Jasmeet K. Reen’s much talked about debut with Alia Bhatt starrer Darlings has been breaking the internet since the trailer was dropped. Touted as a dark comedy thriller about a mother and daughter trying to find their place in a male dominated Muslim world, Darlings has been winning hearts.
The lyrics of the title song of Darlings called, ‘Pleaj!’ are penned by none other than Gulzar Saab who is known for his versatile range but a little-known fact about him is his quirky nature and innate perceptiveness. Jasmeet had a learning experience working with this octogenarian lyricist who has almost close to 150 lyricist credits to his name.
Speaking about working with Gulzar Saab, Director Jasmeet K. Reen said, “There was a certain kind of quirk that was required for ‘Pleaj’! and Gulzar Saab almost cracked the song instantaneously. He reads the script, understands the director’s vision, narrates the lyrics himself, and is extremely perceptive about whether you like it or not”.
She added, “There was one word which I had asked Vishal Bhardwaj Sir later, if he liked the choice of the word or should we look for options? And Vishal sir said even Gulzar saab was saying that he could see that Jasmeet is unsure about it. And Vishal sir continued to tell me that Gulzar Saab already wanted to discuss options with me. Also, conversations with Gulzar Saab were a learning experience and too much fun. He has a director friendly approach and did not make me feel like a debutant even for an instance”.
Speaking about the music of the film, she continued, “There is another song called ‘Lailaaj’. We wanted a song for a perfectly flawed love, a relationship that is broken but for you it is all you want. Gulzar Saab and Vishal Sir gave us this word, Lailaaj. ‘Dil Humara laailaaj hai’ “
Darlings stars Alia Bhatt, Shefali Shah, Vijay Verma and Shefali Shah in pivotal roles, while it also marks Alia Bhatt’s debut as a producer. Vishal Bhardwaj has composed the music and Gulzar Saab has penned the lyrics for Darlings. The film is produced by Red Chilies Entertainment and Alia Eternal Sunshine Productions.
