The legendary composer, known for hits from Baazigar to Munna Bhai MBBS, is now scoring music for the stage play Jaane Pehchaane Anjane… with Anupam Kher, embracing a new medium and fresh challenges

He has probably nothing left to prove. The detractors who dismissed Anu Malik for every possible reason are left befuddled, as time and again, the composer has emerged and re-emerged as a fighter .

After composing just one song in his late father, composer Sardar Malik’s (1978), he has scored music, beginning with (1981), for over 240 films, and also several TV serials and mini-series, besides scoring for albums, including the English ,and over a dozen music videos. Anu has also proved himself as a unique singer and has also occasionally written lyrics.

His constant credo: Keep at making melodies. Keep fighting. Keep challenging yourself. And above all, match the competition across generations: it’s been 45 years in the profession after all.

And so now, Anu is composing music for a play, , featuring (and presented by) Anupam Kher and Swaroop Sampat and directed and written by Gajendra Ahire, the Marathi film, theatre and television stalwart. In a late night chat, we discover why he will never give up.