Lyricist Raj Shekhar, who has had an incredible year in 2023 with the success of the tracks of Animal, gets candid with The Pioneer about maintaining truth in music, Animal’s music contribution, and more.
SHIKHA DUGGAL
Lyricist Raj Shekhar, who wrote three songs for Animal, had a fantastic year in 2023. Over an exclusive chat with The Pioneer, he said it was an unbelievable feat for him to see the reception his songs received even before the movie was released.
“Over a lakh songs are released in a week, therefore it’s simply incredible that your song is a chartbuster smash in the middle of all that noise. And the reach just kept getting wider! I don’t care about ranking number one or two, or even how many views a song receives, to be honest. Instead, I approach it from a completely different angle, believing that if a song of mine receives twenty million views, that indicates that that many people would like me to be a part of their lives. I’m getting a chance from them,” exclaims Raj.
Raj reflects on his experience and adds, I felt like a rookie when we were filming Tanu Weds Manu. I was merely a poet! The procedure hasn’t altered, though. I’m always careful to adhere to my music director’s directions. I’ve gradually come to realize that as society changes, so do people’s musical tastes, and I’m making the necessary adjustments as a result. But I will always prioritize maintaining truth in my music. I can’t afford to deceive my audience in the future.”
After working in the field for over ten years, Raj claims that people are finally returning to meaningful lyrics. “In terms of the Animal movie, everything was enhanced by Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s involvement. He told me exactly what kind of lyrics he wanted from me, and he was really focused! In the meantime, I realized how collaborative he is because he fully granted me creative freedom. He also has the crucial characteristic of never believing in over-briefing,” informed Raj.
In other words, it is undeniable that Animal’s music contributes significantly to its immense success. The most well-known song from the Raj Shekhar-penned album is Pehle Bhi Main, which features Ranbir Kapoor and Triptii Dimri. “It was challenging for me, because it was an extremely passionate romantic track,” the lyricist goes on. “Knowing that the character can’t express the truth and that I must write down his feelings puts me in a difficult situation. Furthermore, listeners cannot be tricked by romantic music. Additionally, I had to capture as many emotions as possible for Ranbir Kapoor to represent in papa meri jaan, the most well-known song of the year about a father and son. The character’s emotions changed on a daily basis. It was quite the musical roller coaster!”
“I am loving social media reception,” he further disclosed. “Instant feedback is available! Aise Kyun, the previous hit from Mismatched, also became a chartbuster hit. Therefore, people on social media make an attempt to communicate with me. And another thing I take care of, about myself is that I never let success control me. Because, if neglected, early achievement may also be exceedingly difficult and harmful in life.”
Lyricist Raj Shekhar, who wrote three songs for Animal, had a fantastic year in 2023. Over an exclusive chat with The Pioneer, he said it was an unbelievable feat for him to see the reception his songs received even before the movie was released.
“Over a lakh songs are released in a week, therefore it’s simply incredible that your song is a chartbuster smash in the middle of all that noise. And the reach just kept getting wider! I don’t care about ranking number one or two, or even how many views a song receives, to be honest. Instead, I approach it from a completely different angle, believing that if a song of mine receives twenty million views, that indicates that that many people would like me to be a part of their lives. I’m getting a chance from them,” exclaims Raj.
Raj reflects on his experience and adds, I felt like a rookie when we were filming Tanu Weds Manu. I was merely a poet! The procedure hasn’t altered, though. I’m always careful to adhere to my music director’s directions. I’ve gradually come to realize that as society changes, so do people’s musical tastes, and I’m making the necessary adjustments as a result. But I will always prioritize maintaining truth in my music. I can’t afford to deceive my audience in the future.”
After working in the field for over ten years, Raj claims that people are finally returning to meaningful lyrics. “In terms of the Animal movie, everything was enhanced by Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s involvement. He told me exactly what kind of lyrics he wanted from me, and he was really focused! In the meantime, I realized how collaborative he is because he fully granted me creative freedom. He also has the crucial characteristic of never believing in over-briefing,” informed Raj.
In other words, it is undeniable that Animal’s music contributes significantly to its immense success. The most well-known song from the Raj Shekhar-penned album is Pehle Bhi Main, which features Ranbir Kapoor and Triptii Dimri. “It was challenging for me, because it was an extremely passionate romantic track,” the lyricist goes on. “Knowing that the character can’t express the truth and that I must write down his feelings puts me in a difficult situation. Furthermore, listeners cannot be tricked by romantic music. Additionally, I had to capture as many emotions as possible for Ranbir Kapoor to represent in papa meri jaan, the most well-known song of the year about a father and son. The character’s emotions changed on a daily basis. It was quite the musical roller coaster!”
“I am loving social media reception,” he further disclosed. “Instant feedback is available! Aise Kyun, the previous hit from Mismatched, also became a chartbuster hit. Therefore, people on social media make an attempt to communicate with me. And another thing I take care of, about myself is that I never let success control me. Because, if neglected, early achievement may also be exceedingly difficult and harmful in life.”
