'Toxic' composer Vishal Mishra on what makes the soundtrack 'magic'
What's the story
Acclaimed composer-singer Vishal Mishra has composed the music for Geetu Mohandas's gangster drama Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups. Starring Yash, the film will be released in theaters worldwide on August 26. Mishra has composed four of the six songs in the soundtrack, sharing it with Ravi Basrur, Tanishk Bagchi, and Faheem Abdullah.
Collaboration
'Every beat, every instrument is synced...'
Speaking to Variety, Mishra said, "It does mark my first collaboration with Geetu and Yash bhai."
"It's about this journey we have been on for such a long time, and I am so glad that I have met collaborators who get the best out of me."
"Every beat, every instrument is synced to the frame of the visuals, which is magical."
"And I am just very happy to be a part of this magic."
Song creation
The meaning behind the songs
Mishra described Tabaahi, the first song from Toxic, as the film's emotional thesis statement.
He called it a song about destruction disguised as a love song.
The melody and production of Tabaahi were influenced by Mohandas's vision for the film.
Meanwhile, Waqt combines EDM and dubstep with a traditional Hindi film melody. Mishra credits Yash for giving him creative freedom during this process.
Global collaboration
Multilingual soundtrack with multiple collaborators
The soundtrack of Toxic is a multilingual project, with songs released in five languages.
The English-language track Peekaboo features collaborators from Los Angeles and Mumbai.
Mishra estimates that over 150 people contributed to the different versions of the album.
Other tracks include Madhosh, composed by Bagchi, Arslan Nizami, and Abdullah with vocals by Siddharth Basrur; Chingariyaan, sung by Jonita Gandhi; and His Aura Hits You, composed by Ravi Basrur with Mishra on vocals.
Career highlights
'I understand the language of love, and...'
Mishra has been a part of some of Bollywood's biggest hits, including Saiyaara, Kaise Hua, and Pehle Bhi Main.
He added, "I really don't think about numbers."
"I feel they're vaguely overrated and I really don't understand that."
"I understand the language of love, and that's what I believe in."
Looking ahead, Mishra is working on his first Telugu-language film with Vijay Deverakonda, as well as several other projects with Salman Khan and Sandeep Reddy Vanga.