Getting jiggy with Gulzar The lyricist is full of praise for AR Rahman and the youth of today, finds Soumyadipta Banerjee
Soumyadipta Banerjee Lyricist and movie director Gulzar thinks that people of his generation have a lesson or two to learn from the present crop of youngsters who operate from the what-you-see-is-what you-get mode. "There is a certain honesty in today's crop of youngsters. They aren't afraid of speaking their minds," says Gulzar. Forthrightness seems to be the keyword for the 74-year-old poet, when he sits with his pen to churn out lyrics for teens. "I think I can keep pace with this generation, which is talking all the time. Only sometimes, they don't get the exact words they are looking for. So they take the help of languages like English, mix the two and express themselves. I don't have a problem with it," he says. Though he has been nominated for an Oscar, Gulzar hadn't heard from the producers of Slumdog Millionaire up until now. "No, I haven't still been asked to join the cast and crew at the (awards) function. So I haven't yet decided whether I will be attending or not," he says. However, he gives all the credit to A R Rahman for the Academy Award nomination. "The credit goes to him for creating such a superb track. I just fitted the words there. I received the nomination because of Danny and him," he says. "Rahman has given Indian music a new sound. He has the single largest contribution in revolutionising (the music scene)," he signs off. DNA
