Art & Entertainment

'Lyrics Today Aren't Poetry, Just Bad Prose'

One of Bollywood's last active links with its golden era, the veteran lyricist shares his unique musical insight and sense of history in a freewheeling conversation

Advertisement

'Lyrics Today Aren't Poetry, Just Bad Prose'
info_icon
Poet, short story writer, scenarist and filmmaker,
Gulzar
wrote his first film lyric in the early '60s. In the decades since, he has penned a string of timeless songs. From Mora gora ang lai le, mohe shyam rang dei de to Kajra re, Gulzar's has been a journey that mirrors the ebb and flow of Hindi film music. Who else but him then to talk about the abiding themes of our film songs? Why do we always sing of love, longing and pain? Why not anger, cynicism, disillusionment or idealism? How has the expression of love itself changed over the years? One of Bollywood's last active links with its golden era, the veteran lyricist shares his unique musical insight and sense of history in a freewheeling conversation with

Advertisement

Saibal Chatterjee
.
It was India's very first sound film, Alam Ara, that established the song-n-dance convention in our cinema. Seventy-five years on, how would you assess the state of film lyrics?
info_icon
When exactly did this decline begin?
Is that a reason why our film songs are predominantly about a single emotion—romantic love? Elements like anger, cynicism and social satire are virtually absent...
Hero aur heroine kaun hai
So, is the situation unlikely to change ever?
Iqbal
Rang de Basanti
How would you describe the love songs you've penned over the years?
Chhaiyyan Chhaiyyan
Saathiya
Mera yaar mila de saiyyan

Advertisement

Chappa Chappa charkha chale
Chhod aaye hum, woh galiyaan
Maachis
In that sense your romantic songs are probably closer in spirit to the outpourings of the great Romantics of English poetry like John Keats and P.B. Shelley...
Your own lyrics have always had a degree of playfulness about them. Would you agree were I to say it has only increased in recent times?
Beeti na beetayi raina
Parichay
Satya
sara din sadkon pe khaali rickshey sa peechhe peechhe chalta hai
Does your being a director help?
Satya
Goli maar bheje mein bheja shor karta hai
Dil-e-naadaan tujhe hua kya hai
Chhadi re chhadi kaise gale mein padi
Mausam
Film songs made pre-Independence often exuded a strong nationalistic fervour, but that changed once India attained freedom and cinema became a medium of sheer entertainment. Would you agree?
Door hato ae duniyawaalon Hindustan hamara hai
Vande Mataram
Kitaab
Aap Ki Kasam
Zindagi ke safar mein guzar jaate hain jo mukaam, woh phir nahin aate
Dharti Ke Lal
Who, to your mind, are the greatest Hindi film lyricists of all time?
Mera joota hai Japani
Pedon ki shaakhon pe khili khili chandni
And among contemporary lyricists...
Kahin door jab din dhal jaaye, saanjh ki dulhan badan churaye, chupke se aaye

Advertisement

Anand
Rang de Basanti
Tags

    Advertisement

    Advertisement

    Advertisement

    Advertisement

    Advertisement

    Advertisement