The theatrical re-release of six years after its debut, gave not only the production heads but also the various artistes associated with the project reason to cheer. And even though Rahi Anil Barve’s directorial venture earned immense critical acclaim at the time of its release in 2018, lyricist Raj Shekhar says it did not match the “love” they had anticipated coming their way. “That’s why it’s heart-warming to see the [overwhelming] response to the second release.
The team was so sure that the project would work that they were eager to release it in theatres so that more people could access it,” says Shekhar, who penned the title track of the folk horror film that has collected Rs 2.59 crore within 10 days of its release. ADVERTISEMENT Tasked with writing the lyrics for the Ajay-Atul composition, Shekhar recalls being unimpressed with producer idea of using Sanskrit verses.
“To begin with, the film was not mainstream. On top of that, using Sanskrit would further alienate the audience. So, I wasn’t initially in favour of it.
However, I later learned that what they were in search of were hymns [that sounded like they were in the language].” In a bid to capture the internal turmoil of the character, Vinayak Rao—played by Sohum Shah—Shekhar began to reflect on what he truly wanted to achieve with this number. “I realised that I had the opportunity to explore the core emotions of the characters via this song, and could thereby simplify the viewing experi.