When Adnan got this tune, we started working on it, and that’s how the hook line, Ishq Tamasha, came about. We then thought, ‘Let’s make a song out of it.’ This collaboration, though, is not new for us. I wrote Baadal for Yuva, which Adnan sang. Later, we worked together on Aaja Aaja (Yeh Raaste Hain Pyaar Ke), which Asha Bhosle ji sang. It’s just that we’ve come together again after a long time.

Love and heartbreak lend themselves particularly well to this kind of work, because songs often revolve around romance or heartbreak, so these emotions play a crucial role. But every kind of experience matters, whether it’s a festival, the birth of a baby, or any other significant moment in life. All these emotions can inspire lyrics. A lyricist or writer should have the knack for observing these experiences and bringing them to life on paper.

There was a time when the music director, composer, lyricist and singer would all gather at the studio, record live, have lunch together, talk, and have fun. Those days, I would get ready in the morning, go to the studio, spend time with everyone, and record some good songs. If the singer was there and we felt a line needed changing, we could change it immediately. Improvisation still happens now, of course, but I do miss that whole studio environment and the sense of everyone being together. Nowadays, we work on laptops and over Zoom. When I worked on PS-1 and Heropanti 2, for instance, AR Rahman was busy somewhere in London or Dubai, the singer in Chennai, and I was in Bombay. We would work over Zoom and record the songs.

Yes, I definitely share a long and celebrated creative association with Rahman. From the day we first met, we clicked incredibly well. Our relationship has grown into one of brotherhood. We are like brothers — much more than just a music composer and lyricist. We are like family. The best part of our relationship is that we are very open with each other. If I feel that a tune needs something more, I can simply say, ‘Let's try something.’ And if he feels something is missing in the lyrics, he can say, ‘Mehboob, can we bring something else to it?’ That openness has always been there, along with a genuine sense of care for each other.

Nothing has changed; it’s still the same as before. The emotions are all there — love, hate, sadness — so my creative voice hasn’t changed. We’re still working with a tune and a situation, just as we always have. I don’t think anything has changed creatively. I’m still writing about romance, sadness, pathos and melancholy; all of those emotions are still there.

What I’ve noticed is that, although we still write and record full songs, often only the mukhda and one antara are filmed, while the rest of the song plays in the background. In those days, we would record three or four antaras, and the director would shoot the entire song. Audiences would experience and enjoy the song on screen, with the actors lip-syncing to it. Today, songs are more often used as background music. For instance, in a romantic sequence, you may see the characters sharing an intimate or emotional moment while the song plays in the background, rather than having them lip-sync to the entire song. As a lyricist, it does pain me a little because when you’ve written a beautiful song, you want to see the whole thing brought to life on screen. But I also understand that times have changed. Films are shorter now—perhaps two hours and 10 or 20 minutes—so filmmakers have to make those choices. I have no complaints, but I do miss the days when an entire song was filmed and lip-synced by the actors. That’s probably the biggest difference I see today.

No, I don’t think the pressure has affected the quality of music; rather, the approach has changed. The content of songs is different, the language has evolved, and the way lyrics are written has changed too. I wouldn’t call it ‘damage’ because this is the need of the hour. People are enjoying these songs and connecting with the lyrics, so I would simply say that music has evolved.

The approach to both lyrics and composition has changed. These days, there are also a lot of remixes of old songs, and I think that has its own charm. We get to revisit our nostalgia and listen to songs that we grew up with. For instance, my song Hamma Hamma has been remixed for a film. That’s fine as people enjoy it.Times change, people change, and as artists, we change with them.

No, I think understanding today’s generation can be challenging because we have to understand their emotions, their language and the way they express themselves. Their vocabulary is different now. We may not be able to incorporate all of that into every song, but we should certainly understand what they are feeling.

With Ishq Tamasha, people have said to me that Adnan had today’s generation in mind. The music production and programming are contemporary, and today’s generation responds strongly to beats and that kind of sound. But, lyrically, I followed my own instincts; I didn’t consciously try to write for a particular generation.

When we came up with the title Ishq Tamasha, I started thinking about how ishq — love — could become a tamasha, or spectacle. That became the central concept for the lyrics. In the first antara, I wrote about how people may talk about me, but if you listen to them, you could end up losing me, or I could lose you, and our ishq would become a tamasha.

In the second antara, I wrote about how time will test me — sometimes I may win and sometimes I may lose. But if you leave me, our ishq will once again become a tamasha. So, I wrote the song according to my own instincts and the concept that came to me. That’s really how it evolved.

Yes, definitely. By the grace of God, many of my songs have been successful, and people have given them so much love over the years. So I feel I should keep writing and creating more, with the hope that people will continue to connect with and love my songs. I always try to recreate the magic of the past. How successful I am in doing that is for the audience to decide, but I certainly keep in mind what made those songs special and try to bring that sensibility into my work today. Ultimately, I put that pressure on myself to come up with my best work. I think it has to be that way.