I'm not even 1% of Kishoreda: Swanand Kirkire

The “Banwara Mann” singer was in Bhopal recently for the shooting of Sai Kabir’s “Single Chal Riya Hoon”. After singing, composing music, acting and writing, Swanand Kirkire’s next on his to-do list is direction.
In a chat with TOI, he reveals his directorial plans and how he enjoyed his stay in Bhopal.
Bhopal has a strong character
Born and brought up in Indore, Swanand says his directorial debut will be based in Bhopal.“I will direct a film soon. I have a script, which is Madhya Pradesh centric. In fact, I have a very strong story for Bhopal. I want my film to be set in Bhopal because the city has a very strong character. I know this city very well. As I am from neighbouring Indore, I have been to this city many times. And I really like the character of this city,” says Swanand.
Bhopal has changed for good
The multi-talented man was all praise for the city. “Though I’ve visited Bhopal innumerable times, this time I can see that the city has changed quite a bit. Ab yahaan bahut si cheezein aa gayi hain. Ye malls pehle kahaan thay. This city is inherently very beautiful. Its architecture is different from other cities. The nawabi culture and the modern culture, talaabs and roads, everything attracts you. I also like visiting Bharat Bhavan,” says Swanand.
Will do more noticeable roles now
Swanand’s acting debut happened with the movie “Calcutta Mail”, where he played a very small role. The singer shares his strange connection with acting. “Whenever I am working in or assisting in any film I tend to appear in it. I was first seen on screen in “Calcutta Mail”, in which I was assisting. Then I did “Chameli”. After that “Eklavya” came my way. I played a small role as an assistant cop to Sanjay Dutt,” says he, adding, “In my new film “Maximum” I have a more noticeable role. The audience will at least remember that I was there in the film.” In “Single Chal Riya Hoon” that is also based in Bhopal, Swanand plays the role of a filmmaker.
Directors like my acting
Swanand says that it is not him who chooses to act, but the directors like his acting. “Directors are more interested in my acting. What can I do? I come from a strong background of theatre and, therefore, I am able to act decently. I mean, think I can act. So why not give acting a chance if a director offers me an interesting part in his film?” asks Swanand, who has also written lyrics for Sridevi’s comeback film “English Vinglish”, “Bol Bachchan” and “Barfi”. About “Single Chal Riya Hoon” he says, “Sai Kabir is a good friend of mine and he called me to Bhopal for his film. I anyway couldn’t miss the chance of coming to Bhopal, so I happily accepted it.”
I am not even 1% of Kishoreda
For his tendency of juggling between singing and acting, many compare him with the singing legend Kishore Kumar who was also into acting. “It is a great feeling when people compare me to a legend. But to be very honest, I am not even 1% of Kishoreda’s stature. It’s an unjust comparison,” Swanand says.