Lyricist Raj Shekhar, renowned for his work in Animal starring Ranbir Kapoor, discusses the challenges behind the popular song 'Papa Meri Jaan' in a candid chat with Lehren. He also shares insights into his transition from assistant director to successful lyricist.
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00:00 I have been a big fan of Ranveer Kapoor.
00:03 I really like his work.
00:06 I met Sandeep sir and I found him to be a very humble and dedicated person.
00:24 Sometimes you get into situations where you don't like it.
00:30 I am not that kind of a person.
00:32 I have found what I have been destined for.
00:35 I have forgotten what I have lost.
00:38 Hello, I am Rehan Hussain and you are watching Lehren.
00:47 Whenever a film is successful, it is often the lead actor or producer or director who comes forward.
00:53 But very few people who work behind the scenes are those who come to the limelight in today's social media.
01:00 But after the success of the film Animal, there are some faces who have come forward.
01:06 Like Saloni Batra came forward as Animal's sister.
01:10 Similarly, Raj Shekhar ji has also come forward as Animal's singer.
01:16 And now Raj Shekhar ji is not in need of any recognition.
01:20 Although Raj Shekhar has spent more than a decade working in this industry.
01:25 But the fame he has now got is the result of his previous hard work.
01:31 Raj Shekhar ji, welcome.
01:33 Thank you very much, sir.
01:35 Since you started with the songs of Animal, how was this journey and how did you get the offer for this film?
01:44 It was a very good journey.
01:46 I got so much love from people.
01:50 It's been so many months since the film has been released.
01:54 But the song is still number one on the charts.
01:57 So I am very thankful to everyone.
02:02 I am thankful to my director, Sandeep Reddy Vanga ji.
02:07 And the rest of the team, Bhushan ji, Vishal, Harshvardhan, everyone.
02:19 Sir, in the age of social media, some things go viral immediately.
02:25 Like I took the name of Deepti Dimri or Sanoli Batra ji,
02:29 who was in the role of their sister or girlfriend.
02:35 How do you see this trend?
02:39 It comes in limelight quickly.
02:41 It becomes viral.
02:44 It's a good thing.
02:47 Whether you take the name of Saloni, Anshul or Deepti,
02:56 definitely everyone has been here for a long time.
03:01 We think it's a day's work, but there is years of practice behind it.
03:07 They have prepared themselves.
03:10 When the time comes, when they say action,
03:15 and when they can do their magic in between that action and cut,
03:19 there is a need for preparation.
03:21 So it may seem like a day or a matter of hurry,
03:25 but there is a whole effort behind it.
03:28 It's a hard work of years.
03:31 So I think it's a good thing if people are getting fame from a film.
03:39 Sir, if we talk about this film,
03:42 there were many controversies regarding the subject of the film.
03:45 And the way it was shown, especially towards women,
03:48 but the good thing that came out was the faces like yours.
03:52 Among these controversies, the lyrics of your song,
03:55 "Papa Meri Jaan" and "Marham", which you have written,
03:59 and "Pehle Bhi Main",
04:01 all three songs were loved by many people.
04:04 So how did you work with these songs?
04:08 How did you get the film offer? Tell us a little about it.
04:11 I got the film offer because I was very appreciative of Ranbir Kapoor.
04:20 I like his work very much.
04:23 The music director of this film, Vishal Mishra,
04:26 I have collaborated with Vishal many times before.
04:32 Vishal had worked with Kabir Singh before this,
04:37 with Sir Leep Sir.
04:39 He knew that I wanted to do something with RK.
04:46 So when he came to the situation, he said,
04:51 "Meet Sandeep Sir".
04:53 I met Sandeep Sir and this way,
04:56 we had a very good conversation for the first time.
05:01 He was very clear.
05:03 The way he is perceived outside,
05:09 my personal experience is very different from him.
05:15 He is a very humble and dedicated person.
05:22 He knows what he wants.
05:25 Yet, he gives a lot of freedom as a co-worker, as a colleague.
05:40 He lets me explore what should be done at this time.
05:45 If you talk about the first film,
05:49 the first film is a song of an intimate moment.
05:56 There could have been a quote-unquote item number,
06:05 or something else, or something cheap.
06:10 But you will see that in the first film,
06:13 or in Marham, there is no such thing.
06:17 There is no repetition of the words on the screen.
06:24 - Maybe that's why it is so popular.
06:26 - Maybe.
06:28 And the second thing is that I feel that a song has its own power,
06:33 but where does a director place it?
06:36 In his eyes, in the eyes of a producer, where is the song?
06:40 How is he placing it? How is he shooting it?
06:44 And what does he want from it?
06:47 Sandeep Sir had told me earlier that
06:50 I don't want any cheap thrill from it.
06:54 He is lying for that moment, but there is truth in his lies.
07:06 - In the work of a songwriter,
07:10 what is the role of the film's producer or director?
07:13 Is there an intervention or is there an interaction from the beginning
07:17 that we need this kind of thing?
07:19 Or does the songwriter, according to the situation,
07:23 place his words in the form of a song
07:25 and take it to the producer or director,
07:27 and then it is approved.
07:30 - Look, one thing is interference,
07:35 and another thing is collaboration.
07:39 Interference is often a disturbing thing.
07:44 You interfere when you go beyond that and look at yourself,
07:50 and then you interfere.
07:53 How is collaboration when you are doing something together?
07:57 Collaboration is a very beautiful thing.
08:00 If I think about it, a director or producer
08:04 who has been thinking about the film,
08:07 the characters, the situations,
08:10 what to bring next,
08:13 definitely he is more clear.
08:16 So there, I and the director or producer or music director,
08:26 if they work in collaboration,
08:29 then a wonderful thing comes out many times.
08:32 But many times it happens that people say,
08:35 "No, this is not working, it has no meaning."
08:38 But they just say from the outside, "Remove this, remove that."
08:41 Because it is your work, somebody is paying you.
08:44 You say once or twice, "Look at it this way, understand it that way."
08:48 But ultimately, it is their product.
08:52 So you do it many times anyway.
08:55 It is not that much fun.
08:57 But in collaboration,
09:00 I believe that we are making a film,
09:04 what will the audience like,
09:11 how the whole story is being thought,
09:14 this is in the mind of the director.
09:17 In the earlier days, a film was announced
09:20 and a singer or musician was signed.
09:23 And the whole film was done by the same singer or musician.
09:26 But in today's era,
09:28 in a film, there are many singers, many musicians,
09:31 many singers, so how do you see this changing trend?
09:37 In the earlier days, many times it used to happen
09:41 that in a film, Shailendra and Hasrat were also writing.
09:48 It used to be a pair.
09:51 Absolutely.
09:53 I would say that in this,
09:57 most of the films that have come to me,
10:00 whether it is Tanu It's Manu,
10:02 or Meenakshi Sundareshwar,
10:04 or Tumbad,
10:07 or Tanu It's Manu Returns,
10:09 or Saand Ki Aankh,
10:11 in most of the films,
10:13 I worked as a solo lyricist,
10:17 as a solo composer.
10:19 Sometimes in between,
10:25 like a film came, Kareeb Kareeb Singal,
10:27 by Irfan Saab,
10:29 that film was almost ready,
10:33 no, the film was not ready,
10:35 the rest of the songs were ready,
10:37 and then Irfan Saab called me,
10:39 we were doing something else with Irfan Saab,
10:42 he said Raj, we need two songs on this as well.
10:45 I think to each his own.
10:49 Some directors,
10:51 maybe,
10:55 in comparison to one person,
11:00 with four people,
11:02 you said collaboration is most important.
11:04 Yes, many times it seems that
11:06 if the collaboration is right,
11:09 but see,
11:11 if we see it from that perspective,
11:14 for one person,
11:16 it is very important to be one.
11:18 And in this situation,
11:20 I would say that Sandeep Sir,
11:22 was very clear about what he wanted.
11:24 And Bhushan Ji,
11:29 who is said to have been with him,
11:33 that it is right,
11:35 when he himself has seen music
11:37 from so close,
11:39 he had so much trust in that team,
11:43 that it was a wonderful thing.
11:45 If I talk about your initial period,
11:49 you started as an assistant director,
11:52 you did 'Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na' with Abbas Tyarwala Ji,
11:56 with Sujay Ghosh,
11:58 and then you worked with Anand Laroie Ji.
12:01 So, did this change suddenly,
12:04 that you as an assistant,
12:06 as a singer,
12:08 or where was the turning point
12:10 that you came to the field of writing?
12:13 Did the poet inside you come out,
12:16 that you started writing songs?
12:18 In the initial days,
12:21 after working on 'Sujay Da'
12:23 or 'Jaane Tu',
12:25 I had gone to Mumbai.
12:27 I was not liking the city of Mumbai.
12:30 All my friends were here,
12:33 but I was not in the mood
12:35 to stay here.
12:37 Then in 2008,
12:40 I decided to stay here.
12:44 So, I was assisting Anand Ji.
12:48 Actually,
12:50 after becoming a lyricist,
12:52 I had two people's help.
12:54 One is Anand Ji,
12:56 Anand Laroie,
12:57 and the other is Manshu Sharma,
12:59 who is a writer.
13:00 I used to write poems,
13:04 and I used to write in the 'Chand',
13:07 and I used to write in 'Chand Mukt'.
13:09 But these people said,
13:11 that you write such good poems,
13:13 why are you not doing that,
13:15 that you were working on the story of 'Tabhi Tanu Ers Manu'
13:19 and other things were done.
13:23 They said,
13:24 that you write dummy lyrics.
13:26 I said, okay.
13:28 I was not enjoying the work
13:30 of an assistant director.
13:32 I said, okay, let's try.
13:34 So, in 'Tanu Ers Manu',
13:36 you started as an assistant,
13:38 and in the middle...
13:39 Yes, yes, yes.
13:40 I was working as an assistant director
13:42 in 'Tanu Ers Manu',
13:44 and I was helping them in casting.
13:47 Then, in the middle,
13:50 they said, write.
13:52 So, I started writing.
13:54 So, the first song was 'Rang Rej Mere'
13:56 and I wrote 'Manu Bhaiya Ka Kar Ye'.
13:59 Earlier, I was told to write dummy lyrics.
14:03 So, they said,
14:04 that these are not dummies,
14:06 these are original.
14:07 So, that happened.
14:09 After that,
14:10 'Kitne Dafay Dil Ne Kaha'
14:11 or 'Piya Na Re Manu'.
14:12 And in this way,
14:13 the album was completed.
14:16 Okay, the audience wants to know,
14:18 that when a singer gets an offer
14:20 from a film company,
14:22 is it for one or two songs?
14:24 Or is it told,
14:25 that this is a film,
14:26 this is the story,
14:27 you have to write songs.
14:29 So, who decides,
14:31 that you are deciding
14:32 from two songs or someone else,
14:34 that someone else is writing two songs
14:36 or someone else is writing one song.
14:38 How is the final decision made?
14:41 It depends.
14:42 Like, with RnG,
14:44 RnG needs lyrics the most.
14:49 That's why,
14:51 the songs of Tanuweers Manu
14:53 and Tanuweers Manu Returns,
14:55 they are written first.
14:57 After that,
14:58 the songs are composed.
15:00 So, after that,
15:04 sometimes it happens,
15:08 that the song is composed first,
15:12 and then you do this.
15:14 So, it depends.
15:15 Both things happen.
15:16 In a film,
15:19 like, Pehle Bhi Main,
15:21 the song is composed first.
15:23 Or, Papa Mere Jaan,
15:25 the song is composed first.
15:27 Sometimes, it happens,
15:29 that some parts,
15:30 like, last year,
15:31 I had sung a song,
15:32 of Miss Match,
15:33 Aise Kyon,
15:34 people loved it a lot.
15:36 It is a song in the voice of Rekha Bhardwaj.
15:39 Anurag Saikia has done the music for it.
15:42 So, for that,
15:44 first, I would say,
15:48 some parts were composed,
15:52 then I wrote some parts first,
15:54 and then it was composed.
15:58 So, like this.
15:59 - In some films,
16:00 you have done,
16:01 like, the titles of the films
16:03 are very catchy,
16:04 like Tanuweers Manu,
16:06 or, Karib Karib Singal,
16:08 or, other films you have done.
16:10 But, there are 2-3-4 films,
16:12 whose titles are also very strange.
16:14 Like, Bambhaad, or Tumbhaad,
16:16 or, Khali Bali,
16:17 or, Saan Ki Aankh.
16:18 I mean, the titles are very strange.
16:20 - This is very,
16:22 this question,
16:24 I have never been asked,
16:26 till date.
16:27 But, it is a very good observation.
16:30 Many times, the titles,
16:31 - If a person gets scared,
16:32 just by hearing the titles,
16:33 how will he write the song,
16:34 according to that?
16:35 - Bambhaad, Ranjan Chandel,
16:39 when they brought this film to us,
16:43 we said,
16:44 this name is a little,
16:46 we tried a lot,
16:48 that the name should change,
16:50 but, the name,
16:51 there was no change in it.
16:53 Tumbhaad,
16:55 already,
16:57 their name was there,
16:58 it is a place,
16:59 and, the film has a very integral part.
17:02 In fact, in that,
17:03 now, think,
17:04 I have to write a song
17:05 on a word like Tumbhaad.
17:07 Title track,
17:09 that, "Aao Na Tumbhaad Jogna,
17:11 Aare Jao Na Tumbhaad Bhogna"
17:14 - What is the meaning of this?
17:15 Tell me the meaning.
17:16 - It is a place,
17:17 but, the symbol,
17:19 the fort there,
17:21 - What is its name?
17:22 - Now,
17:23 in that,
17:24 there is gold,
17:26 but,
17:27 along with that,
17:28 it is also a curse,
17:29 that place.
17:30 So, "Aao Na Tumbhaad Bhogna",
17:32 that gold,
17:33 that gold,
17:34 that wealth,
17:35 that is to be enjoyed.
17:36 "Aare Jao Na Tumbhaad Bhogna,
17:40 Aare Aao Na Tumbhaad Jogna"
17:43 That, this treasure,
17:45 all this,
17:46 has to be kept safe.
17:48 That too,
17:50 "Pag Pag Lage Kaan,
17:52 Bhed Bhaan,
17:53 Dhak Dhakai Jiya,
17:54 Tam Tam Yam Samaan,
17:55 Kaam Pe Praan,
17:56 Haak Bhakaai Hiya,
17:57 Aare Jao Na Tumbhaad Jogna,
17:59 Aare Aao Na Tumbhaad Bhogna"
18:02 So,
18:04 many times,
18:06 while writing,
18:07 that thing helps you,
18:09 in that way.
18:10 One,
18:11 and,
18:12 "Sand Ki Aankh",
18:13 "Sand Ki Aankh",
18:15 we say in English,
18:17 what is it,
18:18 "Bulsa Hai",
18:19 that is about the marksmen,
18:21 so, "Bulsa Hai" was hit.
18:22 So, like this,
18:23 we make songs in jest,
18:25 and,
18:26 the "Dadiya"
18:27 that is there,
18:28 in the film,
18:29 there is a dialogue,
18:30 that,
18:31 "Yeh Bulsa Hai Ki Ho Vahai"
18:32 So, she says,
18:33 "Bulsa Hai Dadi,
18:35 Woh Sand Ki Aankh Ho Vahai"
18:37 So,
18:38 "Thaare Sand Ki Aankh
18:40 Mein Goli Maar Ni Hai"
18:42 So, in the mind of a singer,
18:44 are there titles of films,
18:45 or are they written in that direction,
18:46 keeping that in mind,
18:47 and songs are written,
18:48 that,
18:49 sometimes when the title track comes,
18:51 "Sand Ki Aankh"
18:52 was written earlier,
18:54 so,
18:55 the name was being thought,
18:56 what should be there,
18:57 so,
18:58 then,
18:59 the director,
19:00 Tushar Hirandan,
19:01 is feeling good,
19:02 in that way.
19:03 This is it.
19:04 What other name did you take?
19:06 "Khali Pili"
19:07 "Khali Pili"
19:08 "Khali Pili"
19:09 "Khali Pili"
19:10 "Khali Pili"
19:11 "Khali Pili"
19:12 "Kali Pili Taxi"
19:13 by doing that,
19:14 I think,
19:15 that,
19:16 Ali Abbas,
19:17 Zafar,
19:18 and,
19:19 Makbul Khan,
19:20 those people,
19:21 had their mind in that.
19:22 Ok,
19:23 you had said in an interview,
19:25 that,
19:26 you find it very difficult to write songs,
19:28 as a poet,
19:29 as a poet,
19:30 the way you enjoy,
19:32 so,
19:33 why is it like that,
19:34 or what was the reason behind it?
19:36 If you see it,
19:37 in its entirety,
19:39 then,
19:40 my hope to say in that is,
19:43 that,
19:44 like,
19:45 many people ask,
19:47 that,
19:48 is it necessary to break the heart?
19:52 Is it necessary to fall in love?
19:55 So,
19:56 I say in that regard,
19:58 that,
19:59 it is my work.
20:00 A bank manager cannot say,
20:03 that,
20:04 I am not enjoying giving money to people.
20:07 It is your work.
20:09 A teacher cannot say,
20:10 that,
20:11 I,
20:12 I,
20:13 I,
20:14 I,
20:15 I mean,
20:16 a teacher can still say,
20:17 that,
20:18 I,
20:19 I will not teach this chapter in physics.
20:22 Because,
20:23 you are a physics teacher,
20:24 you have to teach.
20:25 Similarly,
20:26 writing songs for me,
20:27 is my work.
20:28 I have chosen it.
20:30 So,
20:31 I am saying in that context,
20:32 that,
20:33 sometimes,
20:34 there are situations,
20:35 in which,
20:36 it is not of your choice.
20:38 A situation of murder,
20:39 I am not such a person.
20:41 Is a singer's heart really broken?
20:43 So many good songs,
20:44 which he writes,
20:45 romantic or side songs.
20:46 Like,
20:47 Sahir,
20:48 about him,
20:49 it is said,
20:50 that,
20:51 his love for Amrita,
20:52 that,
20:53 that has come out.
20:54 So,
20:55 does something like this really happen,
20:56 that,
20:57 like Sahir,
20:58 or the other singers,
20:59 or you,
21:00 whenever you write such songs,
21:02 then,
21:03 in that situation,
21:04 you come and write,
21:05 then the words,
21:06 the words,
21:07 how do they come,
21:08 how do they come,
21:09 the story behind it.
21:10 You said,
21:11 that,
21:12 does a singer's heart really break?
21:14 I ask you one thing,
21:16 is a singer,
21:17 not a part of such a society?
21:19 He is not a human.
21:20 Yes,
21:21 definitely.
21:22 Sometimes,
21:23 we even increase things in our mind.
21:25 We,
21:26 we are people who tell stories.
21:28 The amount of things that happen,
21:30 sometimes,
21:31 we say more than that,
21:32 with more passion.
21:33 We,
21:34 in that,
21:35 mix black pepper,
21:37 some mix red pepper,
21:39 some mix something else,
21:42 some jaiphal,
21:43 some javitri,
21:44 some like this,
21:45 and things like this,
21:46 increase.
21:47 A person feels,
21:48 wow,
21:49 what a wonderful,
21:50 like,
21:51 we are also like that,
21:52 like,
21:53 someone else,
21:54 but yes,
21:55 I say one thing,
21:57 that,
21:58 a singer,
21:59 an artist,
22:00 a painter,
22:01 anyone,
22:02 he should have this empathy,
22:06 he should have the ability of being equal,
22:10 that,
22:11 at this time,
22:12 this character,
22:13 the era that he is going through,
22:15 what he must be feeling,
22:17 with this,
22:18 a proximity,
22:19 a closeness,
22:20 a feeling of being close,
22:23 that,
22:24 that gives him a better lyricist,
22:27 or gives him more strength to understand.
22:31 Now,
22:32 whose heart does not break,
22:34 whose heart does not get hurt,
22:36 we are also human beings.
22:38 But I say,
22:39 that heart,
22:40 this is not the first condition,
22:42 for a singer,
22:43 that heart should break,
22:44 the first condition is,
22:45 that you should write.
22:47 Sir,
22:48 as your ideal,
22:49 Nirala ji,
22:50 or Kabir ji,
22:51 or Amir Khusro,
22:52 you consider them your ideal,
22:54 but you are a lyricist,
22:56 in that sense,
22:57 the lyricists of the past,
22:59 whether it is Hasrat Jaipuri,
23:01 or Shailendra,
23:02 or the lyricists of today's era,
23:04 so these changes,
23:05 as a poet,
23:06 was it because of that,
23:08 that you consider these poets your ideal?
23:11 First of all,
23:12 I would say,
23:13 that I am very fortunate,
23:15 that I got the opportunity
23:17 to live in their company.
23:19 I was a literature student,
23:22 so,
23:23 apart from India,
23:26 I got the opportunity
23:28 to look at the world
23:30 of other writers,
23:32 as well as of the outside world.
23:35 Literature gives you the power
23:40 to see time and society
23:42 in a better way.
23:47 The people you have mentioned,
23:49 you have done a lot of research,
23:51 I am very happy about this.
23:53 Whether you said Nirala,
23:57 Khusro,
23:58 Kabir,
23:59 all of them had a rebellious attitude.
24:02 Kabir,
24:03 his...
24:05 - About the society.
24:07 - About the society,
24:09 and about the root of religion.
24:12 Nirala,
24:16 he...
24:17 The rebellion differs from
24:20 the poetry in Tuk,
24:22 the poetry in Atukant,
24:25 the poetry in Swachhand.
24:28 - Is it reflected in your songs?
24:35 - I don't know about this,
24:37 you will tell me.
24:39 But,
24:40 there are many other people,
24:42 in contemporary poets,
24:44 I would say that,
24:46 I like Prabhat,
24:48 Aluk Dhanwa,
24:50 and many other names.
24:53 I like the poems of
24:57 Neruda and Lorca.
24:59 When you talked about lyricists,
25:06 I would say that,
25:08 Shailendra,
25:11 Majrooh,
25:12 Sahir,
25:13 Raja Mehdi Ali Khan,
25:15 I can listen to many names,
25:18 I am just taking them as they are
25:21 on the tip of my tongue.
25:24 Gulzar Sahib,
25:25 Ahwed Sahib,
25:26 Bal Kabir Baira,
25:28 there are so many,
25:30 Shakeel,
25:31 and there is something special
25:34 about everyone,
25:36 Hasrat Sahib,
25:37 Kaifi Sahib,
25:38 and many others.
25:41 My favorite song,
25:43 if I say,
25:44 I had an interview
25:46 with All India Radio,
25:48 Yunus Bhai is there,
25:50 Yunus Khan,
25:51 so I had a conversation with Yunus Bhai,
25:54 so he said,
25:55 he got a call at 9 in the morning,
25:58 he said,
25:59 we will talk about your five favorite songs,
26:03 and I woke up,
26:05 I said,
26:06 I can sing the first song,
26:08 if he wakes up and asks,
26:10 I will sing that song,
26:13 but it is difficult to choose five songs,
26:18 so he said,
26:19 tell me the first one,
26:21 and how do you like it,
26:23 I said,
26:24 when I will leave this world,
26:26 and I will be asked,
26:27 which song do you want to hear,
26:29 I will sing that song,
26:32 that song is,
26:33 Mamta film,
26:35 Majnu Sahib's,
26:37 Chhopa Lui Hun,
26:38 Dil Mein Pyaar Mera,
26:40 Ki Jaise Mandir Mein Lauti Ek,
26:42 so I said,
26:44 wow,
26:45 and then other songs,
26:47 so,
26:48 listening to these people,
26:51 actually when I was young,
26:54 I used to live in a village in Bihar,
26:56 and we did not have television,
26:58 means there was no electricity in the village,
27:00 no television,
27:01 so we were raised on radio,
27:04 all the radio channels,
27:08 what will happen on shortwave,
27:10 what will happen on meter wave,
27:12 where,
27:13 so this was before FM,
27:17 we had to put on Ceylon,
27:19 now we have to put on Radio Afghanistan,
27:21 now we have to put on Radio Beijing,
27:22 now we have to put on Voice of America,
27:24 now we have to put on Deutsche Welle,
27:25 so we had all the memories,
27:27 that when and where the song will come,
27:29 so you said that you are from Bihar,
27:32 but still you are writing songs for Hindi films,
27:35 if we talk about Bhojpuri films,
27:37 so often the accusation is that,
27:39 the songs are very vulgar,
27:41 or the story or the storybook,
27:43 the accusation is that it is not right,
27:46 or they copy Bollywood things,
27:48 and present it in front of the audience,
27:50 so,
27:51 this is the view of Bhojpuri films,
27:53 or this is the accusation,
27:54 how do you see it,
27:55 if you get a chance,
27:57 would you like to write songs for Bhojpuri films?
27:59 My mother tongue is not Bhojpuri,
28:03 although I am from Bihar,
28:05 but I can understand Bhojpuri,
28:07 I can speak a little,
28:10 I mean very basic,
28:12 I mean,
28:14 if you talk to me in Bhojpuri,
28:17 I will get stuck after two lines,
28:19 we call it Maithili at home,
28:23 so,
28:25 if I have to write in Maithili,
28:27 can I write,
28:29 may be difficult,
28:31 because there is a different relation with that language,
28:34 that is not a business language for me,
28:39 that is the language of our own,
28:41 I can write a film,
28:44 I don't know about songs,
28:46 I feel that,
28:48 many people ask me,
28:50 why don't you write in Maithili,
28:52 it is very difficult for me,
28:54 I will not be able to bring objectivity in it,
28:56 here I can see it from a distance,
28:59 it is so personal,
29:01 that I may not be able to bring objectivity in it,
29:04 may be that is why I don't write.
29:06 Sir, till date,
29:07 whatever songs you have written,
29:09 which is the most difficult song,
29:11 if you are asked to choose,
29:13 to write this song,
29:15 whether it is to choose the words,
29:17 or any other,
29:19 which is the most difficult song?
29:21 Difficult,
29:23 I would say,
29:25 the title track of Tumbaad,
29:33 that was a very difficult song,
29:35 because in that,
29:37 the language of that,
29:41 we chose a very different language,
29:45 the song Papa Meri Jaan,
29:51 this is also difficult but interesting,
29:53 because,
29:57 in a way,
29:59 the tune of the film,
30:01 is somewhere in this song,
30:03 this song comes twice,
30:07 the tune comes many times,
30:09 it comes once in childhood,
30:11 when Ranbir is a child,
30:13 then it comes in the end,
30:17 for me,
30:19 that innocence of childhood,
30:21 and later,
30:25 a son who can
30:27 take things on his shoulders,
30:29 the condition of
30:31 carrying both of them
30:33 together,
30:35 and that condition,
30:37 no one gave me,
30:39 that this is the thing,
30:41 this is the promise,
30:43 you take it yourself,
30:45 that I can maintain that innocence,
30:47 and later,
30:49 when he comes,
30:51 like an angry young man,
30:53 even then,
30:55 in his senses,
30:59 because this song is
31:01 a very personal song,
31:03 a conversation with oneself,
31:05 he is saying to his father,
31:07 this song is not of a crowd,
31:09 this song is of a father and son,
31:11 when they are in a room,
31:13 when one has the other's hand,
31:15 this song is of that time,
31:17 this song is of hope,
31:19 along with this,
31:21 this song is of disappointment,
31:23 this song is of love,
31:25 this song is of anger,
31:27 so how to take all these things
31:29 together,
31:31 that was a difficult
31:33 but fun work.
31:35 -Holi is coming,
31:37 it is the season of Holi,
31:39 all the songs are being shot,
31:41 if you have any memories about Holi,
31:43 which song do you like the most?
31:45 If you get a chance,
31:47 would you like to write a song?
31:49 -Holi Aayi Re Kanhai,
31:51 Rang Chhalke, Suna De Jara Bansuri,
31:53 I like this a lot,
31:55 and
31:57 I think that
31:59 about Holi,
32:01 all my friends
32:03 know,
32:05 I was in Delhi University,
32:07 it was my first year,
32:09 and for the first time in my life,
32:11 I came to my friends' house
32:13 and had a drink,
32:15 and after that,
32:17 the 7 days incident,
32:19 what happened,
32:21 I mean,
32:23 this can't be made into a film,
32:25 this whole incident is so hilarious,
32:27 that we went,
32:29 and then
32:31 there was a tradition
32:33 that we played
32:35 Rang Bhang,
32:37 and I didn't know anything,
32:39 I had heard in songs
32:41 that there is Rang Bhang,
32:43 I had never heard it in my life,
32:45 and what I did in that,
32:47 I
32:49 used to take out the Rang Bhang
32:51 from the bottom of a tub,
32:53 because it had cashews, raisins,
32:55 almonds, everything,
32:57 and it was looking green,
32:59 I didn't know that
33:01 there is so much Rang Bhang in it,
33:03 so I drank it,
33:05 and I saw after drinking it,
33:07 I didn't get intoxicated,
33:09 so I drank 5-6 glasses,
33:11 and after that,
33:13 the condition I was in for 6 days,
33:15 I mean,
33:17 I did so many things,
33:19 it took me 1.5-2 hours
33:21 to walk from one staircase
33:23 to another.
33:25 - So, what message would you like to give
33:27 to the people who play Holi?
33:29 - First of all, I will definitely say
33:31 that brother,
33:33 but on a serious note,
33:35 those people who want to play Holi with you,
33:37 you should not force them to play Holi.
33:39 One,
33:41 those who do
33:43 mobile oil,
33:45 or wrestling,
33:47 those who do such things,
33:49 don't do that.
33:51 People start throwing balloons
33:53 before Holi,
33:55 and all this doesn't look good.
33:57 I will say that
33:59 now it is very important to eat well.
34:01 And Holi,
34:03 I used to see one thing,
34:05 that day,
34:07 all the
34:09 differences,
34:11 some knots,
34:13 that day to open the knot,
34:15 so that day,
34:17 you say sorry to someone,
34:21 or you say sorry to someone,
34:23 it's okay,
34:25 things happen.
34:27 So, on a positive note,
34:29 open your old knots,
34:31 and say sorry to them.
34:33 - Before leaving, I would like to know
34:35 that the journey that you have had till now,
34:37 is there any regret
34:39 that you have
34:41 lost or gained in the last 10-12 years?
34:43 Or is there any
34:45 regret of a film's rejection
34:47 that if you had got the songs of this film?
34:49 - Whatever I got,
34:53 I considered it as destiny.
34:55 Whatever I lost,
34:57 I kept forgetting it.
34:59 See, this line,
35:01 it is like the line in Gita.
35:03 It seems like
35:05 it is the essence of Gita.
35:07 Whatever I got,
35:09 I considered it as destiny.
35:11 Whatever I lost, I kept forgetting it.
35:13 - Before leaving,
35:15 tell us about some of your
35:17 upcoming projects.
35:19 What are you doing?
35:21 In which projects,
35:23 can we see your songs?
35:25 - Miss Mass 3,
35:27 which is a web series,
35:29 I wrote in both 1 and 2.
35:31 Both got a lot of love.
35:33 Then came Haseen Dilruba.
35:37 Now, hopefully,
35:41 the crew is also
35:43 coming.
35:45 - This is an important project.
35:47 - There are 3-4 more things
35:49 which I will not be able to reveal now.
35:51 - Please give a message to the viewers.
35:55 - Love, long live.
35:57 - Or if you could sing a line,
36:03 which is your favorite?
36:05 - My favorite...
36:07 There was a song of ours,
36:11 the first film was Tanu Vets Manu.
36:13 It was in that.
36:17 How many times did the heart say,
36:19 how many times did the heart listen.
36:21 I have found you
36:23 in your name also,
36:25 my happiness.
36:27 If you say yes,
36:29 it will be different.
36:31 To keep the heart,
36:33 from top to top,
36:35 say yes.
36:37 Say yes, like this.
36:39 How many times did the heart say.
36:41 - Thank you very much for talking to us.
36:45 This was Raj Shekhar.
36:47 With cameraman Khalid, Rehan Hussain.
36:49 Lehren, Mumbai.
36:51 [Music]
36:53 [Music]