“In anger, he threw my music diary from the third floor.” Sameer Anjaan recalls a heartbreaking incident with a music director during his early days on Komal Nahta’s Game Changers: The Music Series

Komal Nahta, one of India’s most respected trade analysts, is back with a fresh season of his podcast Game Changers: The Music Series. This edition shines a spotlight on celebrated singers, composers, and music maestros as they share their creative journeys, inspirations, and the untold stories behind the music that has shaped generations. The latest episode featured Sameer Anjaan.

One of the most prolific and celebrated lyricists in Indian cinema, Sameer Anjaan, son of legendary veteran songwriter Anjaan, holds a Guinness World Record for writing the highest number of film songs. However, his path to legendary status was paved with early rejections and intense testing of his resolve. Talking about a crucial turning point in his career, he shared, “There was an incident before I visited Usha Khanna. I will not disclose the name of the music director, but he was a good acquaintance of my father. I showed him a few of my songs. After listening to 15–20 songs attentively, he said, ‘You have a good education, you had a job, and you are the son of such a good ‘Shayar’; why would you ruin his reputation? I can give you in writing that you will never become a songwriter. Don’t waste your time here. If you need money, I will give it to you; go back to Banaras.’ In anger, he threw my music diary from the third floor. While I was going down to retrieve it, I had so many questions in my mind. This music director was a friend of my father. He had listened to my songs for 45 minutes to an hour, and if his reaction was like this, was there a problem with my skills? Then I remembered a line from my father’s work: ‘Jag abhi jeeta nahi hai, tu abhi haara nahi hai. Faisla hone se pehle haar mat swikaar karna.’ I found new motivation in those words. I picked up my diary and went straight to Santa Cruz, to Usha Khanna’s house in Khar Road.”

With Game Changers Season: The Music Series, Komal Nahta is redefining the landscape of Indian cinema conversations. Tune in to the YouTube channel for Game Changer: The Music Series!