In a riveting new episode of InControversial by Pooja Chaudhri, renowned writer, lyricist and filmmaker Niranjan Iyengar opened up about the creative machinery of Bollywood, revealing how great cinema is built, what it’s like writing for icons like Shah Rukh Khan, and why perfection is a moving target on film sets.
Iyengar, the mind behind some of Hindi cinema’s most memorable dialogues and songs delivered a masterclass on the collaborative nature of filmmaking. “A film is never the brilliance of one writer or one actor. It is a chorus, and every part has to sing in unison.”
Speaking about the mythology of writing for superstars, Iyengar disarmed the romance around it: “You don’t write for the star; you write for the character. But somehow, no matter what you write, it always ends up sounding like Shah Rukh.”
He added that film dialogues are often written very close to shoot schedules: “Dialogues are usually written just before shooting; it keeps the scenes fresh once the cast is locked in.”
Reflecting on the creative force of long-time collaborator Karan Johar, he shared, “My journey is so intricately involved with him that it’s hard to separate where one ends and the other begins. Things came to me, and I simply chose the path and walked it.”
Iyengar also spoke candidly about the joy and heartbreak that comes with filmmaking. “There are films I loved deeply that didn’t do well. Paap was extremely close to my heart, and it genuinely upset me when the audience didn’t give it the love it deserved.”
In one of the most striking admissions of the interview, he revealed the one Hindi cinema ending he would rewrite: “If I could change the end of any Bollywood film, I would rewrite Sholay so Amitabh Bachchan’s character doesn’t die. That ending bothered me from the moment I first saw it as a child.”
Comparing key collaborators, Iyengar offered a rare behind-the-scenes contrast: “Manish is definitely the bigger perfectionist; for him every single moment has to be perfect. Karan always keeps an eye on the larger picture.”
He didn’t shy away from speaking about the online reactions to his latest show Too Much with Kajol and Twinkle, saying; “The backlash is simply a reflection of the times we live in. People today have far more ways to express their opinions, and if they’re watching, their opinions matter.”
Watch the full podcast on https://www.youtube.com/@IncontroversialPodcast
