Varun Grover and Swanand Kirkire: friends, colleagues and inspirations for each other

Hindustan Times

06-06-2025

New Delhi, Friends, wordsmiths and masters in multiple aspects of cinema making, it is difficult to slot either Varun Grover or Swanand Kirkire in any one bracket.
Grover is a lyricist, director, stand-up comedian and screenwriter. Kirkire is also a lyricist and screenwriter as well as being an accomplished actor and singer. The two have collaborated often and teamed up again for 'KISS', a short film Grover directed and Kirkire acted in.
"We became friends and did a lot of things together. I sang a song in 'Masaan' which he wrote... When you know a person and know his potential, it doesn't mean this talent is concentrated only on one thing,' Kirkire told PTI.
'It is like a waterfall which needs different paths to flow through, sometimes as a lyric writer, sometimes as a comedian, poet and sometimes as a scriptwriter and ultimately as a director," he added on a poetic note.
Kirkire said he was introduced to Grover by musician Sneha Khanwalkar and immediately recognised a "strong and flawless" voice when he heard the songs from "Gangs of Wasseypur".
"We became friends and did a lot of things together. I sang a song in 'Masaan' which he wrote... When you know a person and know his potential, it doesn't mean that this talent is concentrated only on one thing.'
Grover returns the compliment, describing Kirkire as a 'true inspiration for so many things he does and also for being a lovely friend'.
He said Kirkire was the first person in the lyrics writing community to send him a message about the songs in 'Gangs of Wasseypur' in 2012. 'I was over the moon because this was the biggest award for me.'
'It showed me a generous soul, someone who really respected the craft and loved encouraging new talent. That was something that made me emotional that there is this person who I really look up to...,' he added.
The celebrated artiste credits cinema for empowering his various creative endeavours. He made his feature directorial debut with 2023's critically acclaimed "All India Rank" but it was "KISS" that marked his beginning as a director. The short film is now streaming on MUBI India.
"I like the ability to reach people in different ways as an artist and cinema gives you that immense power. I have always wanted to become a director, and this is where that journey began," he said.
Grover said he had already locked the script for "All India Rank" but put it on hold due to the pandemic and instead focused on the short film just to understand whether or not he had the temperament of a director.
"There is always a bit of self-doubt because I have mostly worked in isolation, locked in a room, but on a set, you have to deal with a large crew and many people. It was an incredibly enjoyable experience and gave me a chance to connect with a new kind of art form," he said.
Starring Adarsh Gourav, Kirkire and Shubhrajyoti Barat, 'KISS' tells the story of a young filmmaker who gets in trouble with the censor committee members for a kiss in his movie. They debate on its length during a screening in an old theatre.
Kirkire, who features as Salil Abid, a censor board member in the movie, said Grover approached him for the film during the pandemic and he instantly agreed.
"There is absolutely no question of saying no to such a beautiful script," he told PTI. The movie blends sci-fi elements and drama to explore the worldview of its primary characters, who realise time is moving differently for each of them in the theatre and their childhood has something to do with it.
Grover said he chose not to have a satirical tone for the movie.
"I do a lot of stuff, which is very critical and kind of in the satirical zone. I make fun of things which are regressive, things which are anti the ideas of India we believe in. Making fun of the censor board and its working is really easy.'
" I wanted to understand these people... I wanted to understand what drives this idea of censorship, and I thought it has something to do with the lives we all live. That was the origin point of this film."
What connects Kirkire and Grover is not just their profession as lyricists and writers but also their love for cinema that began early.
Kirkire said he doesn't even remember when he fell in love with movies.
"I have loved cinema from a very young age... My mother played a big role in this. When I was in Indore, during my first year of college, I watched every single film that was released that year, literally all of them.
"I had this habit of noting down the names of the actor, director, how much the ticket cost. I even saved the tickets and wrote how much I paid for them. That's how deeply I loved cinema. In Indore, where I studied, there used to be screenings of Indian Panorama cinema, and my mother allowed me to watch that festival," he said.
The movie that inspired him to seek a career in cinema was "Teesri Kasam", which he saw on television.
Grover also traces his love for movies to his childhood and a home where cinema viewing culture was very strong.
"My father was a government servant working in the Military Engineering Service but he had a deep love for books, films, and music. Most of my childhood interactions were with film songs. We had a large collection of audio cassettes at home and played them all the time. There were no visuals, just sound so I had no idea what was happening in the songs, but I began imagining everything on my own," Grover recalled.
The cassette covers didn't have photos but he would let his imagination fly.
"I still remember when the cassette of 'Saajan' arrived. We had already seen one-two of its songs on Chitrahaar, but when the whole cassette came, I turned it into my own kind of meditation hour. Just by looking at the cassette cover, I tried to piece it all together: 'Okay, so Madhuri and Sanjay Dutt are in this film. And then in my mind, I would choreograph everything'.'
He said he can't point to one film that influenced him but something shifted when middle of the road cinema started airing on Doordarshan in the late '80s and early '90s. When he was 13 he saw 'Ek Ruka Hua Faisla', set in a single with members of a jury arguing a case.
"Watching that film deeply impacted me. And that's when I began to feel that cinema is magic. And if I ever get the chance in life, I want to be part of this magic," he said.