In Conversation With Lyricist, Irshad Kamil.

Irshad Kamil is an Indian Hindi-Urdu poet and lyricist. His songs appear in Bollywood films including Jab We Met, Chameli, Love Aaj Kal, Rockstar, Aashiqui 2, Raanjhanaa, Highway, Tamasha, and Jab Harry Met Sejal.

What was the need to form Ink Band  and how much interest is the youth taking in it?

This is India’s first poetry brand. We hear many songs where the music overpowers the lyrics and the poetry. The purpose of creating our group was to highlight poetry with the right amount of music. We have been performing since 2015, but till just recently we starting making videos as well. Our goal is to eventually go worldwide.

Do you feel that poetry is dying in this Poetic land?

Poetry is an art.  Poetry is not dead, but we are distracted by a lot of commercial things. We are a poetry loving country.   We love listening to lovely songs and poetry.  I am trying to connect the youth to poetry.  I’m trying to make poetry mainstream again.

How many poems have you done so far?

So far we have done 7 poems with videos. Plus every Wednesday we have a radio show. Our show “Irshad featuring Ink Band” was a hit and we got many letters and feedback. We are currently doing a second season.

Where will these poetries be seen?

We will be uploading the videos on my channel, every week.

You have not done many films this year?

No I have. I have Fanne Khan,  and Balaji’s Laila ‘Majnu’ and Shah Rukh Khan’s  ‘Zero’. I also have Salman Khans and Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s ‘Bharat’.

Which writers have you been inspired by?

I am inspired by life and bring it into my poetry. I am not inspired just by any one person.   I have read all the world poets.   I like Sahir, Anand Baksi, Majrooh Sultanpuri, and Shailendra.  More than being inspired, I feel jealous of many great writers like Russian writer Rasul l Gamzatovich Gamzato, German writer Relki, Punjab writer, Shiv  Kumar Batalvi,  Hindi writer Kedarnath Nirala,  Ghalb and Mir.  I get inspired by stories and I turn into the characters I am writing for.

What do you feel  when  item numbers with vulgar songs and double meaning songs are offered to you. 

Well, if there’s no demand then there’s no supply.   Ultimately people listen to such songs. However, I refuse to do such double meaning songs.  I get offers, but its my priority to do or not do them.   I have left many films when I was pressurized. I don’t take such pressures of doing such songs and the music directors I work with don’t  take up such work either.

Do you feel Quantity has taken over quality these days.  

A lot of movies are made now so that will happen. The pressure is on.  Earlier people had time to think and plan. Earlier songs were played according to your choice. Now things have changed.  You are made to listen to songs which are their choice.  Even today good songs and music is being written, but it is rare.

Was it easy to survive in this competitive industry?

If you have confidence in yourself, you will definitely survive.  You have to be sure of the work you do.

Do you feel that your work has been appreciated?

Yes I am satisfied with the kind of love and appreciation I am getting.  The more I work, the more it will be appreciated. I have no regrets now.

Any dreams that are still unfulfilled?

There are some dreams which are still left and I want to fulfil them. Some I can speak about and some will remain in my heart.  There’s a long time to go.

Tell us about your journey from Punjab to Mumbai?

I am from Punjab and I used to write poetry and I felt like writing for a bigger platform. Now I write for Poetic magazine like Pehal and I am literature student. I studied journalism at the Punjab University, followed by postgraduate and PhD degrees in Hindi. My book “Ek Maheena Nazmon Ka” is immensely popular among lovers of Urdu poems.  No one from my family is into poetry.  I had the artistic bent of mind right from school days. I started writing for school magazines and college magazines.  One fine day I came to Mumbai and started meeting people. My parents were not happy but I came here and met Sandesh Shandilya. They gave importance to security. My father taught chemistry in Government College and mother was a home maker.  My brother is a Chartered Accountant and two brothers worked in a bank and my sister is in Germany. Our atmosphere was an educative movie.

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