Eminent lyricist, Javed Akhtar received Rs. 25 lakhs for writing Dunki's soulful song, 'Nikle The Kabhi Hum Ghar Se'. However, netizens are unhappy with this and are reacting to the same.
Rajkumar Hirani’s film, Dunki has become a constant topic of discussion in the last few months. The now-released film features Shah Rukh Khan, Taapsee Pannu, Vicky Kaushal, Boman Irani, and Vikram Kocchar, among others. Dunki, which was released on December 21, 2023, has done business for over Rs. 360 crores worldwide. Along with the storyline of the film, the soundtrack has also received much love and appreciation from the audience. Despite the other songs being well-received, Nikle The Hum Kabhi Ghar Se, which the eminent lyricist, Javed Akhtar wrote, was particularly praised for its soulfulness.
On December 29, 2023, Javed Akhtar performed in the show, Main Koi Aisa Geet Gaaon. During the show, the famous Indian lyricist, screenwriter, and poet narrated interesting stories about various super-hit songs that he had written throughout his career. Javed Akhtar shared an interesting anecdote about how he got involved in writing Nikle The Kabhi Hum Ghar Se from Rajkumar Hirani’s latest film, Dunki. He 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. 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!”
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According to a report by Film Information, the lyricist, Javed Akhtar had three demands to work for Rajkumar Hirani’s Dunki's song. He requested that his name be credited separately from the other lyricists and appear on screen for the same amount of time as the director's name. He also asked to be paid Rs. 25 lakhs for writing the lyrics for one song. The amount charged by Javed Akhtar is reportedly one of the highest fees paid to any lyricist for one song.
A Redditor posted the same story on the discussion platform, and netizens have mixed reactions to the post. While some think the fee is so less compared to the hard work that the lyricist put into it. Others talked about how lyricists and stuntmen get paid much less than the actors. One user wrote, “25 lakhs is considered whopping for a prolific lyricist like him?” Another one said, “They are underpaid massively. Kaala chasma lyricist claimed he only got 10000 for his song.” A third comment can be read as “This is peanuts must say.” Check out other comments:
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In the same show, Main Koi Aisa Geet Gaaon, a lady asked the eminent lyricist, Javed Akhtar how he remains so down-to-earth even after his spectacular achievement. At first, the lyricist gave a hilarious reaction to the question, however, later on, he said that arrogance develops from low self-esteem, and to stay humble one needs to think that he/she has achieved nothing at all. In his words, Javed Akhtar said:
“I can give a humourous answer to it, that is, ‘Main hoon hi aisa. Kya kiya jaaye?’! On a serious note, you might be very rich, but somebody else will be richer than you. You might be very famous, but someone will be even more popular than you. But you start thinking you have achieved a lot when you feel that you have gone way beyond your expectations. Arrogance comes from low self-esteem. You start thinking, ‘Mere jaise insaan ko itna mil gaya? Kamaal ho gaya!’ Tab aapka dimaag kharab ho jaata hai. But if you feel that ‘Yeh toh kuch bhi nahin, mujhe toh aur bhi haasil karna hain’, you’ll be humble.”
What do you think of Javed Akhtar’s fee for Dunki’s song, Nikle The Kabhi Hum Ghar Se?
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