GULZAR ‘I wasn’t too sure of Vaada’

Interview of Gulzar saheb from Screen 4th August 2000

Anything he touches turns into gold. Now it’s an album with Ustad Amjad Ali Khan titled Vaada. The caressing, creaseless quality that the poet endows on Khan Sahib’s series of bandish in the album leaves us with no doubt that Gulzar Sahab remains a force to reckon with...

Your Vaada seems like another great leap forward in the creative orbit.
I wasn’t too sure of this album. You know sometimes you can’t define your own work. I was caught in that state. I did my best. But I didn’t know whether we had achieved what we had set out to. All of Khan Sahib’s bandishes were modernised. I think it was worth the effort.

But do you think professional instrumentalists and singers can function well as composers?
He had these compositions with him for a long time. He used to play them on the sarod in our old classical styles. We had to turn those compositions into songs. Since Khan Sahib sings well, our task was made easier. Still to turn all the bandishes into songs took some time. One person whose contribution to the album was invaluable was Bhavdeep Jaipurwale. His arrangements made all the difference to the album.

Where and how did the process of arrangement take over?
The total orchestra had to be conceived and arranged. Khan Sahib just gave the bandish. The instruments to be used, the pitch and style were all the arranger’s job. Generally, the music director sits with the arranger. But in Vaada, since Khan Sahib was in Delhi, Bhavdeep had to shoulder a lot of responsibility. Of course, the final cut had to be approved by Khan Sahib. He came down to Mumbai periodically to hear what was done and to give his inputs.

The romance of your poetry in Vaada is quite playful.
Haan. Lately, my poetry had become very serious. Sab keh rahen they bahut udas-udas likhte ho. I specially like the number about the Kainat ka safar with all its black holes and references to the galaxy. To me, that is the millennium song. We have never used cosmic images scientifically in our songs. Words like Saiyyara and Ulka which mean planets and meteors have never been used before. The sound effects by Bhavdeep were superb.

Your first ever super-sonic song?
I think it’s time to go up there.

Did Khan Sahab fit his bandish into your poetry?
No, I worked my poetry into his compositions. Even with Pancham, I would write the lyrics into his songs. The aim is to reach a blend of lyrics and tune where no one knows which came first. Even my first song Mora gora ang lai le was written over the tune.

Why are you doing so many of these so-called private albums?
Beech mein kaam hi yehi mila to kya karoon main? Naukri kar raha hoon.
Kahan filmon mein kaam milta hai?

Don’t give me that. They are coming to you with truckloads of money?
Nahin aisa nahin hai. The scripts and projects have to be worthwhile. But I am giving you one more private album Sunset Point.

Yes, we have heard Vishal Bhardawaj’s excellent compositions. There’s a narrative structure joining the songs together. Was that done for commercial purposes?
On the contrary, I feel these non-film albums are given to listeners without reference points. Film songs have a situation and a reference. But this isn’t the case in non-film songs. So listeners invent their own references. “Woh fast waala number lagao, woh ghazal type ka gana lagao.” In Sunset Point, I lead listeners into the eight songs with my narrative. My daughter has done the music video of the album. She has scripted and filmed them and now she’s completing the post-production work. She even asked me to shoot a few scenes. So now, I’m my daughter’s assistant (laughs). Mujhe bahut achcha lagta hai. It’s time for her to take over. Jab beta ya beti jawan ho gaye to ab woh dukaan par baithenge (laughs).

You have only one set of film lyrics on hand, right?
Rakesh Mehra’s Aks and Khalid Mohammad’s Fizaa. I have done four songs in Janaab-e-Khalid’s film. Send me more producers and directors. I love writing songs.

When are you directing your next film?
Abhi to main unemployed hoon. You must send me some producers. I’ll choose one of them. I can only make the films I want to make. One has to wait for the producer every time. In-between films, I get wonderful opportunities like the chance to do my recent album for children Bindaas Bandar.

Is it very satisfying to work with and for children?
I had a long session with children in Bhopal recently. There were 2000 physically challenged children from 52 schools in Bhopal. They wrote ‘thermos’ and ‘thermometer’ instead of ‘thaila’ for the ‘th’ sound in Hindi. For the Hindi Aa they wrote ice-cream.

Do you think an album like Bindaas Bandar can wean children away from cheap film songs?
I think children can identify with songs like Bindaas Bandar instead of the standard Jal bhar jaa pani laa poetry. Children’s poetry needs to proceed further. That isn’t for children. It is for spoilt children. Bindaas Bandar is interesting I must admit. It’s part of story-telling series on tape and book. I have done the musical effects in my own voice. Children must enjoy their reading.

You recently said Tabu is the most influential actress since Meena Kumari and Jaya Bhaduri. What did you mean?
Every era has a trendsetting actress. So many actresses followed Jaya’s style. Meena Kumari was followed by almost every actress who came into the industry. There have been other powerful actresses like Shabana Azmi and Smita Patil. But they didn’t become icons like Meena Kumari and Jaya. Tabu is going to be an icon. But she has to keep her head on her shoulder.

Subhash K Jha