MUMBAI: Like a magician has magic up his sleeve, 'Galliyan' lyricist Manjon Muntashir has a sharyri or a short poetry for everything you ask him. He often voices his opinion by reciting a small verse, written by other lyricists. Muntashir recently received an accolade with for 'Best Lyricist' for the song 'Galliyan' from the film 'Ek Villain'.

"It has been a great year for me, not just because of the awards and nominations, but also because 'Galliyan' got me a lot of work. It feels great when a producer trusts in your skills. I bagged work for at least 15 films after the song in 'Ek Villain'," said Manoj Muntashir to Radioandmusic.com's Dhairya Ingle.

Muntashir wrote some amazing lyrics for the film 'Do Duni Chaar'. The film despite being a small budget received very good responses and won several accolades including Filmfare and National Awards. But surprisingly, no one took notice of his work as a lyricist. "No one, including my fellow composers, Ankit Tiwari, Meet Brothers and Anjjan got noticed for their composition in 'Do Duni Chaar'. But I held my nerve and I remained positive about good days being round the corner," he explained. According to him, one of the most difficult things during an artist's struggling phase is to get his or her name registered on cell phones of people who can provide work.

Post 'Galliyan' he worked on the song 'Dil Darbadar' from the film 'PK', which did not see a lot of promotion. "I felt a little disheartened. But actually it was the producer's call to not release the video before the film releases, as the video would give out more about the story," he explained. The music of the song was composed by Ankit Tiwari.

He minces no words when it comes to the issue of royalties. He firmly believes that not only lyricists but also composers should get their royalties. Citing an example of a veteran composer Khemchand Prakash, who composed the famous haunted number 'Ayega Anewala' from 'Mahel' he said, "After Khemchand Prakash passed away, his family was to receive royalties of Rs.20, 000 from America. But his family was nowhere in Bollywood. The people from America investigated the whereabouts of the family and his wife was later found begging at Malad railway station. So I think royalties are important for a better living. The lyricist of the renowned Beatles, Paul McCartney still receives royalties," he said.

According to him to become a good lyricist, it is important to be honest to your emotions. "Different people react to a station in a different way. You cannot be a good lyricist being in someone's shadow or copying someone," he commented. For him writing crass lyrics is a shortcut method to success.

The lyricist has received a few offers to join politics but is still dicey when it comes to joining it. His upcoming projects include 'Mastizade', 'Leela' and 'Mr X'.