An upset lyric writer Munstashir vows never to grace any awards after Filmfare snubs his patriotic song Teri Mitti
By Mayur Lookhar
Manoj Muntashir is very upset with Filmfare Awards and has vowed to never grace any awards after the Times group owned popular awards snubbed his patriotic song Teri Mitti from Kesari [2019]. Muntashir expressed his disappointment on his social media accounts.
It wasn’t the snub to Teri Mitti but fans and netizens were shocked when the award for best lyricist went to Divine and Ankur Tewari for the hip hop track Apna Time Aayega from Gully Boy [2019]. Surprisingly, director Zoya Akhtar and Tewari also took the award for Best Music Director.
Zoya Akhtar’s Gully Boy sweeped most awards, bagging the best film, best director, honours for its actors in popular lead and supporting categories. However, with all due respect to Tewari, Akhtar, but the music of Gully Boy, though fitting for its subject, but it surely wasn’t the best album of the year.
In the view of yours truly, and perhaps many sound listeners would second that Kabir Singh was the best film album of 2019. Kabir Singh’s music saw a host of contributors headlined by the duo of Sachet-Parampara, Mithoon, Vishal Mishra, Akhil Sachdeva and Amaal Malik. Bekhayali, Tujhe Kitna Chahne Lage Hum were very popular songs but they scored high on the creative aspect too.
What we find baffling is that if Gully Boy had the best music, then how come it didn’t get a single nomination in the Best Playback singer male or female categories. Was it then given the Best Music Director and Best Lyricist award on the basis of just one nomination in Apna Time Aayega?
Make no mistake, Apna Time Aayega, especially its music is inspiring but when there is paradox in its lyrics, then how can it be deemed as best song written? The biggest irony of the Apna Time Aayega track is that one hand it is very aspirational, but then it also downplays it.
“Kyon ki apna time aayega” (Our time will come) but then it is followed by
Tu nanga hi to aaya hai
Kya ghanta lekar jaayega
The above lines basically remind us that we humans weren’t born with wealth or fame, and we wont carry any of it to our grave. The paradoxical nature of the words confuse you about Apna Time Aayega. Did the Filmfare Awards jury consider this aspect?
As for Teri Mitti. There is no doubt this was a well written patriotic number. Given how patriotic sentiments run high today, we understand Muntashir’s disappointment. But with all due respect to Muntashir, but our vote for best lyrics, song, and the singing (male) goes to the Kalank title track. Thankfully, Filfmare honoured Arijit Singh (Best singer ) for it.
More than Teri Mitti missing out, we were shocked when Shilpa Rao won the Best Playback singer [female] award for the Ghungroo (remake) song from War [2019]. Again, with great respect to Rao, but how it didn’t go to Shreya Ghoshal and Vaishali Mhade for Ghar More More Pardesiya from Kalank [2019] is beyond logical reasoning.
Well, are we surprised? No, not at all, because Filfmfare Awards has led to many debates in the past too. While, we empathise with Muntashir and other deserving candidates who missed out, but this is perhaps not the worst decision taken by Filmfare jury. If one goes back to 2017, Filmfare jury stunned all when they picked Amitabh Bhattacharya’s Ullu Ka Pattha from Jagga Jasoos [2017] for best lyrics.
The nominees for Best Lyricist that year read as follows –
Amitabh Bhattacharya – “Ullu Ka Pattha” – Jagga Jasoos
Amitabh Bhattacharya – “Galti Se Mistake” – Jagga Jasoos
Arko Pravo Mukherjee – “Nazm Nazm” – Bareilly Ki Barfi
Kausar Munir – “Maana Ke Hum Yaar Nahin” – Meri Pyaari Bindu
Kausar Munir – “Nachdi Phira” – Secret Superstar
Santanu Ghatak – “Rafu” – Tumhari Sulu.
If this was the final nomination, then our vote here would have gone to Kausar Munir’s Maana Ke Hum Yaar Nahin. But for us, Anvita Dutt’s Sahiba from Phillauri [2017] and Irshad Kamil’s Hawayein from Jab Harry Met Sejal were the better songs in all terms – lyrics, music, and singing. Sadly, the two fine melodies didn’t even make it to the Best Lyrics list. As a whole album, a Jagga Jasoos [2017] perhaps held an edge over other film music, but we still can’t fathom how an Ullu Ka Pattha scored over the more poetic, qualitative songs.
But then again, this is not the first and definitely not the last time that Filmfare Awards surprise us. Thus it is only natural for #BoycottFilmfareAwards to trend. The acting awards have often created a stir, but the dubious decisions in the music category have tend to go unnoticed. We salute Manoj Muntashri for having the courage to speak up against the bizarre choice.
Well, here was our pick for the Best Bollywood songs of 2019. And we didn’t pick Apna Time Aayega.
Beyond Bollywood 