Raj Shekhar

Raj Shekhar is an Indian lyricist, poet, and children’s author. He made his Bollywood debut as a lyricist with the 2011 film ''Tanu Weds Manu''. He went on to write lyrics for other notable films, including ''Tanu Weds Manu Returns'', ''Tumbbad'', ''Hichki,'' ''Veere Di Wedding'', Hichki, '' Uri: The Surgical Strike, Saand Ki Aankh, Netflix series Mismatched, Meenakshi Sundareshwar, Rocketry: The Nambi Effect, Good Luck Jerry and Doctor G.''

Early life and Education

Shekhar was born on September 22, 1980, in Madhepura, Bihar, into a family of farmers. He completed his schooling in Bihar. With an atmosphere of literature at home, it pushed Shekhar towards poetry and essay writing.

He moved to Delhi in 1999 for higher education and completed his BA in Hindi literature followed by a MA in the same at Delhi University’s Kirori Mal College. During his university days, Shekhar was active in the theater circuit along with his group, ''The Players''. He was acting and mostly directing plays with his contemporaries, actors Divyendu Sharma, Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub, Abhishek Banerjee, screenwriter Himanshu Sharma, and director Ali Abbas Zafar.

From 2002 to 2003, Shekhar worked for NDTV as a writer.

He wanted to study further, pursue an M.Phil., and teach afterward, or else get into directing movies. But life had other plans, and soon after his MA, he came to Mumbai in 2005. However, he stayed in the city for only a week.

Career

''Assistant director''

For the next couple of years after 2005, Shekhar kept visiting Mumbai for multiple projects. Around 2007, he started working as a production assistant on a documentary for which he traveled extensively across Africa. Working on the documentary gave him the confidence to dabble in direction, finally moving to Mumbai in 2008.

The same year, Shekhar began assisting Aanand L. Rai. Himanshu Sharma's script for Tanu Weds Manu arrived to the director in 2009, and Shekhar began working as an assistant director on the film.

''Lyricist''

Having built a camaraderie with Rai, who was also aware of his poetry-writing skills, the director asked him to pen dummy lyrics for the movie since he was thorough with the script. Shekhar completed two songs, ''Aye Rangrez'' and ''Manu Bhaiya Ka Rihen'', in three days. The director instantly loved the lyrics and decided to keep them in the movie.

Around this time, Shekhar met Krsna Solo through a common friend. Solo insisted that he share a few verses, and a reluctant Shekhar scribbled a few lines on a piece of tissue paper. He called Shekhar a few days later with the composed melody to the song, Aye Rangrez. Shekhar shared the composition with Rai, who liked it and decided to keep it in the movie. Hence, Tanu Weds Manu marked the debut film of Raj Shekhar as a lyricist and Krsna Solo as a music composer.

In 2015, he came on board as a lyricist for Tanu Weds Manu Returns and thereafter went on to write songs for Qarib Qarib Singlle, Veere Di Wedding, Tumbbad, Hichki, Meri Nimmo, Uri: The Surgical Strike, Jabariya Jodi, Saand Ki Aankh, Bamfaad, Netflix series Mismatched and Mismatched 2, Raat Akeli Hai, Meenakshi Sundareshwar, Good Luck Jerry, Doctor G, Nazar Andaaz, and the series Kathmandu Connection, among others.

Shekhar also wrote the political campaign song, ''Bihar Mein Bahar Ho'', for Nitish Kumar in the 2015 assembly elections.

''Television''

After Tanu Weds Manu, from 2012–2014, Shekhar wrote dialogues for the television serials Savdhaan India: India Fights Back and Gunwale Dulhania Le Jayenge.

''Author''

Apart from lyrics, Shekhar also has a flair for writing for children. In 2022, he wrote the book ''Hum Jangal Ke Jagar Magar'' in Hindi. The book was listed in The White Ravens 2022 Catalogue.

He also wrote ''Abu'' for the anthology ''Being Boys'', published by Tulika Books. Shekhar is the anthology's youngest author, joining R K Narayan, Vikram Seth, and Manjula Padmanabhan as well as other well-known authors.

Shekhar has also done English to Hindi translations for children’s books such as ''Ru Ru Raaga'', ''Five Little Monkeys'', and ''Catch that Cat''.

Awards

In 2018, Raj Shekhar was awarded the Delhi Hindi Akademi Kavya Samman by the Art, Culture, and Language Department, Government of Delhi, for his poetic contribution to film songs. It is one of the most prestigious awards given to poets.

As lyricist

= ''Album''

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References

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The young and peerless: Bollywood veterans pick their favourite newcomers
Mid-day, August 23, 2015.

Qarib Qarib Singlle lyricist Raj Shekhar: I am an accidental lyricist
The Indian Express, November 12, 2017.

Qarib Qarib Singlle lyricist Raj Shekhar talks about giving life to lost words
Mid-Day, April 1, 2018.


Deccan Herald, July 25, 2019.


The New Indian Express, November 2, 2019.


The New Indian Express Indulge, November 6, 2019.


The New Indian Express Indulge, November 7, 2019.

Good Luck Jerry, Tanu Weds Manu, URI जैसी फिल्मों के गाने लिखने वाले Raj Shekhar की कहानी
ABP News Bureau, July 30, 2022.


Dainik Bhaskar, December 20, 2022.
# [https://www.bhaskar.com/local/rajasthan/jaipur/news/piyush-mishra-said-i-like-modi-as-well-as-kejriwals-plans-if-someone-feels-bad-then-accept-them-130700815.html महफिल ए जयरंगम में चला कविता और गीतों का दौर] Dainik Bhaskar, December 20, 2022

“There are very few original voices in the music industry today” – Raj Shekhar
Planet Bollywood.

External links

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Good Luck Jerry Music Review
a
Planet Bollywood

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shekhar, Raj
Indian lyricists
Living people
Hindi-language lyricists
Year of birth missing (living people)