Swanand Kirkire is a National Film Award-winning lyricist, singer, composer and actor whose playful and thoughtful turns with the pen and in front of a mic have given India some of its favourite songs. Born to classically trained singers in a Marathi household in Indore, Kirkire moved to Delhi to study at the National School of Drama in the 1990s. Later assisting director Sudhir Mishra on films like Calcutta Mail, Chameli and Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi, Kirkire displayed a potential for real versatility—from actor to scriptwriter to singer and, most notably, lyricist. In 2006 and 2010, Kirkire won National Film Awards for best lyrics with “Bande Me Tha Dum ... Vande Mataram” from Lage Raho Munna Bhai (with fellow lyricist Shantanu Moitra and director Vidhu Vinod Chopra) and “Behti Hawa Sa Tha Woh” from 3 Idiots (also with Moitra and singer Shaan). With the latter project, Kirkire also shone as a singer on the carefree youth song “Aal Izz Well”. Between nostalgic tunes like the Marathi song “Navrai Majhi”, with composer Amit Trivedi and Sunidhi Chauhan for English Vinglish, and the powerful “Tu Kisi Rail Si” with Indian Ocean for Masaan, Kirkire has showcased a range in film music that few other artists can match.