Hailing from Jamshedpur, Amandeep Khayal ditched his engineering job to pursue his passion for writing, and we are glad he did that because the way he writes and recites is rare, and his poetries are a gem.
Amandeep had always been a stage person. He was in the nursery when he participated in his first elocution competition, and then reciting poems of other poets was something he enjoyed the most. In the 8th grade, he wrote his first poem called Barish, and before that edited some of his father's poems as well. "My dad also used to write occasionally in Hindi. So once I got bored reciting poems of others, I started reading his pieces, and after a while started editing them, too", said Amandeep Khayal, who then had no idea that he was going to be one of the favourite contemporary poets of many poetry enthusiasts one day.
During his college degree, he used to write nukkads and had always been on stage. He also continued writing poetry and Shayari, performing them as fillers during various college festivals and events. After his graduation, just like any other guy, he was up for job opportunities and so ended up working for an MNC in Hyderabad.
"But then I decided to shift to Bombay because the plan was always to become an event manager and host IIFA, and so that's what I had on my mind. Poetry, on the other hand, happened just like that. Someone told me about a spoken poetry event and suggested performing, so just to be on stage, I participated. I recited one of the fillers I had written during college, and people loved it. So writing and storytelling was never the first priority but eventually happened, and I'm enjoying it", said Amandeep.
From leaving a full-time job to becoming a full-time writer
Even though everything fell smoothly into its place, things were realistically challenging. Amandeep's father first laughed when he told him about taking up writing as a full-time career. When he realized Amandeep was serious about it, he gave him a set of questions to answer before leaving his job and figuring out how will he achieve it.
"It took me 8-9 months to answer them, and during that journey, I figured out a plan for how to leave my job, which worked out well for me. But still, it was a big step. So one day, when I was frustrated, I asked one of my acquaintances, Hussain Hyederi, a lyricist by profession, about what to do, and he suggested something beneficial. He told me to save an amount that would be enough for 9 months and then leave the job. But since I was a little scared, I ended up saving for a year but thankfully still haven't touched it", he added.
What we appreciate and feel everybody else also loves the most about Amandeep is how he is a man of simple yet powerful words. His poems have deep meanings, and the way he writes and recites them makes it even easier to comprehend them. He feels one should write in simple language so that it is understandable.
"Javed Sahab ne khoob kaha hai ke kathin shabdo me likhna aasan hai..aasan lafzo'n me gehri baat likhna bohot kathin hai. and I feel if the audience understands the hidden meaning of your poem, then only they will be attracted to this art, and that's when they will go from Gulzar and Javed Akhtar to Faiz Ahmed Faiz and Jaun Elia", he says.
Amandeep has written over 50 pieces in his 4 years of poetic journey, and most of them have been loved by people online and in person, including Rahat Indori Sahab. "It was a dream come true for me when he spoke about my performance which was very short, and said, "Abhi ye baccha suna kar gaya hai aur jis khoobsurati se padha hai ab mujhe yaad rahegi." I had tears in my eyes and no matter how low I go in life, this moment will be my high," he mentioned while smiling.
Before ending this poetic and enlightening conversation, we asked Amandeep to share a few tips about dealing with the creative block and how one can improve their performance, to which he said, " I usually sleep for an hour or two and come back and start fresh. Sometimes, I leave the piece for months and try again after that. But one thing I would like to suggest to others is to take a plain paper and write the first word that comes to your mind and trust me; it will take you somewhere nice. About performing on stage, it's pretty subjective and depends on you, honestly. But yes, please make sure that you have memorized your poem and then enjoy it while you are on the stage", he concluded.
Quick 5 feat. Amandeep Khayal
1) Your favourite poets? Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Rahat Indori and Javed sahab!
2) Favourite ghazal, poem, kavita, sher? Kuch ishq kiya kuch kaam kiya by Faiz Sahab, Banjara by Javed Sahab, and Taaro'n ki numaish me khalal padta hai by Rahat Indori saahab.
3) A place where you'd like to perform? In front of people who do not know my language.
4) Any advice to those who want to write? Write honestly, and don't restrict yourself if you write good or bad. One should always try because what if it works?
5) Dedicate a line to Mumbai! Ek khayal ye hota hai ke jab main bambai sheher chodke jata hu hafte do hafte se zyada..to mujhe chinta rehti hai mere na rehne pe is sheher ka dhyan kaun rakhega..
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