Did Pritam Really Overlook Amitabh Bhattacharya's Lyricist Talent?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Pritam's surprise at Amitabh's lyrical talent highlights the importance of recognizing potential.
- The dynamic between composers and lyricists can significantly impact creative outcomes.
- New collaborations can rejuvenate excitement in the music industry.
- Amitabh's journey from assistant to celebrated lyricist is inspiring.
- Pritam's anticipation for future projects showcases an ongoing passion for music.
Mumbai, Aug 11 (NationPress) Music composer Pritam, famous for his latest album ‘Metro... In Dino’, expressed his astonishment upon discovering that Amitabh Bhattacharya was the lyricist behind ‘Dev.D’. Although Amitabh served as Pritam's assistant for a significant period, Pritam had never recognized this aspect of his talent during their collaboration.
Pritam shared with IANS after the success of ‘Metro... In Dino’, stating, “Amitabh was among my first assistants. He approached me for work while I was still new in the industry, trying to carve out my path. I thought he was a singer, not a writer. I used to encourage everyone to become lyricists.”
He continued, “Amitabh Verma, who worked as an editor in my studio, became a lyricist after I requested him to write. Mayur Puri, who was an assistant to Sanjay Gadhvi, also turned into a lyricist when I asked him for a scratch. I thought to myself, ‘How did I overlook Amitabh Bhattacharya's talent?’ Ashish Pandit came in to sing, and I encouraged him to write a scratch for the presentation.”
“Since Hindi isn’t my first language, I don’t write scratches myself. I write anything as the director is approaching. When I discovered that Amitabh wrote for ‘Dev.D’, I exclaimed, ‘This is our Pimpu, he wrote this!’ I believe his first song for me was ‘Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai’. We’ve built a solid equation since then, and I trust him immensely with lyrics,” he added.
Previously, Pritam had also mentioned his excitement regarding a new idea from the director. He revealed that Anurag shared a fresh concept with him, and he feels as thrilled about this untitled project as he was for ‘Life in a Metro’.
Pritam told IANS, “He has two or three new ideas. There’s one I can’t discuss in detail, but I can say that I feel a similar enthusiasm for it as I did for ‘Life in a Metro’, it’s a completely new animal.”
“I’m unsure when Anurag will proceed with it, but I’m incredibly excited about that idea. A brand new animal. I hope he makes it soon,” he concluded.