Lyricist Manoj Muntashir Shukla terms his second National Award as “divine and exhilarating”. He won the best lyricist award for his song Jaate Hai Hum Jaane Do for Ajay Devgn-starrer film Maidaan (2024) at the 72nd National Film Awards.
Event Context
Match Outlook
Muntashir reveals that its composer AR Rahman had then predicted that the song lyrics are National Award material. Recalling the recording moment, he says, “Rehman sir is a night person, and I am a day person. So, we were in Chennai and Boney (Kapoor, producer) saheb said we need to do this. On director Amit Sharma’s narration and Rehman saheb’s tune, I went to the studio’s first floor and sat on his swing and came up with a song in an hour. His first reaction was: Manoj, this is a National Award. We smiled and I replied that his words are just an award and see it came true.”
It was during the break of his show Krishna that he came to know about the award. “When I reached backstage, I was flooded with calls and messages. It was truly divine. I’m happy and exhilarated. Just three years back it was a different scenario after the Adipurush (2023) controversy jub duniye ke sare pathar meri talash mein theey, par waqt badalta hai. But, when you acknowledge your mistake and seek pardon, people and country gives you another chance. This is my second chance!”
This is for the second time that he has won the coveted award after Saina (2022). “I have been bestowed with this honour twice which is amazing. Also, other than government awards, I don’t take any popular TV awards after Teri Mitti (Kesari, 2019) failed to get one. I got the Sahitya Academy Award for literature and now this. It’s special because after four years a Hindi song has got a National Award, and the last one was also given to me.”
The lyricist says that the song probably made it because all the emotions fell in the right place.
Going into the depth of the song and says, “This was in a situation when Indian coach Syed Abdul Rahim played by Ajay Devgn is suffering from cancer and losing his battle of life but hiding from everyone as he wants the country to win and put it on the world map in football. That’s why the lines: Pehchanegi duniya humko aise din bhi aayenge, mehkenge hum khushboo banke nayi hawayein aane do… Maidaano mein dhoop na kam ho jaate hai hum jaane do.”
