Word power unleashed

Neelesh Misra, poet, Bollywood lyricist, activist, writer and founder of Slow, talks of his unique super power: the art of saying no

- Manju Ramanan

"Kindly remove my name from the film credits," read Neelesh Misra's email to a top film production house in India.

Joyfully mastering the art of saying no, he feels that it is his super power and he vehemently denies creating any content that doesn't suit his sensibility. The master of words—with a rich repertoire in journalism, story telling, film lyrics, poetry, books, lectures and activism—was in Dubai for a family vacation.

"I am uncomfortable with sleazy lyrics and hook lines handed out to me with an expectation to write the full song. Envision this—if the hook line is indecent, the words I write leading to the hook line will have to be sleazier. So I politely decline such work," laughs Misra known for gems like Jadu Hai Nasha Hai (Jism), Kyun na Hum Tum (Barfi), Zindagi Kuch Toh Bata and more. What's more, he is self depreciative of his stand and adds, "Sometime I have shelled out my own money to bail myself out of situations when I say no. My wife is always reprimanding me," says one of the biggest wordsmiths and voices out of India.

The power of the word underlines his career—be it story telling, podcasts, his movement called Slow that promotes slow living and a simpler lifestyle. "I have come to realise that if children are taught the power of the word from an early age, it would be life changing and transformational. They would be able to express their ideas in an impactful manner."