Irshad Kamil: I did not charge a penny for writing poetic dialogues for Chhaava

Chhaava lyricist Irshad Kamil on the tricks he used to ensure that the soundtrack of the historical film appeals to a contemporary audience

In his first attempt at writing for a historical venture, lyricist Irshad Kamil joins forces with AR Rahman to take viewers back in time to narrate the heroic tales of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, played by Vicky Kaushal. In a conversation with mid-day, Kamil, who is also credited for contributing to the “poetic dialogues,” appears to be consumed by the valour of the Maratha king whose “personality” he has attempted to portray via his choice of words. “We want viewers to feel like they are [living] this chapter of Indian history,” he says of the Friday release that he has been associated with for over two years.  

Edited excerpts of the interview.

What was your initial discussion with the makers of the project?
The movie revolves around Sambhaji Maharaj, and we wanted each song to fit his persona. It needed to reflect his personality, as well as the respect we had for him in our hearts. Each song is an attempt to understand the character better. Because these characters are heroic and larger than life, they are remembered. It is considered an epic because the story doesn’t end and stays with us across generations. We have a song called Zinda rahe, which depicts precisely that.

Actor Vicky Kaushal in Chhaava

While working on a project that is based on a historical subject that is well-known, what liberties can you take to present it for the big screen?
Apart from the songs, I have also been involved in writing poetic dialogues for the film. Due to the respect that I have for Sambhaji Maharaj, I did not charge a penny for writing them. This is the least that we can do. We need to remember that historical facts are one thing, and emotional expression is another. That they fought a war is a fact, but they must surely have been emotionally driven during that fight. There are no parameters that we have to define that emotional expression. 

When the emotional crux of a character is explored across multiple iterations of a historical tale over the years, do you believe it could lead to the distortion of facts in the long run?
It could. But this film is based on a Marathi novel called Chhaava. So, there was little scope [for distortion]. Since it is historical, we [needed to] assess that period. We had to present a story from that period for the contemporary generation. Musically, we tried to recreate the flavour of that era. You’ll notice that in the language too. We wanted to ensure that the viewer feels like he is [living] this chapter of Indian history. We started working on this film at AR Rahman sir’s studio during the Ganapati festival in 2022. It has taken a long time and a lot of effort to complete it.

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