Theatre is new attraction to me, says veteran lyricist Gulzar

Ahmedabad: Noted lyricist Gulzaar said that theatre was among the new attractions for him now after having stopped directing films.

"I have stopped directing films because it involves so much of time...and I had so much in my head to pour out in books. There were so many things I wanted to do besides film, amongst them new attraction is this theatre," Gulzaar told newsmen. "The idea of theatre honestly I admit came from Salim Jafri," he said. Jafri, is an alumnus of National School of Drama and is known for his theatrical productions. "However, I shall remain linked to cinema and shall be doing song writing, because literature unfortunately is still not very remunerative in our country, so I would continue and it is films that can give me money to keep my way of life going," Gulzaar said. "Among other things to do shall be writing for children, translating from Tagore, translating two Gujarati poets including Sudhanshu bhai," Gulzaar said. "I want that Tagore should be taught in the schools to our children, and these type of things cannot be done alongwith filmaking," he said. Gulzar is learnt to be doing Hindi translation of two poems of Rabindranath Tagore for Subhash Ghai`s upcoming Bengali film, Nouka Dubi, directed by Rituparno Ghosh. Gulzar, was here for Roobaroo, an evening in conversation with him, a two-hour show that takes audiences to the forty year journey he spanned in literature and cinema. Gulzar, 74, directed several movies in the 1970s and 1980s, including `Parichay`, `Khushboo`, `Aandhi`, `Angoor`, `Ijaazat` and `Libaas`. PTI