Lyricist Raj Shekhar reflects on crafting Tumbbad's only song amid film's successful theatrical re-release

With the re-release of Tumbbad proving to be commercially viable, lyricist Raj Shekhar revisits his inspiration behind writing the only song that made it to the final cut

The theatrical re-release of Tumbbad, six years after its debut, gave not only the production heads but also the various artistes associated with the project reason to cheer. And even though Rahi Anil Barve’s directorial venture earned immense critical acclaim at the time of its release in 2018, lyricist Raj Shekhar says it did not match the “love” they had anticipated coming their way. “That’s why it’s heart-warming to see the [overwhelming] response to the second release. The team was so sure that the project would work that they were eager to release it in theatres so that more people could access it,” says Shekhar.

A still from Tumbbad

Tasked with writing the lyrics for the Ajay-Atul composition, Shekhar recalls being unimpressed with producer Aanand L Rai’s idea of using Sanskrit verses. “To begin with, the film was not mainstream. On top of that, using Sanskrit would further alienate the audience. So, I wasn’t initially in favour of it. However, I later learned that what they were in search of were hymns [that sounded like they were in the language].” 

In a bid to capture the internal turmoil of the character, Vinayak Rao—played by Sohum Shah—Shekhar began to reflect on what he truly wanted to achieve with this number. “I realised that I had the opportunity to explore the core emotions of the characters via this song, and could thereby simplify the viewing experience for the audience. This was crucial, since Vinayak isn’t one who talks too much in the film. So, my words could reveal his way of thinking. As far as the musical technicalities are concerned, this movie is about one’s greed for gold. Gold has a metallic sound, so I used rounded and metallic [motifs] for this track. Vinayak is one who is blessed with everything, but still lacks something in his life. I wanted to [play the role of a mediator] and lyrically showcase his emotions.”

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