on in the industry around favouritism are good, but it is unfair to label the entire industry with one tag. “In one industry, there are different segments and it is unfair to define the entire industry with one description. There are so many people working here, so many different mindsets and to each his own. I am not in favour of defining the entire industry in a particular way, there are different people with different priorities and views," says Mithoon.