Think lyricist-screenwriter Puneet Sharma, and the first thing that probably comes to mind is his 2020 viral poem Tum Kaun Ho Be, which he wrote during the anti-CAA protests. His songwriting too is often infused with his politics. A shining example being Hua Na, a sombre track from Jolly LLB 3 in which a citizen expresses his grief about being an unrequited lover to his country. “Whatever I write, it will always be political,” Sharma says matter-of-factly as we get on a call with him to discuss the balance between ideology and art, and the price he has to pay for his political views.

Excerpts from the interview.