Javed Akhtar, on December 29, regaled an audience of more than 2000 members with the stage show, Main Koi Aisa Geet Gaaon. Presented by Saregama, it featured the legendary lyricist narrating fascinating trivia behind certain super-hit songs that he wrote in his lifetime.
This was followed by Meiyang Chang and Jahnvi Shrimankar singing those songs. The show ended with the performance of the song Nikle The Kabhi Hum Ghar Se from Shah Rukh Khan’s latest release, Dunki. Before that, Javed Akhtar shared the behind-the-scenes anecdote on how he came on board.
Javed Akhtar’s Kept Unreasonable Terms To Write Dunki Song
Javed Akhtar began by commenting, “I am often asked, ‘Jaane Woh Kaise Log The Jinke Pyaar Ko Pyaar Mila (Pyaasa; 1957) jaise gaane aaj kal kyun nahin hote’? I reply, ‘Zinda Jala Dunga type ki films mein aisa gaana nahin aa sakta’. Film aisi honi chahiye ki gaana aisa aayein’!” As expected, there was instant laughter among the crowd.
Javed Akhtar then said, “I usually don’t write just one track in the film. Raju Hirani saab asked me to write lyrics of just one song. I declined but he insisted. He said, ‘Yeh gaana aapke alawa koi nahin likh sakta’. I kept unreasonable terms in front of him (hoping that he’d be discouraged)’.”
Javed Akhtar continued, “Without batting an eyelid, he agreed to those terms. Yeh mera kamaal nahin hai. Yeh kamaal Raju Hirani ka hai. Jiske peeche 5 super-duper hit films thi, usko samaj thi ki yeh gaana mujhe iss aadmi se milega. Ego was not governing him. His love for his film was governing him. Hats off to him!”
Javed Akhtar didn’t open up about his demands. But Komal Nahta in his magazine Film Information revealed that the conditions put forward by the lyricist were: His name as lyricist for that song would be mentioned separately in the film’s credit titles rather than with the name of the other lyricists and would stay on the screen for exactly the same time as would Rajkumar Hirani’s name. Secondly, he would charge Rs. 25 lakhs for that song.
Komal Nahta stated in the article, “Rs. 25 lakhs for one song must be a record fee charged by any lyricist to date.” Javed Akhtar confirmed to the veteran trade expert about the remuneration figure.
Dunki Scoring At Box Office
Film has extended 1st week 8 day total of 160.23 cr nett. Film has crossed 323 cr worldwide gross with $16.48 million overseas number in extended 1st week in 8 days. Despite clash and genre limit, SRK’s Dunki held solid over 2nd weekend and will cross 200 cr India nett and 400 crore worldwide gross tomorrow.
About Dunki:
Dunki features Boman Irani, Taapsee Pannu, Vicky Kaushal, Vikram Kochhar, and Anil Grover, along with Shah Rukh Khan. A JIO Studios, Red Chillies Entertainment, and Rajkumar Hirani Films presentation, produced by Rajkumar Hirani and Gauri Khan Written by Abhijat Joshi, Rajkumar Hirani, and Kanika Dhillon, Dunkiis now released on the big screen.
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