With 1942: A Love Story returning to theatres today, lyricist Javed Akhtar has revisited what he believes is the growing discomfort among younger audiences with songs in Indian films. Akhtar, who wrote the lyrics for a few hits of the 1994 film, says Western cinema and music have influenced this shift, creating an “embarrassment” around a tradition that has long been part of Indian storytelling. “Ab jo log Western cinema se expose hue hain, unke andar ek embarrassment hai. Nayi generation sawal karti hai ki ye gaane ka kya chakkar hai?” he says.
Akhtar, however, argues that songs should not be dismissed simply because they are unrealistic. “Film mein gaane hero ga raha hai, party mein khade ho kar gaa raha hai, toh badi fake baat hai. Fake toh kya hai? Art ne theka liya real hone ka?” he says. For him, a song’s worth lies in what it adds to the experience. “Wo interesting ho, seductive ho, aur koi achhi value aapko de raha ho, sense of beauty de raha hai, that is also a good value,” he explains.
He also sees contemporary film music as increasingly divided between two extremes. “Ek toh jin mein double meaning ho, aur doosre jin mein koi meaning nahi. Toh beech mein ek meaning ka gaana nahi bachta,” he says. His comments come amid continuing conversations around the lyrics and visual treatment of contemporary songs, including Guru Randhawa’s Fine Shyt and Badshah’s Tateeree, which has faced criticism.
He believes the current state of film music cannot simply be blamed on writers or composers. “Music and narrative ka rishta Hindustan mein koi filmon ne invent nahi kiya hai,” he says, pointing out that the relationship between music and storytelling has long existed in Indian artistic traditions. Akhtar, who wrote iconic tracks such as ‘Ek Ladki Ko Dekha’ and ‘Kuchh Na Kaho’ for 1942: A Love Story, adds, “Don’t blame the writer, the music director, they are very talented people.” He believes the larger issue lies in how songs are conceived and positioned within films. “Ab unhone jo kiya hai, woh ek bahut hi bada compromise hai. Ab ke gaane background mein hote hain, jinka aam taur se foreground se koi vaasta bhi nahi hota hai. Gaane toh achhe tab honge, jab unn mein koi narrative ka participation ho, character ka representation ho,” he says.
