1 week ago
Why Irshad Kamil’s Songs Continue to Feel Like Home
Irshad Kamil is a poet who writes songs for Hindi films.
He grew up in Malerkotla, a town in Punjab, and still feels deeply connected to it.
The people, sayings and stories he heard there often become part of his lyrics.
He mixes Hindi, Urdu and Punjabi in a way that sounds natural and meaningful.
Some of his songs are about love, while others remember protests, folk legends or the pain of Partition.
His work with filmmaker Imtiaz Ali and composer A. R. Rahman gives him room to write carefully instead of simply chasing popular trends.
Kamil first tried science, journalism and screenwriting before choosing poetry and film lyrics.
His songs feel familiar because they turn ordinary memories and feelings into words many people recognize.
He believes returning to one’s roots can make a person feel more alive.
Irshad Kamil draws on memories, Punjab’s landscapes, everyday speech and literary traditions for his Hindi-film lyrics.
His long-running creative partnership with Imtiaz Ali and A. R. Rahman has allowed him unusual freedom to prioritize emotion over commercial formulas.
Songs such as “Sadda Haq,” “Thoda Thoda Pyaar” and “Ishq Mastana” connect personal stories with protest, folk tradition and Partition’s grief.
Kamil’s upbringing in Malerkotla shaped his blend of Hindi, Urdu and Punjabi and his sensitivity to communal harmony and belonging.
After working as a journalist and screenwriter, Kamil entered Hindi cinema with “Bhaage Re Mann” and later won Filmfare Awards for “Ajj Din Chadheya” and “Nadaan Parindey”.
- Who
- Poet and lyricist Irshad Kamil, along with collaborators including Imtiaz Ali and A. R. Rahman.
- What
- A profile examines how Kamil’s songs draw emotional power from memory, Punjab, literary influences and everyday language.
- Where
- Kamil works in Mumbai and was raised in Malerkotla, Punjab, which remains a central source of inspiration.
- When
- Across Kamil’s roughly three-decade career, including work from 2003 through recent films mentioned in the article.
- Why
- His songs resonate because they connect personal and regional memories with widely shared feelings of love, loss, protest and belonging.
Key facts
- Profession
- Hindi-film poet and lyricist
- Age mentioned
- 54
- Hometown
- Malerkotla, Punjab
- Major collaborator
- Filmmaker Imtiaz Ali
- Recent composer collaboration
- A. R. Rahman
- Film debut song cited
- “Bhaage Re Mann” from Chameli (2003)
- Filmfare-recognized songs
- “Ajj Din Chadheya” and “Nadaan Parindey”
Quotes
Irshad Kamil
Poet and Hindi-film lyricist
“Besides a mutual respect for each other’s craft, there is also never any pressure to deliver a hit. Kaam karne mein maza aana chahiye. Ab uss kaam se maza lene ki khwahish mein kuch cheezein aisi ho jaati hain jo routine se alagh hoti hain. Perhaps that freedom is the secret.”
indianexpress.com
“Some of the phrases that find their way into my songs are those that I have heard around me at various junctures in my life. Many songs come from the visuals one’s memory holds.”
indianexpress.com
Sources
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