Alok Ranjan Srivastava is an emerging name in the Indian music industry and has worked as a lyricist in several successful projects. He is now gearing up for the release of songs penned up by him, ‘Hicki 2.0’ and ‘Khaamakha’ from the much-anticipated web series ‘Bandish Bandits Season 2’. In an exclusive interview with News24, Alok talks about his journey as a lyricist, the changes he has seen in the industry, and much more.
Alok shares that he has worked with artists who have always respected his contribution but acknowledges that many times lyricists do not get their recognition. Sharing his personal experience, he tells us, “I’ve been fortunate to work with artists who respect my contributions, but, like anyone in this field, I’ve had my share of sour experiences. There have been times when composers refused to credit me as a primary artist or, on occasion, I wasn’t even invited to a music launch while everyone else was. However, I believe these things are changing, and I’m committed to raising my voice in such situations. By doing so, I hope to play a small part in making things better for the next generation of lyricists.”
He further talks about what needs to be changed in the music industry for lyricists to get more recognition. Alok says, “Unfortunately, with the rise of private media and labels, this practice has stopped. As a result, previous generations were familiar with many lyricists, but our generation often isn’t. What needs to change is that more labels, radio stations, film producers, and other industry players should ensure that the names of all three contributors are always credited when a song is played. This kind of awareness will help the audience recognize and appreciate the contributions of lyricists, eventually leading to them being celebrated just as much as singers and composers.”
On the work front, Alok Ranjan Srivastava has previously worked on hit projects like ‘Kota Factory’, ‘Modern Love: Mumbai’, ‘Faraaz’ and ‘Ishqiyapa’.