Item songs main attraction in films now: Roop Kumar Rathod

New Delhi: Noted singer and music composer Roop Kumar Rathod has said that items songs which were once used as a stepni have now become the main attraction in films.

The singer, who has given hits like `Sandese Aate Hain` from ‘Border’, `Maula Mere` from ‘Anwar’, `Tere Liye` from ‘Veer-Zaara’, said that the language in film songs are also going downhill and tends to have a negative impact on kids. "The songs that are produced these days are not favorable but are forced into the mind of the audience via TV. This is polluting the music of our country. The lyrics have also gone downhill," said Rathod, who was in the Capital recently to perform. The singer, who belongs to the Aditya Gharana of Jamnagar, also said, "Previously, music directors were well versed about the nuances of music and also took valuable suggestions from the classical maestros. That is the reason those songs are still fresh in our memory and still popular." When asked about reality shows, Rathod said, "It is good to have a vision but besides that training is also necessary. Today`s young generation learn singing either to participate in reality shows or with the dream to sing for Shah Rukh Khan and Amitabh Bachchan." "In reality shows, the best from the industry are at the judging panel but the winner is chosen by voting through SMS. This is the reason they don`t have a strong base in singing. I wonder what the channel does to nurture their talent further," he added. Rathod, who is a successful playback singer as well as stage performer, said that there is a lot of difference between the two platforms. "In films, a singer`s voice is engineered if he can`t sing well but a live performance is very difficult. You have to show what you are and are given just one chance for it," he said. PTI