Did AR Rahman Predict A National Award For Maidaan?

‘As soon as Rahmanji heard these lines, he said, ‘Manojji, this is your National Award’.’

Lyricist Manoj Muntashir won his second National Award for the song Jaane Do from the Ajay Devgn starrer Maidaan.

Earlier, he had won for the song Parinda from the Parineeti Chopra starrer Saina.

The 50-year-old lyricist tells Subhash K Jha, “This song and this film didn’t reach the level it had to reach. So that sadness was always there. Boney Kapoorji told me that the world will discover it someday. And see, that is happening now.”

Congratulations on your second National Award!

I will never forget that night in Chennai. It was around 3 am. As we all know, the genius, the Mozart of Madras — A R Rahman sir — works at night.

It is very difficult for me to wake up at night because I am a person who goes to sleep at 10.30 pm. So I was thinking that my brain won’t work and I had a headache too.

Director Amit Sharma and Producer Boney Kapoor were also in the studio that night.

How did the song Jaane Do in Maidaan happen?

You know how he composes. Sometimes I feel he doesn’t even make an effort. He has such a gift.

So he was on the piano, and this tune was made on the piano. He smiled and told me, ‘Manojji, write something.’

There is a swing on the first floor of his studio. I sat on it, and these lines came: ‘Jaaye chale jaaye hum taaron ke zameen pe sapne toh humare reh jaayenge yahin pe… I thought, yes, this is something good.

As soon as Rahmanji heard these lines, he said, ‘Manojji, this is your National Award.’

He must have said it in his love for my work. He must have said it in appreciation of the lines.

Nobody knows who is going to get the National Award but there was such a prophecy. When I think about it, I get goosebumps.

That was his only reaction. He didn’t say it was good or bad. He just said, this is your National Award, and it happened.

Sadly, this song got lost when Maidaan underperformed.

I am very, very happy at it being revived. Because this song and this film didn’t reach the level it had to reach. So that sadness was always there.

One day, Boney Kapoorji told me that the world will discover it someday. And see, that is happening now. People are discovering it. So I will pray to people that let this song be an excuse for you to explore the film. It is a very beautiful film.

The lyrics got an award. But we all know that the whole song wins. If that song had not got the right tune, if it had not got the right sound… The picturisation of this song is also so much better.

This is a song you should watch, not just listen to.

Photographs curated by Satish Bodas/Rediff