By his own admission, Raj Shekhar is an accidental lyricist. He never planned to write songs for Bollywood movies. Nevertheless, he has given several hit numbers and even won awards for his peppy, soul-searching songs. Unlike many lyricists who run to various options of solitude that nature offers to write, Shekhar prefers crowded places.
“Earlier, I wrote while travelling in buses and trains, now I travel in taxis and write songs. I feel the loneliest when surrounded with people I don’t know,” he says
During his schooling at a government school in Madhepura in Bihar, Shekhar participated in and won many prizes for stage plays. But his real taleem in theatre happened when he joined Kirori Mal College, Delhi University. “The Players is a without doubt one of the best theatre society in our country and I was its active member,” he says.
On a high with Saand Ki Aankh making it big at the box office and his songs getting appreciated by cross-section of society, Shekhar talks to us about his journey from Madhepura to Delhi, and then to the ‘city of dreams’, Mumbai.
Lyricist beginnings
I’m an accidental lyricist. I used to write prose that people appreciated. Becoming a lyricist is all thanks to my college friend, Himanshu Sharma (who wrote Tanu Weds Manu). I was assisting Anand L Rai when both Rai and Himanshu offered me a song. I wrote Rangrez Mere and Mannu Bhaiya which they liked a lot, and the journey began.
I’m inspired by lyricists Shailendra, Gulzar sahab, Majrooh Sultanpuri, Sahil Ludhianvi among the seniors and Varun Grover, Irshad Kamil, Amitabh Bhattacharya, Hussain Haidri, Kausar Munir and Manoj Muntashir among my contemporaries.
Bollywood experience
I’ve no complaints. I’m very grateful to the directors and music directors I have worked with. They gave me so much of freedom to be myself. Be it Aditya Dhar for Uri, Anand L Rai, Tushar Hiranandani, Rhea Kapoor or Shashank Ghosh for Veere Di Wedding….
Majnu Ka Teela…
Majnu Ka Teela, an amalgamation of storytelling, music and poetry, started in 2016. Since I was associated with theatre for some time, I had this strong feeling to communicate directly with people, to begin a dialogue. Hence Majnu Ka Teela came up. My first standup was in Bengaluru 2016.
I perform with guitarist Swaroop Nath Bhatra where I recite my poems, short stories, lyrics of my songs (not movie songs), read a few old letters etc, mixed with music.s
Other than writing
I love listening to music – from jazz to Indian classical, from Blues to folk. I listen to every song, but not Bollywood songs. I mostly listen to indie artistes. Classical is something I listen to a lot.