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Vishal-Shekhar promise a night of love ballads in Dubai

The Bollywood hit music duo Vishal-Shekhar, who are loved by fans for their energetic, foot-tapping music, promise to take fans on a romantic journey when they take to the stage tonight at the Valentine's Day special concert aptly titled Ishq Wala Love (based on the title of a song from the movie Student of the Year).
Although it's a week ahead of the day when couples all over the world declare their love for each other, rest assured the duo will have you swaying to their romantic songs while also making you dance to their peppy beats when they perform at the Dubai World Trade Center.
Fahmil Khan, Abhay Jodhpurkar and Sowmya Krishnamachari are the warm-up acts for the evening while DJ Scorpio has been slated to keep the party rocking at the concert after-party event.
The composer pair have scored for more than 250 songs in movies, including Jhankaar Beats, Om Shanti Om, Student of the Year, Chennai Express, Sultan and Tiger Zinda Hai to name a few.
Having produced major chartbusting tracks like Tu Aashiqui Hai, Allah Ke Bande, Sheila Ki Jawaani and Chhammak Chhallo, it was, however, the song Swag Se Swagat (from Tiger Zinda Hai) that created a record for them. It became the first song from India to touch the milestone of 500 million plus views on YouTube.
Music lovers are in for a good time as the duo have promised to unleash their repertoire of romantic ballads at the gig. In a chat with City Times, Vishal (Dadlani) and Shekhar (Ravjiani) talk about Valentine's Day, their music and what to expect at the Dubai concert.
Having performed a number of shows here, you guys can now be considered Dubai veterans. What brings you to the city so often?
Vishal: It's true we come here very often. But every time the crowd and venue is different. Our sets too are different. Every time, it feels like a brand new experience and that's the magic of Dubai. The city never looks the same. Even if we visit the place after two weeks, it feels like a whole new city. There's so much to discover and so much to see. People here are always 'on' in terms of energy and passion, and that resonates very well with us - the way we are on stage.
The best thing about Dubai is that people love their music and this time around, we're doing the Ishq Wala Love concert. So we're bringing a lot of love to the people and we're also going to take a lot of love back with us. Our ballads have been favourites with fans so we'll be playing all of them in the concert. It's going to be a unique show, as a lot of our romantic songs that we don't usually perform is going to be played out at the Dubai gig.
Shekhar: Dubai is one of my most favourite places. I love the vibrant blend of so many cultures and the beautiful people from all over the world who truly know how to live it up. I have always loved performing for audiences here. The energy and love that I feel when I perform in Dubai is unparalleled.
As the theme of the concert has to do with Valentine's Day, what does the day mean to both of you?
Vishal: Valentine's Day is meant to be an intimate, romantic and personal occasion for couples. It's a popular celebration of love, and with the way the world is right now, we could do with some love in the air. The world would be a better place if everyday was Valentine's Day. It would be wonderful to see people express love all the time.
Shekhar: Valentine's Day is a day for creating memories - good ones, funny ones, and some not so good ones too! It's a celebration of youth and in a world like ours, these little feel-good occasions are nice to have.
And what role does music play on the day?
Vishal: The role of music is in life really! In Indian culture, when kids are born there's music; when someone graduates there's music; there's music on our birthdays and weddings. So we are constantly expressing ourselves through music. People from the subcontinent carry music in their hearts, and Valentine's Day is one of those occasions to express it!
Shekhar: The beauty of music is its ability to create a soundtrack for life - from the joy of new love to the sadness of a heartbreak, music evokes emotions that are associated with events and people, and Valentine's Day has a lot of iconic tracks associated with it.
How did you two come together?
Vishal: We came together in a non-traditional way. After being friends for many years, coincidentally, we found ourselves working on the same film. So we decided to work together.
Shekhar: We met at a recording as independent composers and decided to team up and bring our individual strengths together and see what we could create jointly. The rest is history.
How has the experience been so far?
Vishal: For me, it's been one of limitless joy, fun, laughter, chaos and madness. Shekhar is a great guy to work with, and a wonderful friend. It's a privilege to work with him.
Shekhar: There has never been a boring moment for me. A high-energy vibe, the buzz of creating new tracks and the thrill of performing live - it's been a fun ride so far!
And what does it take to keep the team together for years?
Vishal: More than anything else, it's respect. The ability to understand each other and to realise that each one of us has to have our own space in terms of talent and taste. But when we come together as a team something special happens, and that, I guess, is what has kept us together. Of course, we do have a blast when we hang out, and that, I guess, is the key to any good relationship.
Shekhar: A respect for each other's strengths, and an understanding that disagreeing is as important as being in tune constantly. Sometimes a difference in opinion leads to surprisingly interesting creative results.
Tell us about the composing process?
Vishal: When you compose a song, you just pick up an instrument, and you just doodle. You sing melody lines, make some sounds (on the instrument), until a composition jumps out of your mind. It is the only time in the universe when magic happens, when music is born out of thin air!
Shekhar: Like any other art form, it's a process of creation. It is a highly intuitive process. It can sometimes feel like a higher power is telling you exactly what to write. You just know when you have the right tune. It's an abstract journey and varies with every new song.
How does a song complement a movie?
Vishal: A song is the emotion of the film. If the characters in a film feel the emotions of the moment, then the song becomes an open and unabashed expression of that emotion. A song takes the script forward and elevates it when it is borne from that (emotion).
Shekhar: Story telling is an art and music completes it. Sometimes dialogues can't express what a melody can. Words can't describe exuberance the way a dance track can. A single tune can sometime define an entire film.
Jhankaar Beats was your first hit. What inspired it?
Vishal: It was not only our first hit, it also earned us acceptance from the industry. It is one of our most loved albums. Jhankaar Beats was inspired by director Sujoy Ghosh's vision and the eternal music of RD Burman, who was the centrepoint for the film's script. We believe that the music was a genuine tribute, because it came straight from our hearts. We all wanted to pay tribute to the genius and legacy of RD Burman, that's why the music is eternal!
Shekhar: Pure love. Some journeys are hard to describe. The perfect combination of intention, inspiration, energies and passion. Jhankaar Beats was that and more. A truly treasured experience.
. Where: Arena, Dubai World Trade Centre
. When: Today, 9:30pm
. Tickets: Dhs150, Dhs200 (couples), Dhs500
. For bookings visit www.dubai.platinumlist.net
 
michael@khaleejtimes.com 

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