The lyricist writes a show: Swanand Kirkire on crafting ‘Bandwaale’ and finding his voice

A young poetess dreams of breaking societal shackles while living in the small railway town of Ratlam in Madhya Pradesh. Instantly smitten by her presence is a flamboyant singer of a gaudy band who has a peculiar name to his advantage: Robo Kumar. The character is played ceremoniously by Swanand Kirkire. The celebrated lyricist, known for his simpleton weaving of words into poetry, is also the screenwriter and creator of the aforementioned show, Bandwaale, which released recently on Prime Video. Interestingly, he co-wrote and co-created the show with musician Ankur Tewari. It is almost like the two are coming together to make a song in the form of a coming-of-age series.

Swanand smiles as we speak to him. The two had worked earlier on a short film and wanted to work together on a musical. There were some ideas that Swanand tossed around and the story slowly began to take shape. “Both of us think musically and that subconsciously started pouring in the series,” says Swanand, explaining how the show was written extensively over long zoom calls during the pandemic.

Much of the show’s inspiration came from his own life, as he has grown up in Indore, a city near Ratlam. “In my school, there was a girl whose name was Mariam. So, I thought of giving the character that name,” he says.

A still from the show
| Photo Credit:
Prime Video

Even the show’s setting is quite specific, as it follows a Malayali Christian family living in Ratlam. Swanand says he is fascinated by the country’s diversity, especially as a Maharashtrian who grew up in a largely Hindi-speaking city. “Ratlam was established by the British as a railway city. So, there is a large Christian community in the town with a beautiful church. Most of their sermons take place in Hindi. It is quite interesting that there are so many people in the country and we live with inclusivity, sharing the same stories,” says Swanand.

He also plays the role of Robo earnestly. However, Swanand says that he was not thinking of playing the part while writing. “When you are doing an Amazon show, it is not in your hands to play a role. I am not as big a star to say that I will also act if I am writing it,” he says, adding that they got clarity on the character along the way. “We realised that Robo needs to be played sensitively. He has to look idiotic and not smart in order to come out well. So, everyone thought I have that ‘idiot’ on my face,” he smiles.

Having written and sung numerous songs over the years, Swanand feels that his experience does aid him in acting. “You understand words, lines, meanings and subtext much better,” he says. At the same time, he adds that it is important not to cross the line. “If I am singing a song written by Amitabh Bhattacharya, I will sing it the way it is written without telling him what to write. I would have written the song in a certain way if I was the lyricist. I totally understand that we all have different voices,” says Swanand.

Zahaan Kapoor in the show
| Photo Credit:
Prime Video

At the heart of Swanand’s songs, there is a stirring simplicity marked with a mix of vivid imagery. His poetry encapsulates love and longing with the eye of a child. When asked how he instils that feeling to his songs, Swanand says, “I really don’t know. That’s how I am, a simple person. I just look at the world with a lot of curiosity. I am not judgemental. I just like to mirror the world and not create my own painting of it. I love people, their sorrows, joys, dreams, memories and pain,” he reflects.

Over the years, Swanand feels that his ‘voice’ as an artist has grown. Now, when he looks back at some of his work, he finds room for improvement at certain places. “I also often feel if I really live what I write. For instance, I easily wrote, ‘Is pal ki baat hai, is pal mein jeene do (Let me live in the moment)’. But do I live in the moment? I don’t do it myself then how am I writing a song about it?”

Bandwaale is currently streaming on Prime Video