46 Indian male songwriters

Akhil Pasreja, known mononymously as Akhil, is an Indian Punjabi playback singer, songwriter and music performer. He made his Bollywood singing debut in Luka Chuppi (2019). He was born in a Arora family in Jalandhar, Punjab.

Arunagirinaadhar was a Tamil saint-poet who lived during the 15th century in Tamil Nadu, India. He was the creator of Thiruppugazh, a book of poems in Tamil in praise of lord Murugan.

Anand Bakshi was a popular Indian poet and lyricist. He was nominated for the Filmfare award for Best lyricist a total of 40 times, resulting in 4 wins.

Sattiraju Lakshmi Narayana, known professionally as Bapu, was an Indian film director, painter, illustrator, cartoonist, screenwriter, music artist, and designer known for his works in Telugu cinema, and bollywood. In 2013, he was awarded the Padma Shri, for his contribution to Indian art and cinema.

Vaikom Muhammad Basheer, also known as Beypore Sultan, was an Indian independence activist and writer of Malayalam literature. He was a writer, humanist, freedom fighter, novelist and short story writer, noted for his path-breaking, down-to-earth style of writing that made him equally popular among literary critics as well as the common man. His notable works include Balyakalasakhi, Shabdangal, Pathummayude Aadu, Mathilukal, Ntuppuppakkoranendarnnu, Janmadinam and Anargha Nimisham and the translations of his works into other languages have earned him worldwide acclaim. The Government of India awarded him the fourth highest civilian honor of the Padma Shri in 1982. He was also a recipient of the Sahitya Academy Fellowship, Kerala Sahitya Academy Fellowship, and the Kerala State Film Award for Best Story.

Vishal Bhardwaj is an Indian film director, screenwriter, producer, music composer and playback singer. He is known for his work in Hindi cinema, and is the recipient of seven National Film Awards in four categories.

Yogaraj Bhat is an Indian Kannada film director, lyricist, producer and screenwriter. He is most known for the 2006 film Mungaru Male. The film recorded the highest box-office collections in the history of Kannada cinema at the time of its release and currently holds the record for the longest running film at a multiplex. He is considered as a cult filmmaker in the industry who brought a new wave of freshness to cinemas through his films, dialogues and songs. Bhat is given the credit of introducing some of the very talented technicians and artists to the film industry.

Bhima Bhoi (1850–1895) was a saint, poet and philosopher from the state of Odisha in India. Bhima Bhoi was a bhakta of Mahima Swamy. From Mahima Swamy, Bhima Bhoi would receive initiation into Mahima Dharma, an Indian religious tradition that challenged the authority of caste Hinduism on its own terms.

Chandrabose is an Indian lyricist who writes songs for Tollywood films. He was also a playback singer at the start of his motion picture career. He has won a number of awards as best lyricist.

Nagathihalli Chandrashekhar is an Indian director, actor, screenwriter and a lyricist who predominantly works in Kannada Cinema. He made his film debut as a screenplay writer in Kadina Benki (1986) which won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film and the Karnataka State Award. His directorial debut was Undu Hoda Kondu Hoda (1991) for which he won the Karnataka State Film Award for Best Story.

Devaraya Swamigal was a Tamil devotee of Lord Muruga. He is best known for his composition of the Tamil hymn Kanda Shasti Kavasam.

Tarandeep Singh Dhaliwal, known professionally as Vicky Dhaliwal is an Indian-Punjabi lyricist, singer and former Kabaddi player. He rose to fame after release of "Diamond" by Gurnam Bhullar. He had played Kabaddi at national level but left due to injury in his shoulder. In September 2020, Dhaliwal released his debut single "1.5 Lakh", featuring Gurlez Akhtar.

Anjan Dutt is an Indian film director, actor, and singer-songwriter known for his work in the Bengali alternative music genre anyodharar gaan. As an actor, Dutt began his career in Bengali cinema in the Mrinal Sen film Chalachitro, for which he won the best newcomer actor award at the Venice Film Festival. He acted in Aparna Sen's hit film, Mr. and Mrs. Iyer. In 2018 he featured in Swapnasandhani's new play Taraye Taraye, as Vincent Van Gogh, under the direction of Kaushik Sen.

Ghantasala Venkateswararao, known mononymously as Ghantasala, was an Indian film composer, Playback Singer known for his works predominantly in Telugu cinema and Kannada cinema and also in Tamil, Malayalam, Tulu and Hindi language films. In 1970, he received the Padma Shri award, India's fourth highest civilian award for his contribution to Indian cinema. According to The Hindu and The Indian Express, Ghantasala was "Such a divine talent and with his songs he could move the hearts of the people." "Ghantasala's blending of classical improvisations to the art of light music combined with his virtuosity and sensitivity puts him a class apart, above all others in the field of playback singing"." "Gifted with what Indian Film Historian V. A. K. Ranga Rao called "the most majestic voice", Ghantasala helped Telugu film music develop its own distinct character which remains unparalleled". He is referred to as the "Gaana Gandharva" for his mesmerising voice and musical skills.

P. K. Gopi is an Indian poet writing in the language Malayalam and also a physiotherapist. He is a lyricist for Malayalam films and was a member of Kerala Sahitya Akademi. He was the former state President of Yuvakala Sahithi.

Hamsalekha is an Indian film composer and a songwriter who works in South Indian cinema, predominantly in the Kannada film industry since the late 1980s. He is also a screenplay writer, dialogue writer, instrumentalist and a conductor. Composed and written for over 500 feature films.

Jaani Johan is an Indian songwriter and music composer associated with Punjabi and Hindi language songs. He is known for his work with music director B Praak on songs like Qismat, Mann Bharrya, Hath Chumme, Naah, Kaun Hoyega, Soch, Kya Baat Ay, Pachtaoge and Filhall.

Ravindra Jain was an Indian Music Composer, lyricist, Playback Singer. He started his career in the early 1970s, composing for hit movies such as Chor Machaye Shor (1974), Geet Gaata Chal (1975), Chitchor (1976) and Ankhiyon Ke Jharokhon Se (1978). He composed music for many films and TV shows based on Hindu epics, including Ramanand Sagar's Ramayan (1987). He was awarded the Padma Shri, the fourth-highest civilian award of the Republic of India in 2015 for his contribution to arts.

Hasrat Jaipuri, born Iqbal Hussain was an Indian poet, who wrote in the Hindi and Urdu languages. He was also a renowned film lyricist in Hindi films, where he won the Filmfare Awards for Best Lyricist twice.

R. N. Jayagopal was an Indian film director and lyricist in Kannada cinema. He had written over 12,000 film songs.

Jayanth Kaikini is an Indian (Kannada) poet, short story writer, playwright, and a public intellectual and a lyricist in Kannada Cinema.

Kamalakanta Bhattacharya or Sadhaka Kamalakanta was a Bengali Shakta poet and yogi of India of the late 18th century. He is often considered to have followed the example of Ramprasad, both in his poetry and in his lifestyle.

Irshad Kamil is an Indian poet and lyricist. His songs appear in Bollywood films including Jab We Met, Chameli, Love Aaj Kal, Rockstar, Aashiqui 2, Raanjhanaa, Highway, Tamasha, and Jab Harry Met Sejal.

Dr. Kandikonda is an Indian film lyricist, known for his works in Telugu cinema. Kandikonda was born in Nagurlapally, Narsampet Mandal of Warangal district. He was awarded with Doctorate for his thesis on Situational songs in Telugu cinema from Osmania University.

Rajendra Krishan Duggal also credited as Rajinder Krishan, was an Indian poet, lyricist and screenwriter.

Ottaplakkal Neelakandan Velu Kurup was a Malayalam poet and lyricist from Kerala, India, who won the Jnanpith Award, the highest literary award in India for the year 2007. He received the awards Padma Shri in 1998 and Padma Vibhushan in 2011, the fourth and second highest civilian honours from the Government of India. In 2007 he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by University of Kerala, Trivandrum. O. N. V. was known for his leftist leaning. He was a leader of All India Students Federation (AISF). He died on 13 February 2016 at KIMS hospital in Thiruvananthapuram due to age-related illnesses, aged 84.

Shreeraj Kurup is a poet and lyricist from India. He is known for writing the lyrics of Mujhme Hindi Cover of Malare, Ye Chahte, Pass ho tum, etc.

Gulshan Kumar Mehta, popularly known by his pen name Gulshan Bawra, was an Indian songwriter and actor in Hindi cinema. In a career spanning 42 years, he has to his credit about 240 songs, he collaborated with noted music directors like Kalyanji Anandji, Shankar Jaikishan, and R. D. Burman. He composed almost half of the songs in films like Khel Khel Mein (1975), Kasme Vaade (1976) and Satte Pe Satta (1982). Apart from R. D. Burman hits, he is most remembered for his songs like 'Mere Desh Ki Dharti" in Upkaar (1968) and "Yaari Hai Imaan Mera" in Zanjeer (1974), both of which got him the Filmfare Best Lyricist Award. The latter also topped the Binaca Geetmala annual list of 1973. As a character actor, he also appeared in a small number of Hindi films.

Neelesh Misra is an Indian journalist, author, radio storyteller, scriptwriter and lyricist. He is most known for his radio show, Yaadon Ka IdiotBox with Neelesh Misra on BIG FM 92.7. He is co-founder-editor of Gaon Connection, India's rural newspaper. He has also founded a content creation company called Content Project Pvt. Ltd. He is currently working on "The Neelesh Misra Show" on Red FM 93.5 and "Kahaani Express" on Saavn. He has recently launched two shows on the audio platform Audible and another show called Zindagi Mobile on BIG FM 92.7 He is also popular for his show on YouTube - The Slow Interview, produced by Gaon Connection, where he chats with the celebs from Bollywood in the rural retreat near Lucknow district.

Pradyumna Narahalli, is an Indian actor, lyricist, writer, RJ, director and producer, known primarily for his work in Kannada television and cinema.

Gopaldas Neeraj was an Indian poet and author of Hindi literature. He was also a poet of Hindi Kavi sammelan. He was born in the village of Puravali, near Mahewa in Etawah district in Uttar Pradesh, India on 4 January 1925. He wrote under the pen name "Neeraj".

Dev Negi is a singer-songwriter and playback singer based in Mumbai, India. Negi has recorded numerous charbuster songs for hindi films, regional films, albums, television and TV commercials. The song Biba which is a collaboration of the international DJ Marshmello and music composer Pritam has been sung by Negi along with Shirley Setia & Pradeep Sran. His song Badri Ki Dulhania was the most viewed Indian song on YouTube in 2017.

Dr. V. Nagendra Prasad, known as Kaviratna V. Nagendra Prasad and Nalla Nagendra Prasad is a popular lyricist in the Kannada film industry.He was born to M. V. Venkata Ramanappa and Chandramma in a remote village named Ijjala Ghatta of Nagamangala Taluk, Mandya District, Karnataka State. Prasad did his schooling in Doddaballapura, Bangalore and completed his Post-Graduate education in Kannada Literature at Manasa Gangothri Mysore University.

Bishnu Prasad Rabha was an Indian cultural figure from Assam, known for his contributions in the fields of music, dance, painting, literature as well as political activism. As an advocate of people's cultural movement, he drew heavily from different genres of classical and folk cultural traditions. Considered a doyen of the Culture of Assam, the Assamese people affectionately call him Kalaguru. He is also called by Marxists as Sainik Silpi for his active participation in the armed struggle, led by the Revolutionary Communist Party of India (RCPI).

Dasari Narayana Rao was an Indian film director, producer, screenwriter, dialogue writer, actor, lyricist, and politician known for his works predominantly in Telugu cinema, Television, and Bollywood. He has directed more than one hundred and fifty feature films in a variety of genres. He is known by the moniker Darsaka Ratna. His works emphasize social injustice, corruption and gender discrimination. Rao has received three National Film Awards, nine state Nandi Awards including the Raghupathi Venkaiah Award, and four Filmfare Awards South including the lifetime Achievement. During his career he has also acted in Telugu, Tamil, and Kannada languages.

Veeraswamy Ravichandran, known simply as Ravichandran, is an Indian actor and filmmaker in Kannada cinema, known for his multi-faceted works in his associated films.

Satyajit Ray was an Indian film director, writer, illustrator and music composer. He is widely considered to have been one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, celebrated for works such as The Apu Trilogy (1955–59), The Music Room (1958), The Big City (1963) and Charulata (1964). Ray was born in Calcutta into a Bengali Kayastha family which was prominent in the field of arts and literature. Starting his career as a commercial artist, he was drawn into independent filmmaking after meeting French filmmaker Jean Renoir and viewing Vittorio De Sica's Italian neorealist film Bicycle Thieves (1948) during a visit to London.

Srimanta Sankardev was a 15th–16th century Assamese polymath: a saint-scholar, poet, playwright, social-religious reformer and a figure of importance in the cultural and religious history of Assam, India. He is widely credited with building on past cultural relics and devising new forms of music (Borgeet), theatrical performance, dance (Sattriya), literary language (Brajavali). Besides, he has left an extensive literary oeuvre of trans-created scriptures, poetry and theological works written in Sanskrit, Assamese and Brajavali. The Bhagavatic religious movement he started, Ekasarana Dharma and also called Neo-Vaishnavite movement, influenced two medieval kingdoms—Koch and the Ahom kingdoms—and the assembly of devotees he initiated evolved over time into monastic centers called Sattras, which continue to be important socio-religious institutions in Assam and to a lesser extend in North Bengal. Sankardev inspired the Bhakti movement in Assam just as Guru Nanak, Ramananda, Namdev, Kabir, Basava and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu inspired it elsewhere in the Indian subcontinent. His influence spread even to some kingdoms as the Matak Kingdom founded by Bharat Singha, and consolidated by Sarbanda Singha in the latter 18th century endorsed his teachings.

Shailendra was a popular Indian Hindi-Urdu Poet, lyricist & Film producer. Noted for his association with the filmmaker Raj Kapoor, singer Mukesh, and the composers Shankar-Jaikishan, he wrote lyrics for several successful Hindi film songs in the 1950s and the 1960s.

Phiroj Shyangden is an American-Indian singer, guitarist, composer, songwriter in the Nepali language. He is the founding member of the band 1974 AD and The Original Duo.

Sunil Kumar known by his screen name Suni, is an Indian film director, producer, lyricist and screenwriter who works in Kannada cinema. He made his debut with the 2013 critically and commercially successful film Simple Agi Ondh Love Story.

Rabindranath Tagore was a Bengali poet, writer, composer, philosopher and painter. He reshaped Bengali literature and music, as well as Indian art with Contextual Modernism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Author of the "profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse" of Gitanjali, he became in 1913 the first non-European as well as the first lyricist to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. Tagore's poetic songs were viewed as spiritual and mercurial; however, his "elegant prose and magical poetry" remain largely unknown outside Bengal. He is sometimes referred to as "the Bard of Bengal".

A.M. Turaz is an Indian poet, lyricist, and script writer. He has worked in television, music albums and films. He has written the lyrics for a number of Bollywood films including Kudiyon Ka Hai Zamaana of 2007, The Unforgettable of 2009 and Guzaarish of 2010, with the songs "Aayat", "Kabhi Jo Baadal Barse", "Tera Zikr", "Udi" and "Tere Liye Mere Kareem" being the most well known. The musical album "We Indians - Sare Jahan se Achchha Hindustan Hamara" is directed by him. The songs "Ghoomar", "Binte Dil" and "Khalibali" from Padmaavat and Tum Na Aaye from Badla are written by him.

Udaya Kumar is a Kannada Film Director and Editor based in India, who started his career as an Editor, working with Nagathihalli Chandrashekar and Directed a movie Kaarmoda Saridu in the year 2019

Chitnahalli Udayashankar was an Indian lyricist and dialogue writer in the Kannada film industry for over three decades, who penned more than 3000 songs for films and devotional songs. He was called 'Sahithya Rathna'. His dialogues, screenplay and lyrics were instrumental in the success of many movies of Rajkumar. Udayashankar received four Karnataka State Film Award for Best Dialogue and two Karnataka State Film Award for Best Screenplay. He was the son of lyricist Chi. Sadashivaiah. His son Chi. Guru Dutt is an actor and director in Kannada and Tamil feature films.

Goreti Venkanna is an Indian poet. He became popular after his song "Palle Kanneru Peduthundo" in Kubusam Telugu movie had moved the masses. He also became popular by acting as a judge for the folk song program Rela Re Rela on Telugu TV channel, Maa. He is one of the main Telangana separation activists. He is one of the icons of Telangana culture.