Sad that filmmakers are dumping songs from films: Javed Akhtar
Noted screenwriter-lyricist Javed Akhtar says today filmmakers use songs in movies as an obligation for revenue and not as a narrative tool because they are "embarrassed" about it. Akhtar, who has penned lyrics for some of the biggest soundtracks of Hindi cinema from Silsila (1981), Kal Ho Na Ho to Gully Boy (2019), said fast-paced storytelling has directly impacted the songs in a film.
Tempo of the music has increased: Akhtar
"The tempo of films has increased, the tempo of life has increased, so the tempo of the music has increased," Akhtar said. "A word can only be appreciated, liked, and understood where there is a medium pace tune, so people can concentrate on the word. So, the tempo of the music is not in favor of the word," Akhtar added.
Filmmakers are avoiding anything sentimental: Akhtar
The 76-year-old writer said what has also changed today is the on-screen melodrama, which has become less desirable. Filmmakers are avoiding anything sentimental and hence, songs that would earlier underline the emotion, have slowly started to fade, he said. "Today's directors and writers have gone the other way, and they are touching that as the extremes," he added.
Current filmmakers are clueless on how to use songs: Akhtar
"They feel sentimentality and emotion and exclusivity should be cut. So the situation is not emotional enough and then the songs cease to be part of the narrative," he added. Akhtar said the current crop of filmmakers is clueless on how to use songs in a narrative as they have grown under the influence of not Hindi films but of western cinema.
Narrating a story through musical pieces an age-old practice: Akhtar
Akhtar says he isn't advocating for every film to have songs. He stated the indigenous style of narrating a story through musical pieces has been happening for ages and finds roots in the oldest of the texts. On Independence day, Akhtar will be seen as the headline act of ZEE Live's India Shayari Project. The 90-minute special will stream on ZEE5 on August 15.
