‘The heroine was lying down, dancers were rubbing her': Sameer recalls when director D Ramanaidu mistook ‘rab' in his song for ‘rub'

Indian Express

10-07-2025

Veteran lyricist Sameer Anjaan holds a record in the Guinness Book of World Records for the most songs at over 3,500 across his career that spans across 40 years. He's worked with a range of music composers, singers, filmmakers, and producers. But the lyricist admits he's had quite a challenge writing for films backed by South producers.
Sameer recalled a hilarious incident of writing songs for a film backed by late Telugu producer D Ramanaidu. 'D Ramanaidu was after my life, 'Come to the set. The shooting is going on. You just come and enjoy.' When we went to the set, which was at a distance, I heard the line, 'Rab, rab, rab, rab,' so I realized which song they're shooting that day,' said Sameer.
On The Ashoke Pandit Show, Sameer revealed he was shocked to see the scene on the set and how his lyrics were misinterpreted rather grossly. 'I saw the heroine is lying down, and people are rubbing her. I said, 'What's happening here!' So he said, 'But sir, you've written no, 'rab, rab, rab, rab.' I told him 'rab' means God (in Hindi). He said, 'We weren't aware sir, sorry.' I was wondering if that song had released that way, then I'd have gotten so much abuses for my lyrics,' said Sameer.
He recalled another instance of writing the song for K Murali Mohana Rao's 1989 action film Rakhwala, also backed by Ramanaidu. 'I wrote in the song, 'Neend aa rahi hai, na jagao, Jao baba jao so jao.' He said, 'Sir, you've written 'baba,' but grandfather isn't there in the song. 'Baba' means grandfather.' Arey maine socha inn gadho ko kaise samjhau bhai wo expression hai (how do I explain to these fools that 'baba' is just an expression),' said Sameer. He quoted another instance, of director Murali Mohan, who took an expression in Sameer's lyrics far too literally. Sameer recalled, 'I wrote the line, 'Teri aankhon mein bijli chamke.' He said, 'Sir, you've written some line, but how will I shoot 'thunder in the eyes'?'
Sameer added false translations and misinterpretations weren't the only issues with South filmmakers. He recalled being summoned to Hyderabad for the music of a film. The director's assistant told him that they'd select the songs which makes the director fall from a sofa, literally. Sameer recalled when the director fell from his sofa, he didn't even realize if he did so because the song was that bad or that good.
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Sameer is the son of late lyricist Laji 'Anjaan' Pandey. Sameer began his career in 1983 with Jagdish Sidana's social drama Ek Baar Chale Aao. He had a breakthrough with the soundtrack of Indra Kumar's 1990 blockbuster Dil. He's most recently written a few songs in AR Murugadoss' action drama Sikandar, which released earlier this year.