The Hit Machine

Bollywood's most sought-after music composer, Pritam is a multi-tasker who doesn't sign off on an album until he is completely satisfied with it

- Suhani Singh

The karaoke machine is out. An assort­ ment of drinks is laid out. Aromas emanate from the kitchen. A visibly excited Pritam is readying the house for a reunion with his Film and Television Institute of India batchmates. “We haven’t met for years,” he says. “We will be live streaming it [the get­together] to friends in Kolkata.” Before the party kicks off, one of Hindi cinema’s most sought­after composers sits down for a shoot and interview. His teenage son walks in with a tiny box from the wife. It looks like a compact powder. Pritam calls his wife his biggest critic. His kids, on the other hand, determine his music these days, which means Korean pop and artists like Joji. “My Spotify stat of 4.5 billion streams in 2023 excites them more than winning a Filmfare award,” says Pritam of his two kids.