Lyricist Adesh Krishna has been having a busy two weeks with his phone buzzing with memes and reels around his latest song 'Athu Thalore' from Suriya-RJ Balaji's Karuppu. And it is not often that misheard lyrics put a smile on the lyricist's face. Adesh is ecstatic about the response to the Sai Abhyannkar composition, especially the memes made on 'À tout à l'heure', the French word for 'See you later'. "A lot of people have texted me asking if it's Pathu Thala or even Abdul Kalam. The words 'La justice n'est pas là, À tout à l'heure' essentially mean 'Justice is not here, See you later', but my favourite mispronunciation would be 'Logistics Nepal ah'," he laughs, adding, "I've been resharing them one by one, I'm enjoying people butchering my lyrics because even I've been on the other side."
Adesh assures that the use of French words wasn't to showcase his stylistic expression. "I have studied French to an extent, and À tout à l'heure' instantly connected with me. I loved how interesting it was. When the situation was narrated to me, I felt that this word fit perfectly. Sai gave me a chant to write the song. When I was already fixated on using those words, I wondered why I shouldn't start the song with two French lines. I'm happy that Balaji anna and Sai were open to using those words," he explains.
The lyricist also fondly remembers Suriya's words of praise for the song. "When Balaji anna introduced me to Suriya sir and listed the songs I had written, sir told me that those songs were among his favourites. That felt like a 'lifetime settlement' moment for me," he says with a laugh.
Adesh is no stranger to topping trending charts, as his previous collaborations, such as 'Katchi Sera's (2024), with school friend Sai Abhyankkar, have been viral sensations. "I'm extremely grateful for the love that's been coming my way. I've been incredibly lucky to be at the right place at the right time," he remarks.
While Sai and Adesh might be schoolmates who have charted their own paths to success, they have also not forgotten that they are friends first, which means a squabble here and there is fair game. "They are still friendly. If I say, 'I need this', he is professional enough to accept it, and the same goes for me. It is the same with criticisms about each other, too. What Sai and I have is a perfect equation, and that is why our songs are working well." This friendship shines through in the way Adesh stands up for his friend, who is often at the receiving end of unflattering trolls. "Everyone has their own opinions. It's a free country. Those who have been close to him know the effort and dedication he puts into creating his music. If we see any trolling and misinformation about him, we laugh it off, because we know the truth."
An accidental lyricist who started penning his songs during the COVID-19 pandemic, Adesh admits that he is neither "professionally trained" nor does he have a hit formula for his lyrics. "I listen to the tune, derive inspiration, and write what I feel at the time. I don't think I'm talented enough to explain how I write," he says, acknowledging that composers, and not lyricists, get the centrestage when it comes to a song's popularity. "See, we know the actors and the director for a movie, but do we know anything about the writers? It's always been that way. But honestly, visibility does feel good, and I am working towards it," he shares.
Adesh seems to be very much on that road to visibility. Once 'Katchi Sera' and 'Kannukulla' from Dude took over the internet, his social media accounts were flooded with messages. "Many have told me that they've cried listening to 'Kannukulla'. If you can touch someone emotionally, that is a blessing. See, you can't construct a hit song... it has to happen, and heartfelt writing can make all the difference," he says.
Being a Gen Z lyricist, Adesh is a witness to the proliferation of AI in the creative field. However, Adesh shares that he hasn't gotten the desired results through it. "AI doesn't produce good Tamil lyrics. I've tried it," he laughs, adding, "My approach towards writing lyrics is different, so it didn't work."
Success and hits aside, Adesh takes a step back when enquired about sharpening his pen and pursuing it full-time. "There are professionally trained lyricists out there. I'm writing for fun and going with the flow. People are liking it, and I would continue as long as they show interest in my lyrics," he says.
Interestingly, the lyricist was an assistant cinematographer on popular films like Thiruchitrambalam (2022) and Raayan (2024) before finding an audience for his lyrics. But Adesh asserts that the journey towards directing will continue. "I had recently helmed a music video titled 'Pocha' which has been composed and sung by Sublahshini. It's a soup song from a girl's perspective," he says, signing off.
