Acclaimed lyricist Mehboob whose oeuvre shines with everlasting hit numbers in Bollywood is back after a long hiatus with two new songs – Dafa Kar and Jalwanuma, in the Tiger Shroff starrer film Heropanti 2. With his impeccable flare in penning down emotions Mehboob has rendered scores of eternal hits like Hamma Hamma and Tu Hi Re from Bombay and Tadap Tadap, Ankhon ki Gustakhiyan and Chaand Chupa from Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, to name a few. The Mumbai-based writer who was off the scene because of a back chronic injury talks about his two new songs and plans of releasing independent music soon. Excerpts:
While Dafa Kar has a hip vibe, Jalwanuma is a romantic number. Tell us about the songs.
Sung by AR Rahman Dafa Kar has a very cool vibe as the intention was to make a song that will appeal to the youth. I wanted to bring in an interesting word in the song, a hook word to be precise. Dafa Kar translates to ‘Just be bold and forget about the world’ and it connects with the youth of today quite well who are carefree. The second song, Jalwanuma, sung by Javed Ali and Pooja Tiwari is a heart touching number, which is rich in its lyrics. It brings back the vibe of ‘90s and is packed with meaningful Urdu words.
Your last hit was Yuva, back in 2004. The music scene has changed so much. How are you reinventing yourself?
I took a backseat because of a severe back problem. I was unbale to sit even for 15 minutes so I wasn’t in the frame to write anything, though I was offered a lot of projects. However, I am glad to be back.
Melody is what matters in a song. And singers and songwriters of today are doing exceptionally well. They are smart and know what the audience wants. As an artiste I have always believed in changing with times. If I have done intense numbers like Jhonka Hawa Ka in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam then I have also written Fanaa in Yuva. The latest song Dafa Kar is yet another example of how I have adapted with changing times. When the synthesis of good lyrics and music happens, the song becomes a hit. I am a director’s writer. I work according to the director’s vision.
What are you working on next?
I have a lot of commercial music coming up which I cannot talk about at the moment. I also plan to release some independent music.