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Yash Chopra's Destiny: How Madan Mohan's Music Found Veer-Zara

A resurfaced interview shows Yash Chopra explaining the unique process behind the music of the classic film 'Veer-Zara'. Dissatisfied with contemporary music, he turned to a collection of unreleased tunes by the late composer Madan Mohan. In a reversal of the typical process, Yash Chopra and his team selected existing tunes and then fit them to the film's situations. Lyricist Javed Akhtar then wrote the poetry to match these pre-composed melodies.

Key Points: Yash Chopra Revealed How Madan Mohan's Music Was Used in Veer-Zara

  • Posthumous use of Madan Mohan's music
  • Creative reversal of the film scoring process
  • Javed Akhtar wrote lyrics to fit existing tunes
  • Resurfaced interview with Karan Johar
2 min read

When Yash Chopra revealed why he used Madan Mohan's music for SRK-starrer 'Veer-Zara'

Discover how Yash Chopra posthumously used Madan Mohan's compositions for Shah Rukh Khan's Veer-Zara, a tale of destiny and creative adaptation.

"The man who has made the tunes is no more with us. He can't change the tunes. So let me see which tunes fit where. - Yash Chopra"

Mumbai, April 5

The music of the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer 'Veer-Zara' is for the ages. The timeless piece of music was composed by the late music composer Madan Mohan, and was used posthumously in the film. The late filmmaker Yash Chopra once spoke about how the songs from the late music composer became a part of the soundscape of the film.

A video resurfaced on the Internet shows Yash Chopra speaking with Bollywood multi-hyphenate Karan Johar. In the video, he shared how destiny played its role in getting the late music composer's songs in the film.

He said, "I was listening to a lot of normal music, contemporary music. I wasn't happy about it. One day, I was discussing with Sanjeev, the son of Madan Mohan, he happens to be the CEO of my company also. I was talking to Adi and Sanjeev, I told them, 'I'm listening to music, and I'm not enjoying it'. Sanjeev said, 'It's not a question of I'm selling Madan Mohan's music to you, but I've got hundreds of tunes of Madanji with me, in his own voice. If you like, you can hear it. You do one thing, you and Adi, select about 30 tunes. Record 30 tunes with dummy words, dummy musicians, dummy voices'".

He further mentioned, "I found out how music was used in today's work. I selected about 12 tunes out of them. Then, I worked differently. We work in a format in which we tell the situation to the music director. He makes the tunes. I said, 'The situations are with me, the tunes are with me. The man who has made the tunes is no more with us. He can't change the tunes. So let me see which tunes fit where'. I fit the tunes. Then I asked Javed Akhtar to write the lyrics, and he wrote a beautiful poetry".

- IANS

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Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
It shows how sometimes the old gold is the best. The process was reversed here - tunes first, then situation. A risky but brilliant move that gave us an immortal soundtrack. Javed Akhtar's lyrics were the perfect final touch.
A
Aman W
Honestly, while I love the music, part of me wishes we could have heard what a contemporary composer would have done for that era. The film's setting was modern-ish, but the music felt deliberately old-world. Still beautiful though!
S
Sarah B
As someone who discovered Bollywood later in life, Veer-Zara's music was my gateway. There's a timeless, classical quality to it that transcends language. This behind-the-scenes story makes it even more special.
K
Karthik V
Destiny indeed! Imagine those tapes just lying around. Thank god Sanjeev Kohli suggested it. Madan Mohan's melodies are like fine wine - they only get better with time. This film's music is played at every family wedding in our house!
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Nisha Z
This article is a lovely tribute. It's not just about music, it's about honoring an artist's life work. Yash ji gave Madan Mohan's genius a new lease of life. More filmmakers should look back at our rich musical heritage.

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