'Chhaava': Guess how much Irshad Kamil charged for dialogues
What's the story
Renowned lyricist Irshad Kamil has made his debut in the historical film genre with Vicky Kaushal's Chhaava, a tribute to Maratha king Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj.
Working with music maestro AR Rahman, Kamil has penned not just the film's songs but also its "poetic dialogues."
In an interview with Mid-Day, he revealed that he didn't charge any fee for writing these dialogues out of "respect" for Maharaj!
Laxman Utekar has directed the drama.
Journey
Kamil's journey and vision for 'Chhaava'
Kamil wants the viewers to feel like they are "living this chapter of Indian history."
He told Mid-Day, "The movie revolves around Sambhaji Maharaj, and we wanted each song to fit his persona."
"It needed to reflect his personality, as well as the respect we had for him in our hearts. Each song is an attempt to understand the character better."
"It is considered an epic because the story doesn't end and stays with us across generations."
Approach
Kamil's approach to historical accuracy and emotional expression
Kamil stressed the need to balance historical facts with emotional expression in Chhaava.
He said, "We need to remember that historical facts are one thing, and emotional expression is another."
"That they fought a war is a fact, but they must surely have been emotionally driven during that fight. There are no parameters that we have to define that emotional expression."
Inspiration
'Chhaava' is based on a Marathi novel
Chhaava is inspired by a Marathi novel of the same name by Shivaji Sawant, which Kamil believes leaves little room for distortion of facts.
He explained, "Since it is historical, we [needed to] assess that period. We had to present a story from that period for the contemporary generation."
"Musically, we tried to recreate the flavor of that era. You'll notice that in the language too."
Akshaye Khanna and Rashmika Mandanna also star in the drama.