Director Sanjay Gupta has never favoured the conventional, especially when it came to creating music. Delivering a crackling soundtrack in the gory Kaante and Zinda, he stood out from the melodic landscape that then defined the industry. In an interview with mid-day, he talks of staying in sync with the taste of the "MTV generation" and having faith in his choices.

What role do you think music plays in film-making?
Unlike today, when musicians simply record songs and send us [filmmakers] the demos, we would sit down with composers and take them through scripts and situations. Almost all great filmmakers have had an ear for music because music has a longer shelf-life than films. You may forget characters, but you won't forget good songs. Unlike my peers then, I enjoyed the process of creating a soundtrack. Often, I'd call my composers home for drinks and dinner, and then work on the soundtrack. It was like a party; you had to enjoy the process for it to [reflect on screen]. I'm also going to go back to that scale of music creation for my next, Mumbai Saga.