Ayushmann, Rochak & I are like family: Gurpreet Saini

Lyricist, poet and actor Gurpreet Saini, who gives lyrics to songs of Ayushmann Khurrana besides for his own songs, hails from Chandigarh. In city, Gurpreet talks about his experiences of this city and how it shaped him into being who he is today and his association with Ayushmann.
You recently teamed up for the song 'Raatan Kaaliyan,' with Ayushmann Khurrana. What was your experience collaborating with him on this track?
Ayushmann Khurrana, Rochak Kohli (the music director of 'Raatan Kaaliyan') and I go back a long way. They were my seniors at DAV College, Chandigarh. We have also done theatre together and worked on musicals. So, our musical journey goes back to 2005. We have been working together ever since. The first song that we did together was 'Saadi Gali Aaja'. I had written that song, Rochak had composed it and Ayushmann sang it. After that, we did 'Yahin Hoon Main', which was another single that Ayushmann sang and Rochak composed. We jam together and are very close like a family. So, it doesn't feel like work and what we used to do for fun back in the day has become our career now. Ayushmann is an amazing artist. He inspires me a lot. He also guides me whenever I am in trouble.
Tell us about you early years in Chandigarh and how the city influenced your experiences?
I was born and brought up in Chandigarh, which is a very community-centric city where almost everyone knows everyone. I still have many beautiful memories of those early days of cycling from one place to another, riding scooters and driving my small car. Compared to Mumbai, it was so quiet. There would be afternoon siestas and then in the evening, children would play in the parks and community gardens. After dinner, we would go out for walks. I feel very lucky to have been born in an amazing city like Chandigarh which has influenced me to appreciate cleanliness, order, nature and greenery. The values that this beautiful city has taught me will always remain with me.
How do you see the rise of Punjabi artists in the Indian entertainment industry, especially with the growing popularity of Punjabi cinema and music?
Punjabi artists have always been prominent. Jaspal Bhatti sir was the king of sarcastic comedy in India. We grew up listening to Gurdas Maan, Sardul Sikandar and Surjeet Bindrakhia and the whole world has been listening to them as well. In the last three years, Punjabi performers have become pioneers in the entertainment industry and Punjabi lyrics are seeping into Bollywood as well. I am a lyricist too and have written songs like 'Saadi Galli Aaja' and 'Mitti Di Khushboo'. Most of my songs have a Punjabi flavour even though they may be in Hindi. Punjabi and Punjabi artists are now better understood than ever before. I think it is an amazing opportunity for all Punjabi artists to do what they want to do in cinema and music. With stars like Gippy Grewal, and Diljit Dosanjh and directors like Anurag Singh, the industry is really becoming a force to reckon with.
Did you always envision yourself as an actor, or was it an unexpected opportunity?
An unexpected opportunity came my way because of Jaspal Bhatti sir. I was a theatre artist throughout school and then I went to DAV College where I was part of the DAV Dramatics Club. We would create musicals, and write our own plays and songs. I did theatre for a long time and then decided to join the Indian Army. I cleared my exam and just five days before my Services Selection Board interview in 2009, Jaspal Bhatti Sir called to offer me a show that was to be aired on a TV channel. I enjoyed working in front of the camera and learnt a lot from him. I arrived in Mumbai in 2010 and my journey as an actor started. For over 14 years, I’ve been juggling the roles of a lyricist and an actor and it's been a beautiful journey.
What drew you to the teleplay 'Trial of Satyam Kaushik'?
The first thing that attracted me was that it was a teleplay; a perfect mixture of cinema and theatre. Having done theatre, films, web shows and TV, I wanted to explore how I would face this challenge as an actor. The intertwined themes were very compelling as well. The immigration conflict, racism, the arc of the Alpha male and the domestic abuse that is often swept under the rug. There was also an interesting exploration of the colonial hangover that we have. The teleplay talks about the aspiration of going abroad to build careers. It also reveals the lack of patience that youngsters have and I wanted to be a part of this narrative. We see similar news stories about men who are not able to figure out how to let their partners be their equals at home. They do not realize that their frustrations don't have to come home in the form of physical abuse. This teleplay delves deep into these issues and shows what consequences these frustrations can lead to.
Tell us about your upcoming projects.
I'm working on a film called 'Diler', which is being directed by Kunal Deshmukh, I'm really excited to be working on it. As a lyricist, I'm doing a lot of songs with pop star Darshan Raval. His new album is going to be out very soon and I've written seven songs for it. The songs have a folk and Punjabi flavour. I have also written many Punjabi numbers for Bollywood films and am working on musical collaborations with Punjabi singers.