Nishad Neelambaran (HINDUSTAN TIMES; August 21, 2020)

Lyricist, singer, writer, actor and an assistant director — these are a few hats that Swanand Kirkire dons. Known for penning songs like Bande Me Tha Dum (Lage Raho Munna Bhai; 2006) and Behti Hawa Sa Tha Woh (3 Idiots; 2009), Kirkire has created a niche for himself. The three-time National Award-winner, says that his lockdown has been nothing different, but “it has been kind”. “Lockdown so far has been kind enough [to me]. It is difficult and it is the same for everybody. Work from home is something a writer can also do. So, I am always working, but I also learnt a few new things in order to adjust with the new conditions. I have assembled a small recording studio at home now. As scary as the lockdown was, it surely has helped all of us learn something new,” he says.

Ask him if these months of Coronavirus lockdown have been a boon to writers, and he says, “What is boon? A boon would be to have constant work. If shootings don’t happen, the work is not happening. Everything slows down a bit. It is nice to say that you are sitting at home and you can write, but work coming in is a little less than before.”

A lot has changed ever since the lockdown, but musicians and singers and voice over artistes have been on their jobs even from home. So, what does he think of the ‘new normal’? “I think we are already witnessing the ‘new normal’. Very sanitised shooting floors and fewer people. Recordings, you can do it from home now. However, I think it is going to be very bad for the recording studios. Also, they are reducing the crew, so people will be jobless. That is the scary part,” he shares.

The Bavra Mann (Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi; 2003) singer admits that the negativity on social media “is a sad part”. “I see it in a way that frightened people are blaming each other. We are all scared and scared people do these things. We don’t know who to blame. But blaming each other is an escape route. Having said that, you always have an option to shut it and I do that,” he reasons.

Does he agree that favouritism and groupism exists in the fraternity? “Favouritism and groupism exists everywhere. You fight that battle everywhere you go. People are doing it. We have to fight it,” he signs off.

When Swanand Kirkire finally got admission in the National School of Drama, he was overwhelmed with the fact that he was going to study in an institute that produced legends
Navneet Vyasan (HINDUSTAN TIMES; January 23, 2020)

Born to a family of classical singers, lyricist Swanand Kirkire has tried his hands at almost everything. From writing dialogues to acting and playback singing, his long list of accolades stands testimony to the talent he possesses. “Both my father and mother were classical musicians, but they were not professionals. Back then, it was not easy to become a professional musician. But it was a passion for them,” he says, adding, “But my uncle used to do theatre, and I used to go with him for rehearsals. That’s when I realised that I really liked theatre.”

And this fascination for the stage, in fact, encouraged the National Award winner to apply for the National School of Drama (NSD). “It was a game-changer, and a little difficult for me,” he adds.

Kirkire adds that he got in at his second attempt. “I failed the first exam and it was an eye-opener for me. I was overwhelmed with the fact that I was appearing for an examination for an institute which has produced legends such as Naseeruddin Shah, Om Puri and Shabana Azmi,” he says.

“But after I got in, I was exposed to the world. Coming from Indore (Madhya Pradesh) to Delhi, which is the cultural centre, I got exposed to a lot of things. Delhi has all the embassies, where you get to see films of different languages, theatre in different languages, etc. Then I started working for a group called Act One. This group’s alumni include Manoj Bajpayee, Shoojit Sircar and Piyush Mishra and that was really inspiring,” he adds.

Till date, Kirkire has won two national awards, first being in 2006 for the song Bande Me Tha Dum, from Lage Raho Munna Bhai, and second being for Behti Hawa Sa Tha Who from 3 Idiots (2009).

Swanand Kirkire says about prepping for the character in his acting debut, Chumbak, which fetched him the National Award
Saoumya S Varma (DNA; September 5, 2019)

Swanand Kirkire believes in doing a job with utmost passion and not waiting for results. Right enough, he acted in Sandeep Modi’s Marathi film Chumbak and won the National Award as the Best Supporting Actor for it. “I feel great. The award was unexpected because acting is something I’ve started doing now. This is my first film as an actor. I’m really humbled and grateful,” says the actor-lyricist-writer, who has earlier won the National Award for best lyrics twice Bande Me Tha Dum...Vande Mataram from Lage Raho Munna Bhai (2006) and Behti Hawaa Sa Tha Woh... from 3 Idiots (2009).

Swanand played a mentally-slow 45-year-old man Prasanna in the film, which was the story of the relationship between him and a 15-year-old restaurant table cleaner Baalu (Sahil Jadhav). The actor confesses that the portrayal was tough in every way. “Challenge is something I have not faced as an actor,” says he, referring to his maiden experience of facing the camera. He adds, “I totally relied on and trusted my director. I told him, ‘If you say this is okay, I’ll agree. If you say it’s not okay, I’ll give as many retakes as you want me to’. I surrendered myself to the director completely and the results are here.” He credits everything to teamwork, including writer Saurabh Bhave, the costume department, cameraman and look designers. “We experimented in a lot of things. I worked on Prasanna’s soul and they worked on his persona.” Swanand adds that he merely manifested all their efforts on the screen. Part of the prep for him also meant meeting doctors and understanding what autism is, including nitty-gritty such as Mild Autism.

Changing face of films
Though he has won the coveted award as a lyricist as well as an actor, Swanand feels blessed that he doesn’t have to choose between the two. “God has given me the opportunity to do both,” says he.

He has mostly been associated with content-driven works whether his debut, Sudhir Mishra’s Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi (2003) or Tu Kisi Rail Si in Masaan (2015). He has the same notion about films as well. “We are not just making song and dance films but other stuff as well. We are telling more realistic stories than before. Films like Mission Mangal and Batla House are doing well. It’s a good thing, our audiences are listening to stories,” he points out.

The dialogue writer is also excited about the new breed of actors. “There are some extremely good performers today. I love Vicky Kaushal as an actor,” says he about the hero in whose debut, Masaan, Swanand wrote and sang Tu Kisi Rail Si. As far as lyricists go, Swanand tells us that he loves the works of Manoj Muntashir (Galliyan in Ek Villain, 2014) Varun Grover (Ud-Daa Punjab in Udta Punjab, 2016) and Kumaar (Tera Ban Jaunga in Kabir Singh), who is also his friend,” says he.

Coming up
As far as his future works are concerned, he has several projects in his kitty. “I have acted in Ekta Kapoor’s series, The Verdict: State v/s Nanavati, which stars Manav Kaul, Angad Bedi, Saurabh Shukla and others. I am writing lyrics for a couple of films, too,” he signs off.

Rinky Kumar (DNA; August 1, 2018)

Swanand Kirkire wears many hats with aplomb. He is not only a lyricist but also an associate director, a writer and a playback singer. The 46-year-old, who has acted in Hindi films and did a bit role in a Marathi movie Pune 52 earlier, (2013), now plays the lead in the recently-released Chumbak. The award-winning lyricist plays a mentally slow man, Prasanna, in the Marathi production, which is presented by Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar. The story is about the unconventional friendship between a 15-year-old boy, Baalu, and Prasanna that forces the former to make a choice between his dreams and morality. The movie, which will be screened at the ninth edition of Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) next month, is garnering great reviews.

However, it was a chance encounter that helped Swanand bag the role. He says, “The film’s producer, Naren Kumar called me a few years ago as he wanted me to write the songs for Jolly LLB (2013). At that time, it didn’t work out due to some reason. Later, he got in touch with me again. I presumed he wanted me to pen the lyrics for The State Vs Jolly LLB 2 (2017) as he was backing that movie too. But instead, he narrated Chumbak’s script to me. I heard it out and really liked it.” What appealed to the National Award-winning lyricist was that the story gave him an opportunity to play a mildly-autistic person. He elaborates, “Prasanna is a simpleton at heart. He is gullible and trusts people easily. While portraying such a character on screen, you always have a fear that you might go overboard.”

Later, he did a workshop with his co-actors. Swanand says, “We had to work on the internal as well as external process. Also, in cinema, you need to add an entertaining touch to every character. So, I added small quirks like wearing sneakers instead of formal shoes, so that there is a child-like swiftness when my character walks.”

The multi-faceted artiste emphasises that with Akshay backing this slice-of-life film, it has helped the flick reach out to more people. “When we were making Chumbak, we had no idea where it would head and how it would shape up simply because we are not from the Marathi industry per se. When Akshay saw it at MAMI and decided to come on board, it was a huge honour for the team. We are still pinching ourselves that he is presenting the movie,” exclaims Swanand, whose next project is the Kajol-starrer Helicopter Eela for which he has penned the lyrics.

His words have complemented many a tune in Hindi cinema, but the celebrated lyricist, who plays a pivotal role in a recent play, remains a theatrewallah at heart
Reema Gehi (MUMBAI MIRROR; July 24, 2016)

An hour before the rehearsal of Chakkar Chalaaye Ghanchakkar, at the Jamshed Bhabha Auditorium located inside the National Centre for the Performing Arts, Swanand Kirkire seems visibly composed. The lyricist of movies such as Fitoor (2016), 3 Idiots (2009), Lage Raho Munna Bhai (2006) and Parineeta (2005) for the first time essays a full-length role in a play, which opened on Saturday. Written by Gulzar, it draws inspiration from his own film, Angoor (1982), which was based on William Shakespeare's The Comedy of Errors — the play is perhaps director Salim Arif's most ambitious production and he seems rather content with Kirkire's contribution.

The 46-year-old, who played a small role in Manav Kaul's Colour Blind opposite Kalki Koechlin in 2014, says, "Returning to theatre is always a beautiful holiday for me. But acting in a play written by Gulzarsaab means something else. I greatly admire and respect his work," says Kirkire. "The other day when he was at the rehearsals, he told me that he really liked my performance and I was over the moon."

Kirkire credits his achievement to his foundation in theatre. "Whatever work you do in cinema, you do it at a certain time and space, and it reaches people much later and your work is served as a whole package. Theatre offers spontaneity, which I enjoy very much. It not only helps you became purer as a creative person, but it allows you to develop a direct relationship between you and your audience," he shares. "But I must confess, each time I go on stage I feel as nervous and excited as I did the first time."

Hailing from Indore, Kirkire, whose parents Chintamani and Neelambari were disciples of the legendary Kumar Gandharva, dreamed of a career in the business of entertainment. Before he enrolled himself at the National School of Drama in Delhi, Kirkire joined a theatre group and performed alongside actors Manoj Bajpayee, Ashish Vidyarthi and Piyush Mishra. "I learnt a lot from our director N K Sharma, especially the basics from him. It was my beginning in theatre."

At the NSD, where he studied design and direction, he met Satyadev Dubey with whom he shared a "love-hate relationship". The inimitable Dubey played a pivotal role in shaping Kirkire's career. "Everybody knows how Dubey was and is. For me, he's still there in our lives," he smiles.

Recalling an incident when Dubey met him for the first time at NSD, where he would organise classes, Kirkire laughs, "He saw me and asked me to leave. He said he didn't like my face and that it depressed him. I was very upset. I didn't know what to think."

But Kirkire chose to take the personal jibe in his stride and continued hanging around at his rehearsals. "The man had charisma and somehow you wanted him to like you," he says. It was only much later when Dubey heard Kirkire, an untrained singer, croon to his beautifully-penned Bawra Mann for Sudhir Mishra's Hazaron Khwahishein Aisi that he truly warmed up to him. "Before giving it to Sudhir, I sang that song at a party. Dubey was present there and he hugged me after listening to the song, and since then he started to love me," he says. "After that day, whichever play I staged, for instance, Aao Saathi Sapna Dekhe in 2013, he would tell me to stop the play and sing Bawra Mann. When I would argue saying it doesn't make sense, he would respond, 'You don't know how to cash in on your success which is why you're going nowhere'."

Currently, Kirkire is in the process of writing a film for R Balki and songs for Rajkumar Hirani's next (a biopic on actor Sanjay Dutt). According to him writing lyrics for Hindi cinema was sheer "serendipity". "My plan was to make movies," he says "When I was recording Bawra Mann for Sudhir Mishra, Pradeep Sarkar was present and he made me meet Vidhu Vinod Chopra, and that's how Parineeta happened and then it just snowballed into something else. Much like life, really."

Priya Gupta (BOMBAY TIMES; February 18, 2014)

Swanand Kirkire, 42, is a workaholic who will do all the work that comes his way. He is simple, emotional and happy. He is a poet at heart, who looks up to Gulzar sahab. His mother, who he loves the most, is also the person whose zest for life inspires him. He cried while writing the lyrics of Bawla Tha Sapna from his upcoming film Shaadi Ke Side Effects, in which his song Yahaan Vahaan has touched a chord. Over an hour-long-conversation with Bombay Times, he talks about the most sincere Raju Hirani, the edgy Sudhir Mishra and his desire to direct a film next year. Excerpts:
 
How did you turn lyricist?
I was born and brought up in Indore. My parents were classical musicians, so there was always music in the house. My father was the regional manager of a public sector bank and my mother worked at the university. Post completing my graduation, I took up a job to sell Eureka Forbes vacuum cleaners. I had seen the classical music scene and found it too decadent, whereas theatre was far more liberal, so I was interested in theatre. I was a complete film buff and would bunk school to go and watch films and had read about Naseeruddin Shah and Om Puri being from NSD. I applied and got through in the second attempt at the age of 24 and did a course there in design and direction. I also started writing there and wanted to become a filmmaker. Due to their circumstances, my parents could not make a career out of music, so they were supportive of me joining NSD, but they felt relieved only once I started getting a scholarship, as they felt if nothing else at least I would get a job. For me going to NSD opened up a whole world of possibilities. Post NSD, I did two years of theatre where Manju Singh of Doordarshan spotted me and asked me to come to Mumbai to write a serial for her. I came to Mumbai when I was 29 and started assisting Sudhir Mishra. I assisted him on three films Calcutta Mail, Chameli and Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi. I had written this song Baawra Mann for something else. But Sudhir heard it through Kay Kay Menon and that is how my journey as a lyricist began. Then Shantanu Moitra heard my voice and recorded the song on my voice, so I also started singing. Pradeep Sarkar heard that song once it was ready and he immediately took me to Vidhu Vinod Chopra, who took me for Parineeta. After that, I got many films including Eklavya, Lage Raho Munna Bhai and worked with several directors including Rajkumar Hirani.
 
Are there any actors who are your batchmates from NSD?
Nawazuddin Siddiqui and I were batchmates. We were friends and also fought a lot. We were together from the first night of our interview. I feel very happy for him as it took him time to be recognised. He is a very sharp person, who constantly thinks of acting. He has a gimmick side, where he wants to do things differently. He has a good amount of arrogance suitable to an actor. As an actor, you need to constantly think about yourself. He knows his body and tools very well.
 
Any plans to become a director?
I want to direct. My career as a lyricist and singer has taken care of my life quite well and I enjoyed my journey of being a lyricist. I am a little comfortable right now, but it is time to break out. I am writing a script right now and hope to direct soon.
 
Which of your work do you consider extremely special?
3 Idiots. When a great work comes, it changes life. I just wrote the lyrics. But people hear the song Behti Hawa Sa Tha Woh and I meet people who still come and tell me that they were so inspired by seeing Rancho’s journey, that they quit their jobs. That tells you the impact films have on people.

You have worked with the most respected director of the Hindi film industry, Rajkumar Hirani. What makes Raju so special?
 He is the most wonderful person I have come across. He is so down to earth that it surprises me how success has not even come and touched him. From the time I started working with him, he is the same till now in P.K. His sincerity towards his film is at another level. He puts in 100% and wants you to do the same. He is a fun, family man and a great friend. He struggles to get to the pinnacle of everything. Someday I want to be like him.
 
What is Vidhu Vinod Chopra like?
He is consistent. Vinod welcomed me with open arms. He talks and doesn’t understand what to say and what not to say. But with me, he was extremely supportive and projected me ahead of himself in front of the media and introduced me to people. I like him a lot. He is always happy. What he says, he does and you can like him or hate him, but he is not double-faced. He was great support to a budding lyricist like me. He not only accepted my lyrics, gave me my due credit and the money.
 
As a lyricist, do you look up to someone?
I look up to Gulzar sahab. If Gulzar sahab was not there, mera dhyaan film music mein nahi jaata. Even though his lyrics are complex, he always surprises me with his cool and modern lyrics. Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji is my all-time favourite, Beedi Jalaile, Hamari Atariya… I loved his films and always wanted to become like him.
 
Are there lyrics-friendly directors?
There are three kinds of directors. 1) Logical directors like Raju Hirani, who want very screenplay-kind of lyrics and if you see, their lyrics are very logical as the songs are written to their scenes. 2) Directors with a flair for lyrics, who are lyrics-friendly and let you be. Directors like Anurag Basu, Abhishek Kapoor and Pradeep Sarkar fall in this bracket. 3) The third type don’t care and will tell you, ‘Give me a mukhda’ and don’t care for lyrics. Most item numbers fall in this category.
 
Are you happy being single?
I am alone and it sometimes gets to you. After you get an award and when you come back to a empty home, you feel like giving it to somebody. You want to share your success with somebody if you have done a good job or your film becomes a hit. My mother is upset that I am not married, but I am still waiting for the right person. I had a serious relationship a few years back when I shifted from Delhi to Mumbai and then once again here, but everything happens at the right time, so I am waiting for that and am open to marriage. I am doing a lot of acting this year. My priority is to make a movie now and maybe I will make it next year.
 
Whose films do you look up to?
I really like Dibakar Banerjee’s films. He is dramatic in the real space. I like Raju’s films. I would land up a little more the Dibakar-side as filmmaker myself. I also like Abhishek Kapoor’s Kai Po Che, but would love to get the Raju Hirani-flair, where even a simple carrom board scene becomes a great scene.
 
Who do you consider your friends in the industry?
I am very good friends with Amitabh Bhattacharya, Sneha Khanwalkar, Shantanu Moitra and Sudhir Mishra. Sudhir is one old young man, who has a very good overview of things. He constantly inspires me to make a film. Of course, Sudhir is little edgy. What is nice is that he is not judgemental at all, which is also the bad thing. He lets you be, but sometimes you need to be told what you can’t do. I love him. With Sudhir, a very edgy side of me comes out in songs like Khoya Khoya Chand. Amitabh is very talented, but he doesn’t know what all he has in him as he resists many things. He has tedha ideas in him. Emotional Atyachaar is the most tedha idea. He has great potential.
 
You are fighting for the royalty for lyricists. What is the issue?
Till Javed Akhtar sahab led the fight to amend the law in Parliament, the earlier law on copyright allowed us to sign off our rights in favour of anybody. The new law says that no one can take your right and while you can license it, the IP remains with the person who created it. Apart from films, the song is monetised over various different avenues, for instance, shows, where bodies like IPRS and PPL collect royalty. This royalty in the past was entirely going to the music company. But as per the new law, it is to be shared between the music company, the producer, the lyricist and the music director. IPRS and PPL are not working properly. Music companies want us to sign contracts which say that they will collect royalties on our behalf. And then they want to show the fees they pay us divided as fees and advance royalties. So, as a body, we are refusing to sign contracts.