UP minister pens song for Anurag Kashyap's Mukkabaaz

Be it Emotional Atyachar from Dev.D (2009) or O Womaniya from Gangs Of Wasseypur (2012), Anurag Kashyap uses songs that best capture the mood of the film. For a track in his upcoming social drama Mukkabaaz, the filmmaker has found his inspiration in a rather unlikely place - BJP Minister of State, Sunil Jogi's poem, Mushkil Hai Apna Mel Priye. The poem has been used as a romantic number in the film.

Anurag Kashyap

"I have always been a fan of Jogi's poems and particularly this one, as it describes the pain of unequal love. It's a 17-year-old poem that we have changed to suit the sensibilities of our film," says Kashyap. Revolving around a boxer, who belongs to a lower caste and finds himself falling in love with a girl from an upper caste, the film addresses casteism.

A still from Mukkabaaz

Jogi reveals that it was the movie's lead actor, Vineet Singh, who initiated the conversation with him. "Vineet made me talk to Anurag. He told me that he has been listening to my works for almost 15 years now, and he always wanted to make this poem a part of one of his films. He felt it fit the bill for Mukkabaaz."

Sunil Jogi

Stating that the original lyrics have been tweaked, the minister says, "Anurag requested if he could make certain changes in the lyrics as the original one has political undertones to it. I readily agreed." He reveals he didn't charge a penny as he was glad that his work earned a place in Kashyap's universe. "He has given me credit. I couldn't have asked for money from him."

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