Behind the fresh, catchy music of Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam is an intense love affair with the violin. But a violin in the Western Classical symphony genre. So how did fledgling musician Ismail Darbar get into Hindi films?
"Music is in my blood. I come from a family of musicians from Surat. My father, Hussain Darbar, was a struggling Qawwal singer. The family had its own band. Back then, I was not at all interested in music. My family had almost given up on me, when my dad decided to bring me to Mumbai where he was then living. I was lured into it, thinking I would make music for films one day. I just kept chasing the dream."

Darbar realised soon enough that every rose has its thorns. Even after years of struggle, he found himself nowhere.
"I was rejected by big names in the industry, such as Laxmikant-Pyarelal and Mukul Anand, to name a couple. But the faith never died. Finally, Sanjay Leela Bhansali hadthe ear for it."

The rest is history. Darbar has recently composed two songs for a play as well.
Written by Javed Siddiqui and directed by Nikhil Sharma, it's called Shyam Rang the "truth" behind the Radha-Krishna myth, screened at the Prithvi Festival. "When Siddiqui saab asked me, I couldn't refuse. The most challenging job was to compose for the lyrics of Gulzar. It is a wonderful script. The lyrics are powerful and intense."

But was it any different from composing for a film?
"Not really. Once a music director grasps the situation the writer has in his mind, it becomes easy." In fact, Darbar composed the music for Shyam Rang in a very short span. "The words touched a chord somewhere."

That's Ismail Darbar's thumb rule. The music has to well up from inside. Like it did for Sanjay Leela Bhansali's story?
"Initially, it was the other way round. I had recorded a song with KK for a Mukul Anand film, around the time I had met Sanjay. Things ended rather bitterly between MrAnand and me, although the recording of the song had been over. I promised KK that I was going to use the song at some point."

The song was `Tadap Tadap' (Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam) and it turned out to be just perfect for Bhansali's film. "In fact, he was overwhelmed when he heard it."

Darbar seems to be completely in sync with Sanjay Leela Bhansali's sensitivity. Is this partnership for keeps?
"Certainly." At the moment though, Darbar is busy with a few other films Afzar Khan's Mehbooba, Vashu Bhagnani's Tera Jadoo Chal Gaya and Nitin Manmohan's Deewangi. And in all, he hopes to "compose from the heart".