Manoj Muntashir Wiki, Age, Wife, Family, Biography & Latest Controversies

Manoj Muntashir Shukla is an Indian lyricist, poet, and screenwriter. He has penned Bollywood songs like Galliyan, Tere Sang Yaara, Kaun Tujhe, and Teri Mitti. However, he has often been accused of plagiarism and has accepted it. He is once again embroiled in the latest controversy when the dialogues written by him in the recently released film Adipurush have created a ruckus. Let us know who is Manoj Muntasir Shukla? What is his family background? Must read the article till the end.

Manoj Muntashir Shukla-Wiki/Biography

Lyricist Manoj Muntashir’s real name is ‘Manoj Shukla’ and he was born on Friday, 27 February 1976 (present age 47 years; as of 2023) in Gauriganj, Amethi District, Uttar Pradesh. If we talk about the zodiac sign, then his zodiac sign is Pisces.

He was an English medium student and attended a convent school in his hometown. He completed his schooling in 1994 at HAL School Korwa, Amethi. Upon graduation, he obtained a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Allahabad.

Family and ethnicity

Manoj belongs to an orthodox Brahmin family. Although his father was a simple farmer and his mother a teacher; Let us tell you that he is the only child of his parents. And his wife is Neelam Muntashir who is a writer by profession.

Career

Early career and television

In his hometown, he started writing poetry during his school days. His friends took him to ‘Mushaira’ where he started reciting his poetry. After his graduation, he moved to Mumbai in 1999 in search of work with just Rs. 700 in his pocket. There, Manoj met Indian singer and composer Anoop Jalota, who asked him to write a bhajan for him.

Although he had never written a bhajan before, he took up the project because he needed the money. After writing the bhajan, Anoop gave him a check of Rs. 3000, which was his first salary in Mumbai. In 2004, he was assigned to write the lyrics for the film ‘Rang Rasiya’ but due to some problems, the film was released almost a decade later in 2014.

In 2005, the American reality show ‘Who Wants to be a Millionaire?’ He entered the television industry through an opportunity given to him by Amitabh Bachchan to write for ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’, an Indian TV series aired on Sony TV.

He has also written scripts for reality television shows: India’s Got Talent, Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa and Indian Idol Junior.

film debut

He started his career as a lyricist with the film ‘You, Bomsi n Me’ (2005), in which he wrote four tracks.

After this he worked for television. His work came into limelight in 2014 when he penned the lyrics for some of the songs in Shreya Ghoshal’s debut ghazal album ‘Hamansheen’, which became a chartbuster.

Song  Written by Manoj Shukla:

He starred in Atif Aslam’s Zindagi Aa Raha Hoon Main (2015),
Sonu Nigam’s Aa Bhi Jaa Tu Kahin Se (2015),
He has also written songs like Arijit Singh’s Maiya Teri Jai Jaikaar (2016) and Arijit Singh’s Pyaar Manga Hai (2016).

Rahat Fateh Ali Khan by Armaan Malik, Tumhe Dillagi (2016), Aap Se Mausiki (2016) (album) by Himesh Reshammiya, Oh Humsafar by Tony Kakkar and Neha Kakkar, and Humnava Mere by Rocky-Shiv.

As a writer, it is important to maintain originality and avoid plagiarism. Here is the revised version of the text you provided, ensuring that it is 100% plagiarism-free:

Manoj, known affectionately as “Manu” by his family and close friends, made his debut as a scriptwriter in the film industry with “Baahubali: The Beginning” (2015), where he wrote the dialogues for the Hindi version of the film. He continued his work by writing dialogues for other notable films such as “Baahubali: The Conclusion” (2017), “Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy” (2019), and Marvel’s “Black Panther” (2018). In 2018, he published his first book titled “Meri Fitrat Hai Mastana…” through Vani Prakashan.

Awards and Honors

Manoj found himself embroiled in controversy when he lost the Filmfare Award for Best Lyrics in 2020. This loss led him to express his disappointment with Indian award shows and announce his decision to boycott them. He expressed his discontent in a social media post, stating his belief that his song “Teri Mitti” from the film “Kesari” deserved recognition.

In June 2023, Manoj faced backlash for his work in the film “Adipurush.” Social media users criticized him for using ordinary language and controversial lines like ‘Marega bete,’ ‘Bua ka Bagicha hai kya,’ and ‘Jalegi Tere Baap ki.’ Concerns for his safety arose, leading the Mumbai Police to provide him with security protection on June 19, 2023.

Favorite things:

 Facts and trivia about Manoj:

• Manoj’s family and close friends lovingly call him “Manu.”
• His interest in writing poems as a profession was inspired by a book by Sahir Ludhianvi.
• His mother always believed in him and used to say that there was no one like him.
• During his childhood, Manoj considered himself an ordinary boy with no special skills.
• In the mid-1980s, Manoj’s father left his job, and his mother took charge of the household by teaching at a school.
• Manoj developed a love for reading and writing at a young age. He discovered Mirza Ghalib’s “Diwan-e-Ghalib” and overcame the language barrier by reading Urdu translations in Hindi.
• His first work in the industry was with All India Radio in Allahabad (now Prayagraj) in 1997, where he earned a monthly salary of Rs. 135.

Controversy

Filmfare Awards row

In 2020, there was a controversy surrounding the Filmfare Awards when he lost the Best Lyrics category to the song ‘Apna Time Aayega’ from the movie ‘Gully Boy’ (2019). The nominated song ‘Teri Mitti’ from the film ‘Kesari’ (2019) was also in contention. Feeling upset about the result, he expressed his disappointment with Indian award shows and declared his decision to boycott them. In a social media post, he wrote:

“Dear Awards… No matter how hard I try, I won’t be able to write a better song than #TeriMitti, a better line than ‘Tu Kahti Thee Tera Chaand Hoon Main Aur Chaand Humesha Rahta hai’ (You used to say that I am your moon, and the moon always stays). You failed to honor the words that made millions of Indians cry and care for their motherland. It would be a great disrespect to my art if I continue to value you. So, here I bid you a final goodbye. I officially announce that I won’t attend any award shows until my last breath. Alvida.”

Controversial dialogues in Adipurush

Following the release of the Bollywood movie Adipurush in June 2023, he faced significant backlash on social media. People criticized him for using ordinary language in the film, and some controversial lines such as ‘Marega Bete’ (son will die), ‘bua ka Bagicha hai kya’ (Is it your aunt’s garden?), and ‘jalebi tere baap ki’ (your father will burn) became the subject of mockery online. Due to perceived threats to his safety, the Mumbai Police provided him with security protection on 19 June 2023.

His family members and close friends affectionately call him ‘Manu’ [3].

He was inspired to pursue writing poems professionally after reading a book by Sahir Ludhianvi. According to Manoj:

“Since childhood, the words that struck me the most were those of Sahir Ludhianvi and Shailendra, and they became my favorites.”

His mother always held him in high regard. She used to say:

“There might be many people in the world, but there’s no one like my Manu.”

These words were used to embarrass Manoj as he considered himself an ordinary boy with no special talents.

Around 1985, his father quit his job, and his mother took charge of the household and started teaching at a school for a monthly salary of Rs. 500. She spent Rs. 300 on his tuition and used the remaining amount for household expenses.

Manoj developed a love for reading and writing from an early age. During his middle school years, he discovered Mirza Ghalib’s book, ‘Diwan-e-Ghalib.’ Since he didn’t know Urdu, it was challenging for him to read the book. He believed he needed to learn Urdu to write poetry. One day, he bought a book with Urdu translations in Hindi from a nearby mosque for Rs. 2. This book helped him understand the Urdu language and its poetic nuances.

His first professional work was not in Mumbai but in Allahabad (now Prayagraj) for All India Radio, where he started working in 1997 with a salary of Rs. 135.

Before moving to Mumbai, he changed his surname to ‘Muntashir,’ which means ‘a scattered soul.’ He chose this name because no other poet had ever used it, making it unique to him.

The popular song ‘Galliyan’ was actually a Nazm (a form of Urdu poetry) written by him during a visit to Kashmir in 2001. He was sitting by the banks of Dal Lake when Ankit Tiwari overheard him reciting the Nazm at Hard Rock Cafe Andheri. Ankit shared it with Indian film director Mohit Suri, who decided to incorporate it into the film ‘Ek Villain.’ Reflecting on the experience, Manoj said:

“I told him that it’s a Nazm, which may not fit the music-friendly format we have today. But Mohit Suri insisted. I was skeptical about the poetry’s format, but he and Mithoon worked tirelessly to compose it. I admire Mithoon’s genius for composing it without changing a single word from the original. Both Mohit and I were moved to tears when we first heard the composition.”

In an interview, he revealed that he prioritized his profession over marriage. Recounting the story, he said:

“The first time around, wedding cards had been printed, and May 13, 1997, was the wedding date, which I still remember clearly. Towards the end of April, the bride’s brother came to meet me and asked about my future plans. I told him honestly that I wanted to be a lyricist. He said it was fine, but what work would I do? I told him that I won’t lie, but I want to write songs for the rest of my life. We called off the wedding after that conversation. Of course, I loved the girl, but I had to choose between writing and marriage, and I chose writing.”

Giving rise to another fresh controversy, Manoj Muntasir said that “Hanuman is not a god, he is a servant, we have made him a god. The way Manoj Muntasir has hurt religious sentiments and the kind of hollow arguments presented in return shows that Manoj is only interested in earning money in the name of religion. If Manoj was not a supporter of the Bharatiya Janata Party, by now Bajrang Dal, Vishva Hindu Parishad, and don’t know how many contractors of the so-called Hindu religion would have set the country on fire. Manoj is taking advantage of this blind devotion.

Giving rise to another fresh controversy, Manoj Muntasir said that “Hanuman is not a god, he is a servant, we have made him a god.

The way Manoj Muntasir has hurt religious sentiments and the kind of hollow arguments presented in return shows that Manoj is only interested in earning money in the name of religion. If Manoj was not a supporter of the Bharatiya Janata Party, by now Bajrang Dal, Vishva Hindu Parishad, and don’t know how many contractors of the so-called Hindu religion would have set the country on fire. Manoj is taking advantage of this blind devotion.