SARGAM KE SITAARE

INTERVIEW OF LYRICIST SWANAND KIRKIRE & MUSIC DIRECTOR SHANTANU MOITRA


PART 1-2

SM: Shantanu Moitra
SW: Swanand Kirkire
MS: Mamta Singh

MS: Sudhir Mishra-ji ke baare mein aapne zikr bhi kiya ki
bahut 'perfection' chaahte hain, to unse juDaa huya koi anubhav aap
bataana chaahenge, khaas taur se Khoya Khoya Chaand se juDaa huya?

SM: main ek anubhav bataayungaa, Swanand ek anubhav bataayegaa
(laughs). meraa anubhav bahut 'interesting' hai, woh jab 'studio'
mein ghuste hain, sabse pehle kehte hain ki 'Shantanu, mujhe 'music'
ka itna kuchh 'idea' naheen hai', unko bahut 'idea' hai, (all
laughs), saare unke gaane dekh leejiye, saare 'hit' hai, Chameli,
Hazaaron Khwahishen Aisi, sab kuchh. lerkin unkaa jo Khaas ek tareeka
hai aap se kaam lene kaa, 'especially' Khoya Khoya Chaand ke liye,
ki 'mujhe 'hit' mat deejiye, mujhe achchha gaana deejiye'. 'I think'
yeh bahut baDi baat hai kyunki 'immediately' jo ek maahaul bantaa
hai, jo kuchh karna chaahte hain, achchhe gaane ka talaash to sab ko
hai, 'hit' ka kya pataa, aur isiliye mujhe lagta hai ki unke saath
kaam karne ka mazaa aata hai. woh bolte dete hain ki 'mujhe Khaas
pataa naheen hai, 'situation' yeh hai, main yeh bataana chaahta hoon
is gaane mein, ab aap dekh leejiye'.

MS: baDe sanjeedaa se lagte hain Sudhir Mishra-ji, Vividh Bharati
ke 'studio' mein aaye the to bahut gambheer gambheer baaten hamne kee
thi, aisaa sachmuch hain yaa...

SW: waise to hain sanjeedaa kaafi lekin unkaa ek mazaaiya paksh bhi
hai, aur mere saath unkaa ek Khaas rishtaa hai kyunki main
unkaa 'assistant' reh chukaa hoon. 4 filmon mein main unko 'assist'
kiya tha, aur ab main unkaa geetkaar hoon. to woh rishtaa, badlaa
hai, lekin nazariya naheen badlaa. woh mujhko unke' assistant' ke
taur pe hi 'treat' karte hain, aur mazaakitya bhi hain, woh hameshaa
kete rehte hain ki unko gaane ke baare mein kuchh bhi pataa naheen
lekin...

MS: aur Khoob dakhal dete hain

SW: naheen, lekin gaana gaake sunaaate hain (all laughs)

MS: achchha bataaiye ki Sudhir Mishra-ji ke saath mein kaun kaun si
filmen aapne kee thi bataur sahaayak

SW: maine filmen kee thi unke saath, pehlaa film tha Calcutta Mail,
jo Anil Kapoor the jismein, uske baad Chameli kee thi, uske baad
Hazaaron Khwaahishen isi kee thi, 3 filmon mein maine unko 'assist'
kiya.

MS: Hazaaron Khwahishen Aisi aap dono ki film hai, uske baare mein
ham aage charcha karenge, lekin ek gaana, aap dono ki pasand ka, ek
gaana aur ho jaaye, phir aage baDhte hain, kaun sa gaana sunwaayen?

SW: (sings) "yeh nigaahen nigaahen nigaahen jhukee jhukee....."

--------------------------------------------------------------
Song: yeh nigaahen nigaahen jhukee jhukee (Khoya Khoya Chaand)
--------------------------------------------------------------

MS: aap dono saath saath aaye, is baat ki Khushi mujhe bahut zyaada
hai, kyunki mujhe ek to aap dono se ek saath kuchh sawaal poochhne
the, jaise ki pehli baar aap dono kab mile, kaise mile, kis film ke
zariye mile, bataaiye.

SM: pehli baar main Swanand ko milaa, maine tab ek 'album' kiya tha
Ab Ke Saawan

SW: to pehle main uttar doongaa, main Shantanu-ji se pehli baar milaa
Ab Ke Saawan sunke, kyunki woh mera pehlaa 'introduction' tha,
woh 'music' sunke mujhe bahut achchha lagaa tha. to woh meri pehli
mulaaqaat thi, Hazaaron Khwaahishen Aisi ka kaam shuru hone se kuchh
6 maheene pehle maine yeh sunaa tha, uske baad Hazaaron Khwaahishen
ki 'shooting' karne gaye

SM: 'correct'. to us samay kya huya ki Sudhir Mishra ek 'music
director' ki khoj kar rahe the aur unko Swanand ne mere baare mein
bataaya hogaa

SW: kyunki main 'assistant' tha unkaa us samay.

SM: Swanand ne 'mention' kiya hogaa ki 'ek hai Shantanu Moitra, Delhi
mein rehte hain, unhone 'album' kiya hai Ab Ke Saawan, to unko 'try'
kar sakte hain'.

SW: ek 'information' yahaan se gayaa. doosra kya tha?

SM: doosraa, Aditya Bhattacharya Sudhir Mishra-ji ke dost the, Basu
Bhattacharya-ji ke beTe jo hain, to unhone udhar se, Babla, unhone
udhar se Sudhir ko bolaa ki 'ek dilli mein hai Shantanu Moitra, 'he
will understand the film very well''. to ek hi din mein do taraf se
jab Sudhir Mishra ke paas yeh 'information' pahunchi to unhone
kahaa 'pataa karo ki yeh kahaan hai'.

SW: 'number' DhoonD ke, phir pataa chalaa ki yeh Mumbai aa gaye hain.

SM: usse Theek 10 din pehle main Delhi se Mumbai 'shift' huya tha.
aur tabhi 'phone call' aaya to main Sudhir-ji se milne gayaa. to
Swanand the wahaan, 'associate' the, mulaaqaat huyi, 'picture' ki
baat huyi, maine kaam karna shuru kiya, karte karte karte karte ek
talaash thi aise gaane ki jo film ka 'theme song' bane, Hazaaron
Khwaahishen Aisi ki. to unhone kahaa ki 'Swanand ne kuchh likhaa
hai'. to tab tak mujhe 'idea' bhi naheen tha ki Swanand likhta bhi hai

MS: "baawra man"?

SW: "baawra man". Sudhir Mishra ko bhi 'idea' naheen tha.

MS: 'theatre' ke zamaane mein aapne likhaa tha

SW: haan, usko likhaa tha to woh sunaa Sudhir Mishra ne and inko
bataaya

SM: aur bataaya aise kar ke ki yeh hai to isey 'use' kar lo, aur le
aayo kisi 'singer' ko, 'thought' hai yeh. to maine Swanand ko bataaya
ki 'bataao ki kya hai yeh', to kamre mein maine inki aawaaz sunee
pehli baar, to shabd to naheen sune maine 'but I liked his voice'. to
maine unko kahaa ki 'kal aap 'studio' aa jaaiye', aur mujhe pehle se
pataa chal chukaa tha Sudhir Mishra se ki yeh bahut 'nervous' kism ka
insaan hai. inko agar pataa lagaa ki 'studio' mein main inki
aawaaz 'record' karne ke liye bulaaya hai to naheen aayenge woh (all
laughs). to maine unko bataaya ki 'aap saath mein rahiye kyunki
aap 'assistant' hain unke, to kaise karna hai kya naheen karna
hai, 'help' loongaa aap se'. to jab aaye to aise hi 'recording room'
mein, binaa 'dubbing room' mein jaaye 'mixing room' mein 'mike'
lagaakar, inse, kaise hai, aise karte karte woh poora gaana 'record'
bhi kar liya maine. aur abhi "baawra man" jab sunte hain to
usi 'mixing room' ke 'microphone' se gaaya huya hai. aur mujhe abhi
bhi yaad hai pehli baar Swanand Kirkire ko apni aawaaz jab baDe
baDe 'speakers' se sunaaee diya to ajeeb ek aadhyaatmik jaisa
(laughs). to woh ek 'association', 'instantly' ek, woh kehte hain
na, 'love at first sight with his voice'. phir ek 'association' shuru
huya ham dono kaa. phir Pradeep Sarkar ko pasand aaya "baawra man",
aur inkaa likhna bhi bahut pasand aaya, gaana to pasand aaya hi, to
unhone kahaa ki 'main chaahta hoon ki meri film mein Swanand Kirkire
gaane likhe'.

SW: to aise aise shuru huya, aur Parineeta banee.

MS: Parineeta ke baare mein ham aage baatchit karenge, lekin usse
pehle Swanand-ji se zaraa "baawra man" sun liya jaaye.

SW: ab main thoDaa 'confident' ho gaya hoon (laughs)

MS: (laughs) Shantanu-ji ko dekhkar yaa

SW: woh abhi, wo0h ek aisa 'experience' tha na ki sach mein maine
kabhi gaaya naheen tha kabhi, mera koi mashaa naheen tha gaane ki,
main chand un 'lucky' logon mein se hoon jinhe is tarah se 'film
industry' mein kaam miltaa hai. matlab, upar se kuchh ho raha hota
hai, jinko Shantanmu Moitra milte hain, aawaaz itni pasand aati hai
ki woh us aawaaz ko 'introduce' karna chaahta hai, woh bhi ek maadda
hota hai, aajkal is tarah ki cheezen hoti naheen hai aur mere se
gaana gawaa liya gaya aur woh jisne mera 'career' badal diya.

SM: chal ab gaana ga de

MS laughs.

SW: (sings) "baawra man dekhne chalaa ek sapnaa...."

-----------------------------------------------------------------
Song: baawra man dekhne chala ek sapna (Hazaaron Khwahishen Aisi)
-----------------------------------------------------------------

MS: ab aap hamein yeh bataaiye Swanand-ji ki yeh gaana aapne likha
kab tha, 'theatre' ke zamaane mein?

SW: 'theatre' ke zamaane mein aise hi likha tha jab, 'theatre' ke
zamaane mein naheen, haan aise hi suhaanto sukhaay jise kehte hain,
likha tha aur reh gaya tha mere paas mein, aurkisi kisi ko sunaata
tha kabhi, mere doston ke beech mein, aise hi. to Hazaaron Khwahishen
Aisi ki 'shooting' ke beech mein K K Menon jo hain, 'actor', unhone
in shabdon ko sunaa aur turant Sudhir ke paas gaye aur kahaa ki 'yeh
aapka 'assistant' hai isne ek gaana likha hai, aapne sunaa hai?' to
unhone kahaa 'naheen sunaa, yeh to sunaata hi naheen'. to maine unko
sunaaya jab to tab to unhone kuchh naheen kahaa, dekhte rahe meri
taraf, phir wahaan se lauTke jab Mumbai aaye to mujhse kahaa ki 'woh
gaana tumne kisi ko bechaa huya hai kya?' maine kahaa 'naheen', to
unhone kahaa ki 'main apni film mein le loon?' maine kahaa 'neki aur
poochh poochh, abhi le lo' (laughs).

MS: chaliye bahut achchha huya, us pal ke liye ham bhi shukraguzaar
hain ki itnaa achchha gaana ham sab ko sunne ko milaa. Shantanu-ji,
aap bataaiye Hazaaron Khwahishen Aisi film ke gaano ki 'composition'
ke baare mein.

SM: yeh lagbhag pehlaa mera 'full fledged', 'independent music
directorial venture' tha keh sakte hain, pehle maine ek do gaane, do
teen filmen keeye the. ismein mujhe 'comfort level' lagaa kyunki
koi 'expectation' naheen tha. meraa kaam samajhkar mujhe bulaaya gaya
tha ki main is 'type' ka kaam karta hoon. aur maahaul ek dam 'free
type' ka tha, koi 'pressure' naheen tha, koi chaah naheen thi ki
aapke paas 'sitting room' hai ki naheen, yeh sab cheez kisi zamaane
mein tha jo ab bahut kam ho gaya hai, ek 'guitar' leke main baiThtaa
tha, waheen par gaata tha, Sudhir Mishra, yeh sab the, yeh dhun
achchha lag raha hai isi par kuchh karte hain, to ause hi hansi
mazaak karte karte gaane bante gaye. jab Hazaaron
Khwahishen 'release' huyi tab kisi kaaran se yeh 'release' naheen ho
paaya tha, yeh kahaani main bataa raha hoon kyunki aajkal gaane pe
kam aur 'marketing' par zyaada dhyaan diya jaata hai. mujhe lagtaa
hai ki 'important' hai, kai baar bahut 'ordinary' gaane 'marketing'
se aap ek had tak le sakte hain, par yeh gaane ka udaaharna tha
jo 'marketing' bilkul naheen huya tha. uskaa kaaran yeh tha
ki 'picture' jab baad mein 'release' huya tha to us samy 'audio
release' naheen ho sakaa tha. aur jab picture release' ho gaya
tha, 'audio' phir se 'release' karne ka koi matlab naheen tha. to
yeh 'audio', jo 'soundtrack' tha film ka, yeh binaa kisi 'publicity'
ke 'release' huya. aur jab 'picture release' huya tha tab uske saath
koi 'soundtrack release' naheen huya tha. sirf logon ne, kisi ne film
mein dekhaa ki "baawra man" gaana hai HKA mein, yeh karte karte karte
karte ek itnaa baDaa maahaul 'create' huya ki Delhi se, Khan Market
Music Shop se 'phone' aane lag gaya Mumbai mein Sudhir ke paas
ki 'arey itne log aa rahe hain is 'picture' ke baare mein poochhne ke
liye, kya hai yeh'. aise karke "baawra man" ke baare mein, abhi
bhi 'audio CD' iska naheen milegaa. to isse pataa chalta hai
ki 'marketing' sabkuchh naheen hai, ek achchha gaana apne balboote
par bhi chal saktaa hai.

MS: jee. to isi film ka gaana sun liya jaaye koi aur?

SM: "hazaar Khwaahishen aisi", yeh Shubha-ji ne gaaya tha, unke saath
maine Ab Ke Saawan kiya tha, (sings) "hazaaron khwaahishen aisi ki
har khwaahish pe dam nikle...", Ghalib ki Ghazal hai yeh.

-----------------------------------------------------------
Song: hazaaron Khwaahishen aisi (Hazaaron Khwaahishen Aisi)
-----------------------------------------------------------

MS: Swanand-ji, aapne likhnaa kab se shuru kiya? kya aapne bachpan se
hi sochaa tha ki geetkaar banenge?

SW: main aana chaahta tha is jagah mein lekin main 'direction' karna
chaahta tha. to maine National School of Drama bhi jab kiya
to 'direction' mein hi maine uska 'course' kiya tha. aur usi duraan
jab naaTakon mein gaano ki zaroorat paDti thi yaa aisaa koi kaam hota
tha to mujhe lagta tha ki achchhe gaane naaTakon mein naheen hote.
jo 'standard' hotaa hai gaano, jaisa hamein filmon mein sunne ko
milta hai, woh hamein sunne ko naheen milti. to woh karte karte apne
aap hi haath aazmaana shuru kiya. aur woh karta raha matlab, maine
aise sochaa naheen tha. yahaan Mumbai bhi aaya to Sudhir Mishra-ji ke
saath mein, 'dialogues' vagerah, 'direction' mein 'assistant' tha to
yeh sab bhi dekhta tha, lekin gaane ka kisi ko bataaya naheen ki
mujhe likhne ka shauk hai, ki maine kabhi yeh naheen sochaa tha
ki 'lyricist' banoongaa. mujhe sachmuch yakeen naheen tha ki
ek "baawra man" likh liya to koi aglaa gaana bhi likh paayungaa.
lekin jab woh mauka paDaa to dheere dheere, shaayad kahin pe chhupaa
paDaa tha, likhta chalaa gaya aur logon ne bharosaa dikhaaya, Pradeep-
ji, Vidhu Vinod Chopra-ji, Shantanu-ji, kyunki uske baad tab
tak, "baawra man" to mera likha huya gaaya tha, uske baad mujhe dhun
pe likhna tha, Parineeta jab huyi to mujhe dhun pe likhna tha.

MS: ab aage kyaa sochte hain, Shantanu-ji ke saath joDi geetkaar
sangeetkaar ki hameshaa aage bhi bani rahegi, lekin aapse jaanna
chaahti hoon ki aapki tamanna kya hai, 'director' banne ki yaa
geetkaar hi rehne ki?

SW: 'director' to main banna chaahta hoon lekin yeh jo kaam main kar
raha hoon usmein bhi mujhe baDaa mazaa aa raha hai, yeh bhi main
karta rehna chaahoonga. apni joDi ke baare mein yeh kehna chaahoonga
ki soch samajhkar yaa kisi 'strategy' ke saath naheen bani hai, yeh
ban gaya hai apne aap, logon ko kaam pasand aata hai aur aate hain
hamaare paas. to mujhe naheen lagta ki isko bane rehne mein koi
dikkat hai.

SM: aur asli baat yeh hai ki aaj saath mein kaam kar rahe hain achcha
lag raha hai, aur agar saath mein kaam na bhi ho to ek 'mutual
respect' banaa rahe, woh mere liye zyaada 'important' hai.

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Song: man yeh baawra sudh budh kho raha (Hazaaron Khwaahishen Aisi)
-------------------------------------------------------------------

To be contd...