Deepali Singh (DNA; January 25, 2019)

On January 15, when the song Bharat from Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi was launched, lyricist Prasoon Joshi coined the hashtag, ‘Desh Prem Jatao’. Explaining the thought behind it, he tells us, “If you feel love for your motherland, show it. Express it in any way you want to, through art, music or social change. But don’t hesitate to show it.”

The wordsmith wears his patriotism on his sleeve. And he expresses it through his music and his words. How else can you explain the beautiful lyrics for Bharat that go, Main rahoon ya na rahoon, Bharat yeh rehna chahiye. Silsila yeh baad mere yun hi chalna chahiye. “The words resonate with you because Rani Lakshmibai’s sacrifice was real,” adds the Censor Board chief.

Over the years, Bollywood has seen quite a few desh-bhakti numbers that have struck a chord with the audience. The reason, he feels, is that they don’t have ‘manufactured patriotism’. “Machines don’t resonate, human feelings do. For instance, in another context, just like Bharat is the soul of Manikarnika, Roobaroo was the soul of Rang De Basanti (2006). You have to search for that soul. A patriotic song is nothing but the reflection of the truth,” opines the National Award winner.

Among his numbers, Prasoon likes the songs that he penned for Rang De Basanti. “I really like Des Rangila in Fanaa (2006) too,” he tells us. One of his all-time favourites is the Lata Mangeshkar track, Aye Mere Watan Ke Logon. “It still resonates with everyone because it talks about the sacrifices made by people to achieve this freedom we enjoy today. Hum kitna bhi jhuthla lein, hamare desh ke veeron ko bhulane ki koshish karein, aap nahi bhula payenge, kyunki woh balidaan sachche thhe,” he adds.

With such beautiful tracks being created in Hindi cinema, how does he react when people say that today’s lyrics have lost their depth and there is no poetry left in Bollywood anymore? “Every song doesn’t have depth, I agree. If you ask me, if there has been a decline in the quality of songs as compared to earlier, I would say, surely 100 per cent,” he admits. But then, the Padma Shri recipient asks, “When have we tried to nurture poets and poetry?”

“It’s easy to desire a rose to bloom in your garden, but you have to create the right atmosphere for it. Gulab ke liye mitti bhi toh honi chahiye. In a similar way, poets too require a certain atmosphere to be nurtured,” concludes Prasoon.