Jawaan-e-jaaneman
Gulzarsaab insists that he's getting younger and younger at heart. After 'Kajra re', now it's 'buy one get one free' in Guru
Subhash K Jha
Young stir: Gulzar
Ever since he connected with the youth with his peppy 'Kajra re' in Bunty Aur Babli, Gulzarsaab is coming up with more youth-oriented lyrics. "Ab mere khelne-kudne ki din aagaye hai," he laughs. (Read, I'm getting younger.
This youthful progression continues with the song 'Ek lo ek muft' in Mani Ratnam's forthcoming film, Guru. It's a fun song composed by A R Rahman and sung by Bappi Lahiri. It is filmed on a bhang-soaked Abhishek Bachchan who dances while cradling his twin children in his arms. The situation is that Abhishek's wife in the film (played by Aishwarya Rai) has given birth to twins. "Hence the lines 'Ek lo ek muft…' you know the catch-phrase in every supermarket… 'buy one get one free'," says Gulzar.
The lyricist is proud of his rapport with Mani Ratnam. "We got along really well in Dil Se. The song 'Chaiyyan chaiiyan', though poetically-worded, became very popular. Then in Yuva, Mani worked with another lyricist. Now we're together again in Guru and Mani's next Lajjo which will be a challenge. It will take me back to Punjab and the pre-Partition era-two of my favourite themes for writing."
Gulzarsaab seems to have discovered the tongue-in-cheek side to himself. And he's enjoying every bit of it. "A lot of people were shocked by my 'Beedi' song in Omkara. They couldn't believe that I could write something so aggressive. But what's there to be shocked about? It's the situation that demands a song, and not the other way around. For too long, we've had characters singing poetry which did not suit them. It's time for lyrics to reflect the way the characters speak in the rest of the film," he says, justifying the profusion of English words in the lyrics of Jaan-E-Mann.
"But that's the way young people speak! So why should we be shy of expressing what the characters convey? As a lyricist it's my job to sublimate my poetry according to the character and the plot. Hence, the urban conversational lyrics in Jaan-E-Mann," he adds.
Though he has faced flak for his 'Beedi' song, Gulzarsaab got a pleasant surprise when Hindi litterateur Kamleshwar called up to tell him that he watched Omkara with his grandchild. "'Kajra re' and 'Beedi' are known as item songs. But I've kept them completely free of suggestive words. I'm happy about that," he says.
* For too long, we've had characters singing poetry which did not suit them. It's time for lyrics to reflect the way the characters speak in the rest of the film – Gulzar
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