Manoj Shukla (born 27 February 1976), better known by his stage name Manoj Muntashir Shukla, is an Indian lyricist, poet, dialogue writer and screenwriter. He wrote several Hindi songs for films, including "Teri Mitti", "Galliyan", "Tere Sang Yaara", "Kaun Tujhe", "Dil Meri Na Sune", "Kaise Hua" and "Phir Bhi Tumko Chaahunga".
Manoj Muntashir Shukla | ||||||||||
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Born | Manoj Shukla 27 February 1976 Gauriganj, Uttar Pradesh, India | |||||||||
Education | Allahabad University | |||||||||
Occupations |
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Years active | 2005–present | |||||||||
YouTube information | ||||||||||
Channel | ||||||||||
Years active | 2015–present | |||||||||
Genres | ||||||||||
Subscribers | 2.01 million[1] | |||||||||
Total views | 164 million[1] | |||||||||
Contents are in | Hindi | |||||||||
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Last updated: 28 July 2023 |
Early life
editShukla was born on 27 February 1976 into a Brahmin family in Gauriganj, Amethi, Uttar Pradesh, India, where he attended a HAL School Korwa[clarification needed].[2][3] After graduating from Allahabad University in 1999, he moved to Mumbai to seek work, and subsequently entered the TV and film scene following an opportunity to write for Kaun Banega Crorepati.[4][5][6]
Career
editMuntashir has written the lyrics of several Hindi film songs including "Galliyan" from Ek Villain,[7] "Tere Sang Yaara" from Rustom,[8] "Kaun Tujhe" from M.S Dhoni: The Untold Story[9] and "Dil Meri Na Sune" from the film "Genius".[10]
He has voiced concerns with regards to acknowledgments to song and script writers. His lyrics to "Phir Bhi Tumko Chaahunga" (2017), a song which registered more than four million views through unofficial versions prior to its official release, were originally compiled for his wife in 2001.[11][12] When he failed to receive acknowledgement for the song, he voiced that he didn't "know why certain people can't accept an age old fact that lyricists have an equal amount of contribution in making a song successful".[13] Following a nomination for the 2020 Filmfare award for best lyrics for the song 'Teri Mitti' from the 2019 film Kesari, he tweeted his disappointment when the award went to someone else.[14] He has won National Film Awards for best lyrics in Saina (film).
He has written scripts for India's Got Talent and Indian Idol Junior. Muntashir wrote the Hindi dialogues for Baahubali 2, dubbing the words in Hindi to match the lip movements which were spoken in Telugu.[15][16] Later, he was commissioned to do the same for the Hollywood film, Black Panther.[7]
He published a book titled Meri Fitrat Hai Mastana.[3]
Controversies
editDialogues of Adipurush
editMuntashir wrote the dialogues of Om Raut's film Adipurush. The dialogues of the film were criticised for being too flippant, and containing modern-day slang and lingo in a setting from centuries ago.[17]
Prem Sagar, whose father Ramanand Sagar directed the iconic television serial Ramayan (1987), questioned how Muntashir "conceived such dialogues" in the film. Speaking with news agency ANI, he said, "It might be a misjudgement that the younger generation would like it. But you can't do this with the audience. Don't say it is based on Valmiki Ramayana, give it any other name. Make it a fantasy film. But if you're making Ramayan then you cannot hurt the sentiments. People watch this with devotion."[18]
One of the lines in the movie, which refers to Sita as "Bharat ki beti" (India's daughter) caused anger among the people of Nepal. This is because Sita is believed to have been born in Janakpur, located in present-day Nepal. Manoj was then accused of misrepresenting historical facts, leading to calls for a ban on all Hindi movies in Nepal.[19]
Priyanka Chaturvedi criticized the use of "pedestrian dialogues" in the film. She demanded an apology from the film's makers and said that the dialogues were disrespectful to the characters of Ramayana.[20] Similarly, Bhupesh Baghel alleged that dialogues in the film are "objectionable and indecent" and questioned the "silence" of political parties which call themselves the custodian of religion, an apparent jibe at the Bharatiya Janata Party. When asked by reporters whether the state government will ban this movie, Baghel said, "The government will think about it if people will raise a demand in this direction".[21]
In an interview with Republic World, Muntashir said, "It is not an error. It is a very meticulous thought process that has gone into writing the dialogues for Bajrang Bali and for all the characters. We have made it simple because we have to understand one thing if there are multiple characters in a film, all cannot speak the same language. There has to be a kind of diversion, a kind of division."[22]
Muntashir also said "When our grandmothers narrated the tales of Ramayana, they used this language. The dialogue that you mentioned, priests and narrators used to say that in the same way I have written. I'm not the first one to write this dialogue, it's already there."[23]
Later,[when?] he announced that some lines of the dialogue in the film would be altered. In a statement on Twitter, he concluded, "I can give countless arguments in favour of my dialogues, but this will not reduce your pain. Me and the producer-director of the film have decided that some of the dialogues which are hurting you, We’ll revise them, and they’ll be added to the film this week. May Shri Ram bless you all!”[24]
Backtracking and making contradictory statements
editA video, which went viral on social media, showed Muntashir's contrary statements on Adipurush. Over eight months ago, he had appeared for a TV interview along with director Om Raut, on ABP news and said: "If people think we are trying to modernise the Ramayan, I want to tell them that not at all. We have presented the Ramayan just like how people heard in stories during their childhood."
But in a recent interview with Aaj Tak, Muntashir seemed to contradict himself by claiming that it wasn't an "adaptation" of the epic, but an "inspiration". "The film’s name is Adipurush. We have not made the Ramayan; we are just inspired by it," he said.[25][26]
Claiming that Hanuman is 'not a god'
editIn another interview with Aaj Tak, he tried to defend the dialogues of Adipurush. It was during this time that he also claimed Hanuman is "not a god" but is considered one because of the power of his "bhakti" for Lord Ram. He said, “Lord Hanuman is not God but a mere devotee. We made him God because his devotion had that power.”[27] This statement led to a political slugfest, where the AAP and Congress attacked the governing BJP for ‘blessing’ the movie whose makers don't consider Bajrang Bali as God.[28]
While the Shiva Purana specifically refers to Hanuman as an 'incarnation' of Shiva, other Puranas and scriptures provide alternative perspectives. According to these sources, Bajrang bali is commonly regarded as the spiritual son of Vayu, the deity of wind, or as an incarnation of Vayu himself. In some instances, Hanuman is also identified as an avatar of Rudra, another name associated with Vayu.[29]
Apology
edit
Manoj Muntashir Shukla ![]()
@manojmuntashir मैं स्वीकार करता हूँ कि फ़िल्म आदिपुरुष से जन भावनायें आहत हुईं हैं. अपने सभी भाइयों-बहनों, बड़ों, पूज्य साधु-संतों और श्री राम के भक्तों से, मैं हाथ जोड़ कर, बिना शर्त क्षमा माँगता हूँ. भगवान बजरंग बली हम सब पर कृपा करें, हमें एक और अटूट रहकर अपने पवित्र सनातन और महान देश की सेवा करने की शक्ति दें!🙏
I accept people’s emotions have been hurt by Adipurush. With folded hands, I extend my unconditional apologies. May Prabhu Bajrang Bali keep us united and grant us strength to serve our sacred Sanatan and our great nation.🙏
8 July 2023[30]
On 8 July 2023, Shukla issued an apology on X (formerly Twitter).[31]
Awards and nominations
editYear | Category | Song/nomination | Result |
---|---|---|---|
Indian Telly Awards | |||
2014 | Best Script | India's Got Talent | Won[32] |
IIFA Awards | |||
2015 | Best Lyrics | Galliyan – Ek Villain | Won[33] |
2018 | Best Lyrics | Mere Rashk-e-Qamar –Baadshaho | Won[34] |
Star Guild Award | |||
2015 | Best Lyrics | Galliyan – Ek Villain | Won[citation needed] |
Hungama Surfers Choice Award | |||
2015 | Best Lyrics | Galliyan – Ek Villain | Won[citation needed] |
Radio Mirchi Music Awards | |||
2015 | Best Album | Ek Villain | Won[citation needed] |
Arab Indo Bollywood Awards | |||
2015 | Best Lyrics | Galliyan – Ek Villain | Won[citation needed] |
The Indian Icon Film Awards | |||
2015 | Best Lyrics | Galliyan – Ek Villain | Won[citation needed] |
2016 | Best Lyrics | Tere Sang Yaara – Rustom | Won[citation needed] |
Uttar Pradesh Gaurav Samman | |||
2016 | Best Lyricist | Won[citation needed] | |
Yash Bharati Award | |||
2016 | State Honour (Uttar Pradesh) | Highest State Honour | Won[citation needed] |
Mirchi Music Awards | |||
2014 | Lyricist of The Year | Galliyan from Ek Villain | Nominated[35] |
Album of The Year | Ek Villain | ||
Listeners' Choice Album of the Year | Won[36] | ||
2016 | Album of The Year | Kapoor & Sons | Nominated |
2018 | Re-Created Song of the Year | Sanu Ik Pal from Raid | Won[37] |
68th National Film Awards | |||
2022 | Best Lyricist[38] | Saina | Won |
Discography
editThis section may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. The specific problem is: dates in reverse chronological order, contrary to WP:DATELIST. (February 2020) |
References
edit- ^ a b "About Manoj Muntashir Shukla". YouTube.
- ^ Saxena, Deep (4 March 2016). "JHA goes folksy over Jai Gangaajal". Hindustan Times (Lucknow). Retrieved 23 June 2020 – via PressReader.
- ^ a b Kumar, Vineeta (11 February 2020). "Manoj Muntashir Interview: When a Writer Gets Honest on Life, Childhood, Dreams, Career And More!". India.com. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
- ^ "I am fortunate to be born in UP : Manoj Muntashir". United News of India. Retrieved 24 February 2020.
- ^ "Manoj Muntashir profile". Veethi. 26 April 2016.
- ^ Coutinho, Natasha (30 June 2014). "The man behind reality shows". Deccan Chronicle. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
- ^ a b Ghosh, Devarsi (28 January 2018). "Manoj Muntashir of 'Baahubali' and 'Black Panther' fame: 'Literal translation is a mistake'". Scroll.in. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
- ^ Ruchi Kaushal (17 January 2017). "Atif Aslam Ignites romance with Tere Sang Yaara". Retrieved 10 May 2017.
- ^ "Palak Much belts out another hit Kaun Tujhe". TNN. 17 January 2017. Retrieved 10 May 2017.
- ^ "Atif Aslam and Himesh Reshammiya team up for 'Genius'". www.radioandmusic.com. Retrieved 24 June 2020.
- ^ "'Main phir bhi' from 'Half Girlfriend' gets 4 million pre-release views". CatchNews.com. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
- ^ "'Main phir bhi' from 'Half Girlfriend' gets 4 mn pre-release views". Business Standard India. 17 April 2017. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
- ^ "Manij Muntashir takes on the music mafia in Bollywood". Business Standard India. IANS. 28 April 2017. Retrieved 10 May 2017.
- ^ "Teri Mitti lyricist Manoj Muntashir vows to never attend award shows after Apna Time Aaega wins Filmfare". Hindustan Times. 17 February 2020. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
- ^ "Wielding his pen". Deccan Herald. 13 May 2017. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
- ^ D'Mello, Wayne (1 February 2018). "Manoj Muntashir On The Rules Of Translating Black Panther For An Indian Audience". Film Companion. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
- ^ "Meet Manoj, writer of Adipurush's 'cringe' dialogue, would take his shoes off out of respect when writing film". DNA India. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
- ^ "How You Conceived Such Dialogues': Ramanand Sagar's Son To 'Adipurush' Writer Manoj Muntashir".
- ^ "काठमाडौंमा आजदेखि हिन्दी फिल्म प्रदर्शनमा रोक".
- ^ ""Apologise To The Nation": Team Uddhav Shreds 'Adipurush' Makers". NDTV.com. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
- ^ "Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel slams 'Adipurush' over portrayal of Lord Ram, says govt will think about ban if people want". www.telegraphindia.com. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
- ^ Adipurush makers Om Raut & Manoj Muntashir speak to Arnab Goswami | FULL INTERVIEW, retrieved 17 August 2023
- ^ "Manoj Muntashir defends 'jali na' dialogue in Adipurush, says 'meticulous thought process has gone into...'". India Today. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
- ^ "Objectionable Adipurush dialogues to be altered after audience pushback, writer Manoj Muntashir says he has been judged on the basis of 'five lines out of 4000'". The Indian Express. 18 June 2023. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
- ^ "Adipurush Lyricist Manoj Muntashir Backtracks On His Claim, Says 'Humne Ramayan Nahi Banayi'". News18. 21 June 2023. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
- ^ Team, Koimoi com (18 June 2023). "Adipurush Writer Manoj Muntashir Says "Humne Ramayana Nahi Banayi, We're Heavily Inspired" While Addressing Controversies Around It, Shocked Netizens React: "You're Shameless"". Koimoi. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
- ^ "Adipurush dialogue writer Manoj Muntashir says Bajrangbali 'bhagwan nahi hai', draws flak". India Today. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
- ^ "Lord Hanuman not a God, says Adipurush dialogue writer, sparks controversy". Deccan Herald. 21 June 2023. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
- ^ Mukhopadhyay, Sounak (21 June 2023). "Hanuman-ji not God? Manoj Muntashir's comment sparks new controversy". mint. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
- ^ Manoj Muntashir Shukla [@manojmuntashir] (8 July 2023). "मैं स्वीकार करता हूँ कि फ़िल्म आदिपुरुष से जन भावनायें आहत हुईं हैं. अपने सभी भाइयों-बहनों, बड़ों, पूज्य साधु-संतों और श्री राम के भक्तों से, मैं हाथ जोड़ कर, बिना शर्त क्षमा माँगता हूँ. भगवान बजरंग बली हम सब पर कृपा करें, हमें एक और अटूट रहकर अपने पवित्र सनातन और महान देश की सेवा करने की शक्ति दें!🙏 I accept people's emotions have been hurt by Adipurush. With folded hands, I extend my unconditional apologies. May Prabhu Bajrang Bali keep us united and grant us strength to serve our sacred Sanatan and our great nation.🙏" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ Mukhopadhyay, Sounak (8 July 2023). "Adipurush: Manoj Muntashir issues unconditional apology for hurting emotions, 'too late' say netizens". mint. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
- ^ team, tellychakkar (18 October 2014). "13th Indian Telly Awards: Complete List of Winners". telly chakkar. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
- ^ team, TOI (15 January 2015). "IIFA Awards 2015 Winners". Times Of India. TOI. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
- ^ Team, TOI (14 January 2018). "IIFA Awards 2018 Winners". Times Of India. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
- ^ "MMA Mirchi Music Awards". MMAMirchiMusicAwards. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
- ^ "MMA Mirchi Music Awards". MMAMirchiMusicAwards. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
- ^ "MMA Mirchi Music Awards". MMAMirchiMusicAwards. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
- ^ "68th National Film Awards | Soorarai Pottru wins Best Film award". The Hindu. 22 July 2022.