MUMBAI: We always get awestruck by picture perfect seamless music videos in films and singles. Have you ever been curious to know more about the music video director, the brain behind it all?
Radioandmusic.com got a chance to have a conversation with Bollywood’s well known duo – Radhika Rao and Vinay Sapru – who have an enviable body of work and a record of delivering record-shattering music videos for almost two decades.
You have been in this industry for almost two decades now, how would you describe your journey?
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Vinay: Music, music and music, it has been our journey of a decade and a half with over 1000 songs and 100 music videos produced and directed by us. Starting with the legend of the Indian music industry’s Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan as our first song, and then carrying on creative interaction and directing the legends on whose work we have grown up.
Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, Pankaj Udhas, Jagjit Singh to directing the existing superstars Salman Khan, Kangana Ranaut, Sunny Deol to Arijit Singh, Ankit Tiwari – the list is never-ending. However, all in all, a very satisfying and enriching journey.
How does your creative process work and how do you incorporate so many things such as creating ideas to executing the whole video in a limited time and budget?
Radhika: Like Vinay said, music had been the starting point of our career so when we hear music or a song, it naturally opens visuals in our mind which then we execute as videos or songs. We have been able to give so many hits because every song or video that we have created or directed has been an original thought which a song triggers in our mind. Music makes us think and helps us visualise.
Vinay: As for the time and budget, we have a super good production team which thoughtfully executes our thoughts in time and budget.
What kind of Bollywood music do you actually enjoy listening to and directing? Any music influences you would like to mention?
Vinay: We like to listen to all kinds of Bollywood music and in our extensive career, have practically produced and directed all genres of music, starting from ghazal, bhajan, pop, dance numbers, love songs etc.
Radhika: However, love songs and passionate numbers have been our preferred genre.
As music video directors, do you feel happy and hopeful about the progression of the music scene in India? Also, do you think knowledge of music among fans is growing ?
Vinay: Pop is on a decline because (including us) no leading talent is working on Indi pop and no money is being put behind an artist and song to make it a blockbuster. So, the result is the downfall of non film music in India. However, pop music is still doing well with continuously increasing reach and numbers globally. This should happen in India also if the leading talents start working on Indian non film acts. We are seriously considering giving some time of ours to developing Indi-Pop and are seeking partners in music company’s to come with us on this endeavour.
Radhika: With digital being the driving medium, the time is just right to give a fresh impetus to pop music in India. Besides music labels, we are also in conversation with various digital channels to partner us. As music is now available on your finger tips, people are completely knowledgeable about every aspect of music today.
As you both have been pioneers in the music industry and have directed/produced a number of chart buster music videos, how would you describe the change creatively and technologically?
Radhika: With CDs and cassettes went and digital being a carrier for music, the way it is listened and told now, it’s a complete changed world for music.
Vinay: The music videos have also changed creatively and technologically to cater to the new varying audience. We need to give them now an absolute digital experience.
You have directed and produced music videos of songs which were highly popular in the 90s and early 2000s. With the industry growing rapidly, do you think videos should also change in this era of singles versus albums?
Radhika: Like I said, with the carrier of music changing over to digital, the listening audience has also changed. With the change in the listening audience, even the music videos will have to change. Nowadays the moment you release a video, it reaches across the world in a matter of hours to compete with millions of songs available on digital platforms. So the creative content needs to retain the capacity to stand out amongst the millions of songs now on digital and sustain the power to stick on.
Vinay: So one has to be very careful and put his best for every song to make it a hit. Albums are always there, but every single is important. People have lots of choices on their finger tips today and they will not wait a second if your product is not the best.
Radhika: A digital experience is a must now.
Do you miss those times when music videos of Pankaj Udhas, Falguni Pathak, AshaBhosle were ruling the business?
Radhika: Yes, we miss all our artistes and are seriously wanting to do something to bring back the legends and the new pop talent to the forefront. We are ready to give our time and hope the music labels and digital platforms support our endeavour.
These days people are going gaga over YouTube views on their songs or singles. Do you think YouTube numbers really matter?
Vinay: Yes, why just YouTube? All the numbers matter – whether on YouTube, iTunes, Gaana.com or Saavn. These are the only numbers that are the barometer of the song’s popularity and also the financial success as physical sales do not matter any more.
Would you like to throw some light on your upcoming projects?
We are developing and working on a TV show of nonfilm/pop music /indie pop involving all our legendary artistes like Asha Bhosle, Pankaj Udhas and current talent like Shreya, Arijit, Ankit Tiwari and giving a break to new talented singers. Also, we are seeking partnerships with music companies and digital channels. We hope they will come along on this vision and endeavour of ours.
Radhika: Besides this, we are preparing to go on the floors with our new film in February next year.
