SPECIAL INTERVIEW WITH FAMOUS TOLLYGUNJ LYRICIST GAUTAM SUSHMIT

Today we will indulge in a candid talk with a personality who is better known to us through his work. New generation commercial Bengali film industry owe to him as a lyricist. When we enjoy a beautiful song, we recognise the singer, we recognise the actor-actress associated with picturization. However, we put little notice to the lyricist. He has written songs like ‘O bondhu tumi shunte ki pao’, ‘Se chilo boroi anmona’, ‘Batase gungun’, ‘Paran jay jolia re’ and many more. He is none other than Goutam Susmit. Swarnali Goswami from timesofnorth.IN talks to this great lyricist.

TNI: Goutam Da, thanks a lot for your precious time. The first question we would like to ask is among so many other creative medium what intrigued you to choose your career as a lyricist.

Goutam Susmit: Actually, I went to Mumbai to work in a advertisement agency. At that time, one of my old neighbour Mr. Tridib Roychoudhury went to Mumbai to become music director. In case of music direction, to express a music, sometimes few words are needed. These are known as dummy tune. He asked me to do that dummy tune or rather say dummy song. There is different grammar to write that dummy song. He taught me that. The first song I wrote was in Hindi. It was recorded in a homely environment. However, when I heard that song, I was thrilled. I felt attracted to the media as I could hear my words. Previously, I had seen my name in print, I had seen my face in television. But nothing has ever appealed to me like this. This thrill arose an addiction and as a result I become a lyricist.

TNI: You have worked in Bollywood and Tollywood both the places. Which one have you liked most? And another supplementary question, combining Bollywood, Tollywood and other regional film industry, approximately in how many films and with how many music directors have you worked?

Goutam Susmit: Actually, initially I have worked in many Bollywood films. At that time, I was Mumbai based. Those films carry my name in the credit title and beside my name within a bracket the word Mumbai is written too. And now I have also worked in so many Bengali films. It is really very tough for me to rate either of these to be better. Though I have worked in regional films, but the workplace itself is Bollywood. Altogether I have worked with around 125 singers and music directors from Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai, Dhaka, Bhubaneswar, Los Angles etc. Few of them are established, few are newcomers, few are just about to establish themselves. However, all are different in there style and all are talented.  Tollywood is my birthplace, it is a part of my own city whereas, Bollywood is my workplace which gave me new life, fame and establishment. So, both are equally important. But if I compare them, Bollywood is much more professional. They know what is profession and what it stands for and Tollywood is much more homely and emotional. There in Bollywood, work culture is very strong. May it be strike or natural calamity anyhow the work has to be done. And the associated people will do that spontaneously. But Tollywood has lots of excuses. May be it is the basic characteristic of Bengali people. They like to live the life in their way. To answer the other part of the question, I don’t have any concrete figure right now. Still, I have approximately done 350 films, out of which, 215-220 got released so far. One thing I would like to mention here, the system of doing work is more or less similar everywhere. Like in case of Chennai, if I put aside the language barrier, it’s a wonderful place to work. I have not found so many talented singers even if in Mumbai. I bow them in respect. I have done many films in Chennai and those experiences are never to be kept aside.

TNI: You have worked in so many films and you have worked with a wide range of people. In this context, if we ask you to mention few songs which you have liked as a lyricist then what will be the top 5 list?

Goutam Susmit: All the songs I have written are like my own baby. So, it’s very tough for me to prepare the list as such. Yes few songs gave me another level of satisfaction. However, there is no scope for 100% satisfaction. Once it is 100% then you are finished. You have nothing more to add. In case of few songs later I felt it could have been written in a better manner. Again few songs are there, which I have liked much but those are not hit songs. For the sake of example the superhit song from film ‘Sathi’, ‘O bondhu tumi shunte ki pao’ has given me establishment but may be that is not the one which gave me highest level of satisfaction. Still, ‘Se chilo boroi anmona’(music by Jeet Ganguly), ‘Batase gungun’ again music by Jeet and from ‘Chirodini Tumi Je Amar’ film are those which I feel as wonderful composition. In the film ‘Sokal Sondhya’, there was a song namely ‘Akashe surjo othe, pakhira jage’ which was sung by Udit Narayan and music done by Ashok Bhadra. In the same film another song was there which I liked very much was ‘Kichu kotha kichu porichoy’. ‘Tumi amar sathi’ is another song which I like because of few jugglery. In the film ‘Dujone’, I had written a song ‘Kar chokhe chokh rekhe ke kake cheye dekheche’. I liked it very much. But it is not at all a hit song like other songs of that film. I like the song lyrically. The pattern is like the popular Hindi song ‘Tu payaar hain kisi aur ka’ but, lyrics is altogether different. Sometime, we may stare at some one but actually see someone else. On the basis of this philosophy, I have written that song. I still feel myself blessed to write that song.

TNI: Please share some experience from Bollywood or Hindi film industry.

Goutam Susmit: As I have already mentioned, for me, my workplace is Bollywood but not directly Hindi film industry. My language was Bengali. I got so many offers. Few were starring super star like Akshay Kumar, Saif Ali Khan and so on. But I had to reject those as I am not proficient in Hindi language. To write a song in a particular language, it has to be in your blood. The first time I faced camera in my life was for a Hindi serial and I managed it well but when it is about writing lyrics for a song its altogether a different ball game. If I think anything, I will think only in Bengali. But recently the super hit song from the film ‘Gunday’, ‘Tune mari entriya’ and in Bengali, ‘Tui to nili entiry re’ is written by me. In this film, it was 5:1, means in every five Hindi words there was one Bengali word. So, I wrote the song. Sohel was the music director. I know him from his early childhood. Although, Bapida was the key controller of the whole project. He sang with Monali too. I wrote the song for Bengali version of the film and later it was decided that it will be in Hindi version also. Few of my Bengali lines are there in the Hindi version too. So, in that case ‘Gunday’ is my first work in a Hindi film. But yes, probably I am the only one who has written song for a Tamil movie. In the movie ‘Pokisum’, there is a Bengali song which is written by me.

TNI: What is your perception regarding the newcomer singer or lyricist? Do you have any suggestion for them?

Goutam Susmit: I don’t want to create any controversy. If you ask about suggestion, yes I have but only for them who cares about it. For else they should avoid it, as now a days no one is ready to accept any suggestion from others. I can advise newcomers to work from their soul, if you consider your work with highest priority, you will be able to give your maximum input. And it reflects on the work. Because once it is recorded, it can’t be rectified or modified. So, work with utmost sincerity and try to give your 100%, rest is destiny and we can not do anything about that.

TNI: Really well said Goutam Da. Would you like to share any dream project of yours.

Goutam Susmit: Actually till now, No, I am just working on usual films. As a lyricist I am also working on some allied projects like reality show etc. That’s it. Nothing else. However, to be honest yes dream project is there….so many things to do…..but at this stage only thing I can say, ‘Ekhono Delhi Onek Dur’ (Ha ha ha)

TNI: Thanks a lot Goutam Da once again. timesofnorth.IN wishes you all the success in your life.

Goutam Susmit: It was really my pleasure and same to you too.

Edited By: Ishita Das (TNI Siliguri)
Graphics: TNI Creatives