Indian rock music is superficial: Javed Akhtar

Mumbai, Sept 04: Acclaimed lyricist Javed Akhtar says Indian rock music is very superficial, with most songs having archaic lyrics, but he has experimented with words for his son Farhan Akhtar`s acting debut "Rock On" to make the songs interesting. "In India, rock music is a very shallow and superficial genre. They dress and style themselves like American rockers but the words and lyrics are archaic and obsolete. The words in an average Indi-Rock number revert to trite filmy clichés like balma, baliye and mahiya," Akhtar said. "When they came to me to write lyrics for my son Farhan in `Rock On`, I wasn`t really sure I could pull it off. I had never done a rock album before and I`m not familiar with the genre. "The language in `Dil Chahta Hai` was that of traditional lyrics... zamana, dewaana. In `Rock On`, where Farhan makes his debut as an actor, I`ve moved completely away from the traditional lyrics," he added. "In `Rock On`, I wanted to create a new idiom that I don`t think I had been able to do in `Dil Chahta Hai` in spite of its modern context and characters. There I was still falling back on traditional thoughts and rhymes. "In `Rock On` I`ve experimented with words and thoughts. For example, songs about dreamers have been done to death. I`ve used the parallel of `Sinbad The Sailor` to bring out the theme of derring-do. Then I was asked to write a song about an individual`s losses in a week. Writing about a laundry bill, denim jacket, chandi ka ring... you can`t use angoothee for ring... This is the lingo of rock," the lyricist said. Asked about Farhan`s performance in the film, Akhtar said: "I can`t separate the father from the critic. But yes, Farhan has acted very well. As for his singing, I leave that to the audience to decide." IANS