Author Suketu Mehta has written in his book that every filmmaker is way more intelligent than his films. We stoop below our intelligence because we fear the market

Varun Grover is the man who gave us the haunting words Moh moh ke dhage in Dum Laga Ke Haisha and the spunky lyrics of Jabraa fan from Shah Rukh Khan’s Fan. O womania and Taar bijli se patle from Gangs of Wasseypur were his creations as well. He’s even penned songs for Raman Raghav 2.0. He’s also been responsible for some soul-stirring moments in last year’s Masaan, a film that put him on the map. It also won him a few awards. But he’s not one for adulation. He prefers to work for posterity instead. He says, “I’m not excited by the National Award. But it made my parents happy. That made me happy. People forget these awards in a matter of months. It is the song that matters not the award.” He says someone complimenting him for Moh moh ke dhaage, 20 years from now, would be the real award. “Actors benefit from the awards not the singers or the lyricists. Awards help people recognise you. But in the end, it’s just an event with some perks.”

Varun’s developed a reputation for his wordplay and catchy songs. O womaniya from Gangs Of Wasseypur caught on thanks to its unique jousting. He explains, “A word invention depends on luck, screenplay and the daring of a writer. Here, people are bent on making everything simple. Sometimes, you’re scared to use a unique word because they say who is going to listen to this?” He once used the word makaan in a song and the music director asked him what it meant. “He said makaan would not work as it’s a non-glamorous word,” he smiles.