Shankar Mahadevan reveals why singers forget lyrics to their own hits
Synopsis
At a Spotify reunion marking 25 years of Dil Chahta Hai, Shankar Mahadevan offered a deceptively simple answer to a question every Bollywood fan has had — why do singers forget their own hit lyrics? His answer: the creative brain moves on once a song is a success. Shaan's story about accidentally rewriting Javed Akhtar's lyrics mid-session made it even more memorable.
Key Takeaways
Shankar Mahadevan explained that singers forget lyrics to popular songs because the brain deprioritises completed, successful work and focuses on what is new.
The explanation came during a Spotify video marking 25 years of Dil Chahta Hai , attended by Ehsaan Noorani , Loy Mendonsa , Shaan , and Meiyang Chang .
Singer Shaan recalled accidentally improvising his own lines during a session, which lyricist Javed Akhtar noticed immediately.
Dil Chahta Hai , directed by Farhan Akhtar , recently completed 25 years and remains a defining film of modern Hindi cinema.
The film's Goa road-trip sequence became a cultural touchstone that continues to inspire fans to recreate the journey.
Music composer Shankar Mahadevan has offered a candid and surprisingly simple explanation for why singers often blank out on the lyrics of their own popular songs — and it has everything to do with how the creative mind moves on.
The conversation that sparked it
The insight came during a special Spotify video marking the 25th anniversary of the beloved Hindi film Dil Chahta Hai. The reunion brought together Shankar Mahadevan, guitarist Ehsaan Noorani, composer Loy Mendonsa, playback singer Shaan, and presenter Meiyang Chang — the core creative family behind one of Bollywood's most enduring soundtracks.
When Shaan openly wondered why he so often forgets the words to his own songs, Mahadevan stepped in with his explanation.
Mahadevan's explanation
'I will tell you why,' Mahadevan said. 'Because you have already sung that song. The song has become popular. It has become a super hit. And you have already moved ahead. So that's no longer a priority. That's already done. If it's a new song, a new melody, a new set of lyrics, you will be 100% focused. And you will see to it like, I shouldn't make a mistake. Then there will be no mistakes there.'
The reasoning points to a well-known cognitive phenomenon: once a task is mastered and mentally filed away, the brain deprioritises its storage. For a singer with a catalogue spanning hundreds of songs, that mental filing happens fast.
Shaan's candid admission
Shaan followed up with his own illustrative anecdote. 'I have a very funny story on this,' he said. 'During a session, I started making my own lyrics. And then I went to him — Javed Akhtar sahab — very coy. And I asked him, Is everything okay? He said, You are writing it yourself. So I didn't understand what he meant. He said, No, no, these are all your songs. I said, But these weren't my lyrics. He then said, You made your own lines.'
The anecdote, involving legendary lyricist Javed Akhtar, underlines how unconsciously singers can substitute their own improvisations for the original text — particularly in a live or studio setting years after a song was first recorded.
The legacy of Dil Chahta Hai at 25
Dil Chahta Hai, which marked the directorial debut of Farhan Akhtar, recently completed 25 years since its release. The film is widely credited with reshaping Bollywood's portrayal of urban friendship, romance, and youthful independence. Its iconic Goa road-trip sequence became a cultural touchstone, inspiring generations of young Indians to recreate the journey with friends.
The film's conversational storytelling, casual fashion sensibility, and visual language set a new template for contemporary Hindi cinema. Its soundtrack — blending rock, pop, and Indian classical influences — was equally transformative and remains in active circulation a quarter-century later. Notably, the songs' continued popularity is precisely what makes forgetting their lyrics, as Mahadevan explained, almost inevitable for those who created them.
Point of View
But it surfaces something the music industry rarely discusses openly: the psychological distance between an artist and their catalogue once a song crosses into mass consciousness. Mahadevan's explanation is essentially about creative economy — the mind conserves energy by releasing what is 'done.' For fans, a song is eternal; for its creator, it is an old file. Shaan's Javed Akhtar anecdote is the funnier proof point, but also the more telling one: improvised replacements can slip past even the singer's own awareness. As the industry churns out content at an accelerating pace, the gap between creation and recall will only widen.
NationPress
30 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do singers forget the lyrics to their own popular songs, according to Shankar Mahadevan?
Shankar Mahadevan explained that once a song becomes a hit, the singer's mind has already moved on to new work, making the old lyrics no longer a priority. He said that with a new song, a singer is 100% focused and careful, but a familiar hit no longer demands that level of attention.
What was Shaan's story about forgetting lyrics?
Shaan recalled a studio session where he unconsciously began substituting his own improvised lines for the original lyrics. Legendary lyricist Javed Akhtar immediately noticed and pointed out that Shaan had effectively been 'writing it himself,' replacing the original text without realising it.
What was the occasion for this Shankar Mahadevan and Shaan conversation?
The conversation took place during a special Spotify video celebrating the 25th anniversary of the film Dil Chahta Hai, bringing together Shankar Mahadevan, Ehsaan Noorani, Loy Mendonsa, Shaan, and Meiyang Chang.
Why is Dil Chahta Hai considered a landmark Hindi film?
Dil Chahta Hai marked the directorial debut of Farhan Akhtar and is credited with redefining Bollywood's portrayal of urban youth, friendship, and independence. Its Goa road-trip sequence became a cultural touchstone, and its soundtrack — blending rock, pop, and Indian sounds — remained influential for over two decades.
Who were the key creative collaborators on the Dil Chahta Hai soundtrack?
The soundtrack was composed by the trio of Shankar Mahadevan, Ehsaan Noorani, and Loy Mendonsa. Playback singer Shaan was among the key voices on the album, which blended rock, pop, and Indian musical elements.
