NEW DELHI: Renowned lyricist Javed Akhtar does not agree that the use of metallic music instead of a simple harmonium ruins the beauty of a ghazal. According to him it only makes it more endearing to the young.

However, he made no comment when it was pointed out that ghazals played with loud metallic music were often used for dancing. "Content is king. Change and permanency have to go hand in hand," he added.

Akhtar was speaking on the sidelines of the launch of the new Actve Javed Akhtar service on the TataSky platform. TataSky Chief Commercial Officer Vikram Mehra said the initiative was aimed at showing that the platform was just a carrier of television channels.

Akhtar told Radioandmusic.com that his programme on ghazals was about human emotions and not history. He will therefore be giving his take on other poets.

He said ghazal form or any classical music forms have their roots connected and so if the language is distorted, one gets cut off from the roots.

(Although the Actve Javed Akhtar service had been launched in Delhi, Mehra said the programme would be taken to schools and colleges so that the ghazal can be introduced to the youngsters.)

Akhtar said he would not be talking about his own ghazals or poetry but the other great poets, and each episode would be divided subject-wise and therefore each episode was likely to have both modern and ancient poetry.

Asked about the difference between songs and ghazals, he said the songs were written keeping certain characters, music and situation in mind.

Amit and Harshdeep Kaur rendered their vocals for the ghazals by different poets at the launch. Javed Akhtar said, "This project is very close to my heart as it resonates my love for the subject. The service revolves around the golden shayaris and dohas of Galib, Mir, Kabeer, Rahim and many more, which will continue to appeal to the people regardless of the constant changes that take place in today's world."

Mehra said this innovative service gives Tata Sky subscribers an opportunity to experience the rich and classic poetic culture with an unconventional and modern approach. This interactive platform will have Javed Akhtar describing the true essence of some of the most beautifully penned shayaris and dohas of yesteryears, reminding us of its relevance and definition in context to our lives today. Tochi Raina, Roop Kumar Rathod, Shweta Pandit, Aakriti Kakkar, Abhijit Pohankar have rendered their vocals for shayaris and dohas.

Apart from the video format, the interactive service will also allow viewers to learn meaning of various Urdu and Sanskrit words used in the Dohas and Shayari with the help of the built-in On-demand option. Thus aiding subscribers in comprehension and enhancing vocabulary.

"Actve Javed Akhtar will enable our audience to relive and learn from the eons of classic Indian poetry with a contemporary touch. We hence associated with Javed Akhtar, who will walk us through centuries of soulful shayaris and doha," he said.