‘Quality matters, stop chasing quantity’

Chandigarh’s own poet laureate Irshad Kamil speaks to Sheetal on writing for ‘Chamkila’, the miniscule number of women lyricists and why he likes to mentor budding artistes. Excerpts:

Was working for the upcoming film ‘Chamkila’ different than your other films?

as it’s a biopic on a musician?

Well, the writing had to be approached in a different manner. We did not succumb to the pressure as to how to showcase Chamkila’s celebrated music in the film but instead, my job was to understand Amar Singh Chamkila’s state of mind while writing those songs. The idea was to go within his writing, understand the environment he was brought up in and why he viewed the world as he did. Instead of reprising his famous songs or taking credit for what he wrote, our motive was to find what inspired or motivated him to write lyrics like, ‘Teri maa di talashi lehni’ (‘Bapu sadda gum ho gaya’).

Have you ever written a song in advance?

I believe you can never write a song in advance. Every film, character or situation demands something different. Jordan of ‘Rockstar’, Bunny from ‘Tamasha’, Harry from ‘Harry Met Sejal’ or ‘Patakha Guddi’ Alia from ‘Highway’ were all different people. And when I write for them, unmein main main nahi rehta (there’s no Irshad visible in it). I have to be all those characters to write their songs and these are a hit only when people connect with the feelings of those on-screen characters.

What’s your take on the negligible number of women lyricists in the film industry?

Well, it’s not just in lyric writing where women are less in number, but across other spheres too, be it music directors, art directors, screenwriters and so on. However, we are moving towards better times as women are creating space for themselves. The creative field is all about quality. So, irrespective of the gender, whoever would be able to deliver, would stay relevant for long.

Can women writers, directors or lyricists change how women are represented in films?

No, I disagree that female directors, screenwriters or producers can present the female perspective better or tell women stories more realistically. It’s like saying only a female painter can best paint a woman. Art and artiste are beyond caste, religion, race and colour and as well as gender. For creating a story or a song, the artiste’s ability to relate with its subject matters more.

How do you approach writing?

A writer is never off duty. It’s a 24x7 job. Your mind is subconsciously registering thoughts, conversations, taking notes, editing, generating ideas and saving or archiving these for later. It’s a wrong notion that you like to be alone and write to give best results. Because the idea is to meet as many people and listen to as many perspectives.

You often do reading sessions for young, upcoming poets and writers and hold Q&A sessions with fans. How do you find time in your busy schedule?

I like to stay connected with young budding artistes through social media platforms. To keep growing in this profession, it is important to know what the younger generation is thinking. When I was their age, we didn’t know the right people to talk to and clarify our doubts. Which is why I like to be readily available to budding writers, poets and thinkers. It’s a symbiotic relationship.

A trend that has attracted your attention?

Writing should be effortless. With social media giving a platform and voice to everyone, it has also resulted in abundant content. My only advice is to stop running behind quantity because when there’s excess of something, good things will tend to go unnoticed, lost or under-appreciated. It’s important to deliver quality work.

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