Bachchan to sing with Abida Parveen

Composer Aadesh Srivastava has decided to bring Amitabh Bachchan and Pakistan's Sufi singer Abida Parveen together for a song.

An excited Srivastava says, "I'm recording a Sufiana song with Abida Parveen with voiceovers by Amitabh Bachchan for Ravi Chopra's Baagban in April. Abidaji has not been issued a visa to come to India so we will record her song in London and dub Amitji's voice in Mumbai."

Ever since he composed Sona sona (in Virender Raj Anand's Major Saab) and Shava shava (in Karan Johar's Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham), Srivastava is known to share a close relationship with the Big B. "Amitabh Bachchan, whom I call Dada, has been my Ram Bhagwan [Lord Rama] from childhood. I'm his [devotee] Hanuman. I can never say no to him. I'm often called his chamcha. I don't mind -- being Bachchan's chamcha is a blessing. My item numbers for Major Saab and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham were roaring successes.

"Amitji has sung three songs, including a fabulous ballad Main yahan tu wahan zindagi hai kahan, for Baagban," he says.

Srivastava says his other idol is Lata Mangeshkar. "A lot of today's composers are so unfortunate. They have never had Lataji sing for them. I am lucky to have had her sing 10 songs for me. She sang my first-ever composition for the unreleased Kanyaadan."

He was recently in the news for jousting with brothers-in-law Jatin-Lalit (composers of Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham) -- Srivastava is married to their sister, former actress (Love Story) Vijeta Pandit -- of foul practice. "Shava shava really helped me but I hesitated taking it on since my brothers-in-law were the main composers. At the time they used to chide me for being spineless, for agreeing to do a few songs in films composed by others. I had tried to clear the matter with Jatin and Lalit, I even insisted they compose the Punjabi song required for K3G. But Karan Johar didn't like what they composed. That is when Mr Bachchan said he wanted my song. I did it only on the insistence of Amitabh Bachchan."

"Now," he adds, "In Shah Rukh Khan's home production Chalte Chalte, for which I have recorded five songs, my brothers-in-law have done two."

The composer is busy with prestigious projects like Baagban, Govind Nihalani's Dev and Raju Patel's international project Hanumaan for which he has composed the Hanuman Chalisa as a symphony.

He also plans to go international soon.

"The music industry is said to be in a slump. But I feel good music will always sell," he says. "This so-called slump has taught us music directors to pull up our socks. I get very upset when filmmakers tell me to copy a Pakistani or a Western tune. I tell them please listen to what I have composed so far."