I joined the Madras Christian College but dropped out after three months. Telugu music director Ramesh Naidu asked me to assist him, and I did so for over a year. I did think of rejoining college, but by then, I was discovering the musician in me. I worked with Illaya Raja and Raj Koti and soon shifted to commercials. This led to movie offers.
DSP is not only a music director for many of my films, but he is also a very dear friend.
Lata Mangeshkar is an old friend. I knew her through my father Aparesh Lahiri who was a music director in Calcutta.
I cannot be music director at La Scala and at Staatsoper. This would be unfair to one of the two institutions.
Ilaiyaraaja is my most favourite music director. His music was my lullaby, his music was my food, his music was my childhood, his music was my first love, his music was my failure, his music was my first kiss, my first love failure, my success... he is in my blood.
When I was to come to Washington the first time as Music Director of the Boston Symphony, Mrs. Johnson phoned us to find out if they could give us a party and who we would like to meet.
I would never have become music director of the Chicago Symphony, which would have been an extremely sad loss.
Every song that I compose has to satisfy the music director in me.
When I started singing, people said I couldn't sing because I was a music director. I proved them wrong.
The performance of a music director should be judged in a holistic manner, which includes songs as well as background score.
