Disparity exists in Bollywood: 'Malhari' lyricist Prashant Ingole

Prashant Ingole, who has penned lyrics for hit numbers like "Dil ye ziddi hai" and "Malhari", says Bollywood has numerous talented writers, directors and technicians. But still, there is disparity in the industry.

"Disparity exists in Bollywood big time. People have teams... Not on the basis of talent, but because of the length of their relationship as friends. There are many writers who write brilliantly, but due to that relationship... Only a few people get to work with certain musicians and the end result turns out to be monotonous," Mumbai-based Ingole told IANS in an interview.

"Irrespective of my relationship with the talent, I will only work with the one who delivers the best," added the lyricist, who has written songs for actors like Ranveer Singh and Arjun Rampal.

He feels the fraternity members should realize that they can create good content rather than making "crappy movies and same old songs".

"We have sufficient number of writers, directors and technicians. Let's explore them instead of working with just a select few. We will certainly have loads of freshness and variety," said Ingole.

Talking about his share of struggle, he said: "It took me eight to nine years to get my first song ('Paisa hai power' from the 2009 film 'Aa Dekhen Zara'). However, I treat it as an investment which helped me to refine myself and grow as a professional."

"It's tough if you are not from the industry and I am sure almost all of the lyricists today are not from the industry and they have made their way to the top," said Ingole, who hails from Pune.

He says he can see a few changes in the industry.

"Earlier, it was difficult to reach out to musicians, directors and producers. Now it's easier as social media has helped to bridge the gap," he said.

Talking about his biggest hit number "Malhari", he said: "'Malhari' is very close to my heart. It gave me such a high as well as criticism. I see people have views and we can't change them.

"However, I felt bad when people came up with things such as warrior Peshwa Bajirao is dancing to the song. It was not a documentary and catered to the people of the 21st century. There should be a little bit of liberty in filmmaking."

His next will be "Jai Ganesha" from the upcoming film "Daddy", based on gangster-turned-politician Arun Gawli.

"I always wanted to write a song for Lord Ganesha. But I never thought of writing it for a movie. I always wanted to write it for myself. Every day I would spend six to eight hours writing and refining my skills of writing," he said.

Apart from Bollywood, he also contributed to the Hindi dubbed version of the 2017 Hollywood film "Beauty and The Beast".

"It's been a great achievement I believe. I am a big fan of filmmakers Christopher Nolan and James Cameron. It would be such an honour to write for their movies. They make few movies, but they leave an impact forever. I want to be a part of such events where quality precedes volume."

-IANS