Well-known lyricist, Swanand Kirkire, wants to add one more feather to his cap. Besides penning superhit songs, he also wants to act. Apart from a recent, soon-to-be-released Marathi film, he will also feature in a digital episodic show, Table No.5, for Zee5.
“This 7-minute episode features me and Jimmit Trivedi. We are sitting at a gambling table and whatever actions we make dictate what happens in the cricket match. I will not reveal more; why don’t you watch it for yourself.”
“I really enjoyed doing the show, for I love cricket and twist-in-the-tale stories, and both fused beautifully here.”
Had you got the power to control fate in real life, how would you feel? “It would be very eerie and scary. We have always loved matches that go down to the wire, and at that time, we hope we could control the scenario and get the required runs. But as the story says, power can have a dangerous flipside as well.”
Swanand has been acting on and off for years. “Apart from my mainstay, i.e. lyric-writing, I like exploring other avenues. Acting is a different craft. At first, the camera does unnerve you. But if you have a good director to helm affairs, you can do your thing. I have been very lucky to have always worked with people who have encouraged and supported me. Here, the director and the Zee team made things very easy for me.”
Looking ahead, he would be game for more web series. He does not have an opinion on the overdose of s*x and sleaze on the web. “I am no one’s moral keeper. Ideally, we should have sex, only when needed by the script. Having said that, my show does not have any such stuff. Digital is a very powerful medium due to lack of censorship; so it needs to be respected and tackled accordingly.”
Talking about the current music scene, he says, “It is good, for it addresses the needs of the time. Filmmakers look at songs differently today. Having been there for so many years, one thing I have noticed is that people never like those songs which are being served presently; they prefer harking back to the past.”
All the best, Swanand.