Although Bollywood churns out a plethora of songs every year, there are only a handful of lyricists who seem to be ruling the charts. A new name that is slowly joining these ranks is that of Prashant Ingole. However, it wouldn’t be completely right to call Prashant a newcomer because the man behind songs like Malhari from Bajirao Mastani and Ziddi Dil from Mary Kom had been a struggling artiste for nearly 17 years before finally getting his due with Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s films. The latest that Prashant has worked on is Malaal, again a Bhansali Productions’ project and the lyricist’s songs like Aila Re and Udhal Ho from the upcoming film have been trending online.
Talking about his journey, Prashant shares, “The best thing about struggle is that it teaches you so many things. It makes you laugh and cry. I have been very focused, passionate, patient and disciplined. Everyday, I wrote two songs for 17 years. I tried writing for all situations, and it has made me a versatile writer.” His songs stand as testament to his claim. From writing ballads (Mary Kom) and high-octane numbers (Bajirao Mastani), to the dance anthem Party On My Mind (Race 2), Prashant has worked with varied genres.
For Malaal, he has penned romantic and celebratory songs and an item number. “Whenever I write a song I get into the skin of the character and understand the requirement of the situation and how it can connect to the audience. These three aspects are very important for me. I write with an intention that the audience must enjoy the song not just during the film’s release, but for years,” says the lyricist who took two years to complete the tracks for this movie.
When asked why he took this long, Prashant reveals it’s because of the detailing that went into each of the songs. “The reason I took two years is because Sanjay (Leela Bhansali) sir is a perfectionist. His music sittings would go on for days and sometimes even months. We would work on a song and would keep refining it. Every small thing is looked into closely. I think it’s a good thing to take time to make the songs memorable, that’s why Malhari is still so popular and relevant. It was even featured on America’s Got Talent a few weeks ago and was performed on at World of Dance championship in London last month,” he reveals. Next, Prashant is working on two short films on the subjects of education and old age, and is also writing a feature film which he plans to direct.
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