Manoj Muntashir

Manoj Shukla (born 27 February 1976), better known by his stage name Manoj Muntashir Shukla, is an Indian lyricist, poet, dialogue writer, screenwriter & Co founder of T-Series Prarthana The Sound of Sanatan. He wrote several Hindi songs for films, including "Teri Mitti", "Galliyan", "Tere Sang Yaara", "Kaun Tujhe", "Dil Meri Na Sune", "Kaise Hua" "Maaye" and "Phir Bhi Tumko Chaahunga". He also wrote the script for 2023 Indian film "Adipurush", starring Prabhas and Saif Ali Khan.

Early life Shukla was born on 27 February 1976 into a Brahmin family in Gauriganj, Amethi, Uttar Pradesh, India, where he attended a HAL School Korwa. After graduating from Allahabad University in 1999, he moved to Mumbai to seek work, and subsequently entered the TV and film scene following an opportunity to write for Kaun Banega Crorepati.

Career Muntashir has written the lyrics of several Hindi film songs including "Galliyan" from Ek Villain, "Kaun Tujhe" from M.S Dhoni: The Untold Story and "Dil Meri Na Sune" from the film Genius.

He has voiced concerns with regards to acknowledgments to song and script writers. His lyrics to "Phir Bhi Tumko Chaahunga" (2017), a song which registered more than four million views through unofficial versions prior to its official release, were originally compiled for his wife in 2001. When he failed to receive acknowledgement for the song, he voiced that he didn't "know why certain people can't accept an age old fact that lyricists have an equal amount of contribution in making a song successful". Following a nomination for the 2020 Filmfare award for best lyrics for the song "Teri Mitti" from the 2019 film Kesari, he tweeted his disappointment when the award went to someone else. He has won National Film Awards for best lyrics in Saina.

He has written scripts for India's Got Talent and Indian Idol Junior. Muntashir wrote the Hindi dialogues for Baahubali 2, dubbing the words in Hindi to match the lip movements which were spoken in Telugu. Later, he was commissioned to do the same for the Hollywood film, Black Panther.

He published a book titled Meri Fitrat Hai Mastana. Muntashir defended his work, in an interview with Republic World, stating, "when our grandmothers narrated the tales of Ramayana, they used this language. The dialogue that you mentioned, priests and narrators used to say that in the same way I have written. I'm not the first one to write this dialogue, it's already there." Retrospectively, in 2026, he has called his work on the film, "the biggest mistake of his life". He said, "whatever happened around the film, I'm very ashamed of it, and I beg the forgiveness of this country for all that had happened."

Awards and nominations

Filmography

Discography