“If I don’t get goosebumps while composing, why should the audience?”: Anand Raj Anand on creating timeless music

Mumbai: Ask Anand Raj Anand what separates a memorable song from a forgettable one, and his answer arrives without hesitation—emotion.According to the composer, music cannot simply be manufactured to satisfy producers or meet release deadlines. “The first listener is always the composer himself. If I don’t get goosebumps while creating a song, why should the audience expect to feel anything?”
Anand says that throughout his career, he never viewed a producer’s approval as the final destination. “Many times I would call after a song had already been locked and say, ‘Sir, I’ve composed another one. Please hear it once.’ I always believed there was room to make something even better.”
He worries that today’s fast-paced industry sometimes prioritises completion over conviction. “People celebrate because a song has been approved. I celebrated only when listeners embraced it.”For Anand, the real success of music lies in its ability to stay relevant long after a film leaves theatres. “A song should comfort someone, make someone cry, or make them dance. It has to leave an emotional imprint.”Even after decades in the industry, his creative philosophy hasn’t changed. “Music direction isn’t about impressing the people making the film. It’s about touching the people watching it.”The veteran composer believes that timeless songs are never accidental. “They happen when every note carries honesty. Audiences may forget films, but they never forget how a song made them feel. That’s the responsibility every composer should carry.”