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.
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".
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"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.
"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.