India, April 30 -- Following his recent appearance in the OTT series Bandwale, Swanand Kirkire, who is juggling projects as an actor, lyricist and director, opens up about steering clear of item songs and the rise of hyper-masculinity in Bollywood. Talking about his selective approach, the lyricist of Baawra Mann Dekhne Chala Ek Sapna (2003), he states, "Item songs toh main likhta hi nahin hoon, aur main khush naseeb hoon aise gaane likhwane wale log mere paas aate bhi nahin hain. It saves me from a lot of things." Discussing the current musical landscape, the 54-year-old accepts the ongoing trends. "We are living in a phase of hyper-masculinity, and that songs are being written and working because the audiences are liking it," he notes. However, he maintains that masculinity "can also be portrayed sensitively without getting hyper with the use of words or phrases." For him, staying relevant in the industry means staying rooted in his distinct style: "My type of songs are a little bit of melody, and poetry and that's how I easily fit in." Calling himself fortunate to get with like-minded people, Kirkire says, "Right now I am doing a film with Sooraj Barjatya, and I love the sincerity and old-school professionalism. The work culture and sensitivity in telling stories of families and family values is something that we all have loved for years now." This project will mark his return to the director's seat after several years. Speaking of his upcoming projects, Kirkire shares, "There are multiple things keeping me busy this year." While creating songs for a project with filmmaker Rohit Shetty, he is set to grace the big screen in ventures, including the film Darwaza with veteran actor Jaya Bachchan. When the versatile artiste was asked if there's anything he wants to explore next, he quips, "I haven't done any action films so far."...