His songs Papa Meri Jaan, Pehle Bhi Main and Marham from Animal continue to be chart-toppers. While lyricist Raj Shekhar has had another release, Bhakshak, recently, he continues to revel in the glory the tracks from the 2023 Ranbir Kapoor-starrer have earned him.

“I am thankful for the love my songs Papa Meri Jaan, Pehle Bhi Main and Marham have received. When we were making these songs, we didn’t know they would receive so much appreciation. However, Sandeep Reddy Vanga (director) sir, Vishal Mishra (composer), Harshavardhan Rameshwar (composer) and I were confident throughout the process, and I could sense something beautiful happening,” he says.

Ask if the scale of the film helped the songs do well, and Shekhar agrees: “I truly believe that when a film is big, the reach of the songs is multiplied. But besides the scale, I guess the way Sandeep Reddy Vanga visualized the songs and situations in the film played a critical role, too.”

While the world talks about composers and singers, lyricists often claim that their contribution is overlooked. As someone who has been around for over a decade, does he feel lyricists don’t get their due?

“You’re correct. In many cases, music directors and singers get all the credit, but thankfully that wasn’t the case with Animal. I really hope lyricists receive equal recognition and visibility for their contribution across projects,” says Shekhar, who marked his Bollywood debut with Tanu Weds Manu in 2011.