I want to be like AR Rahman: Raj Pandit

12-year-old Raj Pandit turns composer and gears up to launch his first Kashmiri folk remix album.

Age is no bar for talent and 12-year-old Raj Pandit is certainly such an example with a Kashmiri folk remix album on the cards. "I have worked with my mother for the album – she sung the songs while I composed the music," he says. Hailing from the state, the Pundit's have developed a natural flair for Kashmiri music. "I don't have a choice, I'm surrounded by mum's music all the time; it just grows on me," he adds.

An ardent fan of AR Rahman, Raj met the music King of Bollywood at a music concert and was suitably awed. "No one can make music like AR Rahman. I want to be like him. At this stage I don't expect to work with him, but he gave me his blessing and that means a lot to me," he says.

Raj started playing the tabla and the harmonium at the age of three and dreams of becoming a music director one day. "I know I have a long way to go and to become a music director, listening is very important. One has to listen to good music in order to create something new and different," he quips. 

Kailash Kher, Roopkumar Rathod and Sameer are some of the musicians who visit his studio. "I take their advice and they guide me about programming. It certainly rubs off when you take advice from such senior people."