Flashback: Lalit Pandit looks back at genesis of Pehla Nasha from Aamir Khan's 1992 film Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar

Lalit Pandit, one-half of the Jatin-Lalit duo looks back at the most iconic song of their career. “In my entire career as a composer, I have never created another song like ‘Pehla Nasha’. It became such a landmark in my career I never even attempted it again. I knew ‘Pehla Nasha’ cannot be done again.” How did ‘Pehla Nasha’ happen? “‘Pehla Nasha’ happened to us in 1991. My brother Jatin and I were very new. Our first soundtrack ‘Yara Dildaara’ was yet to release. When we were invited for a music session with Mansoor Khan the director of Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, we were very excited. He was making a new film Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar. We had gone fully prepared. To our good fortune, our sister (singer) Sulakshnaji had got us an 8-track recorder. I used to record my songs on that. In those days of analogue dubbing, a house demo was futuristic. I would have my songs ready.” The director Mansoor Khan was really impressed by Jatin-Lalit’s preparation. “He loved the songs we had composed. Can you imagine after the award-winnings song composed by Anand-Milind of Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, for him to select new music composers must have been a tough decision. I think Mansoor agreed to listen to our songs to oblige a mutual friend. After hearing our songs he left without making any commitment. After many sittings, he decided to take us instead of Anand-Milind.”

This is when ‘Pehla Nasha’ was born. Recalls Lalit, “Mansoor wanted one outstanding romantic song in the film. Jatin and I had other romantic songs in our individual repertoire. When we played ‘Pehla Nasha’ live for Mansoor he thought it was just okay. I don’t think ‘Pehla Nasha’ is a composition for live renderings. He didn’t take to it immediately. I don’t blame him for not getting it right away. I went back re-recorded the whole song. We worked on it for two whole days. It was raining when we went back to Mansoor with the song. As soon as we entered he said he was not sure about the song, that it was too slow, etc etc. Before he could say anything more I put the headphone on his head and played it on the walkman. Mansoor is a learned musician. When he heard what we had done he took to it instantly. He took us to his father (producer Nasir Husain). He also liked it. Only then, Jatin and I convinced that we would bag this project Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar.” Speaking on the genesis of the composition Lalit says, “’Pehla Nasha’ wasn’t composed overnight. A lot of thought went into it. For example, the way the piano interlude at the start recurs. I composed it piecemeal. It was India’s first slow-rock tune. I remember Mansoor’s father Nasir Husain Saab’s office used to be very close to Mehboob Studios. Jatin and I would visit his office every day. During those days to compose music for a Nasir Husain production was a big deal. We knew it was a make-or-break deal." Lalit says Aamir also loved the song. “Aamir loved ‘Pehla Nasha’. The first song of the album ‘Yahan ke hum Sikandar’ was programmed by Ranjit Barot in just half an hour. Our temperamental arranger Babloo Chakraborty took great offence to that and vowed never to work with us again. I was very young at that time. Our recordings stopped. The shooting was to start in Ooty and we had no arranger. Because of the politics in the music world, even small-time arrangers refused to work with us. The Bengali musicians were peeved that Jatin and I were doing the music for Nasir Saab and not RD Burman. Anyway, Mansoor agreed to use the song without an arranger. And that worked out well for ‘Pehla Nasha’. Later Bablooda relented thanks to Nasir Husain Saab. When I sent the song to Bablooda his reaction was, ‘Chee chee Lalit. Kya gana kiya hai? Itna kharaab sound hai. Yeh toh tv serial se be kharaab gana hai.’ I told him the song is what it is. Everyone loved the song except Bablooda. But when his kids heard it they loved it. Then he called me and took back his words.” The crowning glory for ‘Pehla Nasha’ was yet to come for Lalit. “This is my first and last song where the violinists when we recorded the string arrangement, got up and applauded. I wept. I finally knew we had done the right thing in ‘Pehla Nasha’. Our reputation spread across the film industry. The subtlety of the recording was unique. When Panchamda (RD) heard ‘Pehla Nasha’ at Nasir Husain Saab’s house, he loved it too. What bigger certificate for the song? Panchamda started guiding us from then onwards. He was a large-hearted artiste. I am so glad I went through all these experiences of life. They’ve made me what I am.” Subhash K Jha is a Patna-based film critic who has been writing about Bollywood for long enough to know the industry inside out. He tweets at @SubhashK_Jha.