Felt bad when my movie with Salman got shelved: Atif Afzal

Mumbai: He has created a niche following by scoring music for off-beat films but composer Atif Afzal says he was disappointed when his maiden venture with superstar Salman Khan did not take off.

Atif made his debut with Marathi Neo-noir thriller "Pune 52" and followed it with "Prague" and this year's Marathi superhero movie "Baji". But much before his 2013 debut, the composer was first offered a big budget movie starring the 49-year-old "Dabangg" star.

"In 2010, I was signed for a big budget Salman Khan movie. I was 24-year-old then and I was very excited. I worked on the album for six-eight months but due to some complications, the project got shelved.

"I was sad as I couldn't get the opportunity to do it. The film might have propelled me... But I have no regrets," Atif told PTI. Though the composer could not work with Salman, he has scored music for his "Bajrangi Bhaijaan" co-star Nawazuddin Siddiqui's upcoming thriller "Monsoon Shootout".

"I respect and adore Nawazuddin, who is an exceptional talent. I have been following his movies and his journey has been truly inspiring. I am a huge fan."

The Amit Kumar-directed film was screened during the 2013 Cannes Film Festival in the Midnight Screenings section. It will now be shown at the 17th edition of the MAMI Mumbai Film Festival next week.

Atif came on board to score the music of the movie after it was completed. The score ranges from "electronic to orchestral" and took him nearly four months to compose.
"I saw the film after it was completed and it was blank, without any score. That gave me freedom to enjoy the space and create specific sounds which as a composer was very satisfying. It is edgy and certainly my best work till date."

Also starring Tanisha Chatterjee, "Monsoon Shootout" is co-produced by Guneet Monga, Anurag Kashyap and DAR motion pictures.