Politics and music run in our blood: Kapil Sibal

Kapil Sibal, who recently penned the lyrics for an upcoming film’s songs, talks about the difference between writing for oneself and writing for others; adds that today’s music is very forgettable.

Apart from being a well-known politician, former Union Minister Kapil Sibal also has an artistic side. He writes poems, and has written lyrics for two films.

Kapil Sibal, who is a trained lawyer, recently penned the lyrics for a political-thriller that stars Jimmy Sheirgill and Ashutosh Rana.

In fact, Sibal, who is a trained lawyer, recently penned the lyrics for a political-thriller that stars Jimmy Sheirgill and Ashutosh Rana. On being asked about how he manages this rare combination of politics and music, Sibal says, “Politics runs in every human being, and so does music.”

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Interestingly, this isn’t the first time he has penned lyrics for songs. In 2014, Sibal wrote the songs for an album composed by AR Rahman, called Raunaq. But writing the lyrics for a film’s song, he tells us, is a different exercise.

Apart from being a well-known politician, former Union Minister Kapil Sibal also has an artistic side. He writes poems, and has written lyrics for two films. (Virendra Singh Gosain/ HT Photo)

“For a movie, you have to make sure the lyrics are consistent with the rhythm that is given to you. But, at times, during the song’s recording, you find out that your words are not appropriate for the track, and so, you have to change them. Therefore, it’s a far more complex process. You have to align your thoughts [to the movie’s storyline], which does not come intrinsically to you,” he adds.

Movie mania
Sibal is a film buff. However, he can watch them only when he has enough time on hand. The last movie that he watched was Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2015). “It was a very good film,” he says.

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But the politician doesn’t seem to be a fan of the music made today. “The songs may be exciting for the moment, but they don’t leave a mark on your mind... They’re like cups of coffee that you drink, and you move on… they are forgettable,” he says.

Sibal is also open to the idea of being approached by other film-makers to write songs for them. “It’s just that I don’t find the time [to take up such projects]. But, if I am given a task... I will complete it,” he says. But has he ever thought about singing the songs that he writes? He says, “My voice is not good enough for me to sing a song. That time has not come yet.”