[Reader-list] SEX and Swanand Prashant pandey

[Prashant Pandey]

Meet Swanand Kirkire, the lyricist who penned Bawra mann( hazaro kwahishe). He is a much sought after copywriter in the ad-industry with punch lines like “Thunda thunda cool cool” and “khabar wahi jo sach dikhaye”, “sabse tej channel”
Swanand is from NSD (NATIONAL SCHOOL OF DRAMA). He used to write songs for theatre and grew up admiring Sahir, Javed Akhtar,Ibne Insha,Yogesh and so on. Swanand came to Bombay in early nineties and has been with Sudhir Mishra’s camp. He also wrote the critically acclaimed dialogues for Chameli. He wants to be a director and has assisted Sudhir Mishra (ji) for past 6 years. 

Now what? He has written songs of Vidhu Vinod Chopras’ Parineeta and a film called “Kal, yesterday, tomorrow”. 

His work is interesting because he seems to hold very strong opinions on the lyrics scene. 
He likes realism and a certain level of historicity to creep into the work. An unabashed admirer of Nitin Raikwar( a fellow lyricist) who wrote Aati Kya Khandala( Will you come to Khandala with me ?)  and Phatela jeb sil jayega( the torn shirt can be sewed) 
He demands three things 1. An honest expression 2. An engagement with the narrative and characters 3. An engagement with the times 

He finds Sameer (bollywoods’ busiest lyricist) kind of a style rather problematic, NOT because it is “inferior” but because Sameer lets the music and tune dominate over the lyrics. He is a master magician, a word cruncher who seamlessly weaves inane, trite words and expressions into the tune. Not many people can do that. 

Swanand is very fresh and rather new with 2-3 films in his kitty. It’s a vulnerable position and I hit him there. I ask him. “Do you have this fear that when work starts pouring in you will become a word cruncher yourself. You have done less films and all of them are kind of arty. How will you write for very mainstream masala films?” 
After a pause I ask him, “Can you write (at all) for mainstream masala?” 
My question means two things, first at the level of craft (word crunching, tuukbandi), second, at the level of ideology.

His reply is standard. He says that what I am  saying must happen. “Inshallah may I get lot of films because I cannot live my life like this”. He means financial status. 
He says that the standard will drop but he will try his best. “I will write 4 bad songs but hit back with a good one song.” 

But I keep pestering him with “art verses commerce” debate. He too is trying his best to come round to some solid argument. In fact one of things why he spoke to me because he wanted to clear his own doubts and concepts. “I must know what I am doing” 


We are at Prithvi theatre café. Its 8 pm. He has spoken continuously for 40 minutes to my Dictaphone, with an amused Nikhil Advani( Director of Kal Ho Na Ho) sitting on the next bench with his wife and occasionally making an effort to eavesdrop and pick the funny and cynical one-liners. 
We both are tired and the interview ends on a rather unexpected, twisted and cynical note. “ yaar Prashant yeh hindustaan hai . yaha pe re-mixes me nangi- nangi ladkiya nachti hai , aur gaana hit ho jata hai, to wahi sab expect karo. Art kyoo expect karte ho yaar. Sala ye sex deprived society hai. Yaha pe to art expect hi nahi karni chahiye.”

( see Prashant , This is India here half clad girls dance in re-mix videos and the song is a hit, why do you expect art here ? this is a sex deprived country, don’t expect art here.”)

At this point of time I realize that I have got enough sex for the interview so I shut the Dictaphone and say “thank you it was nice talking to you. Best of luck”
 





  


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