MUMBAI: Writer-lyricist Javed Akhtar feels that fellow lyricist Irshad Kamil is a competent songwriter the film industry has found after a long time.

“Nowadays I’m rather impressed by the work of Irshad Kamil. In every film released be it in ‘Tamashaa’ or any other picture, he is doing good work,” said Akhtar at a jury meet of the Mirchi Music Awards.

“What I appreciate about his work is that he has a range - whether he wants to write a light-hearted song or a Sufi song or a deep romantic song, like in ‘Tamasha’. I think he’s a very competent songwriter we have found after a very long time,” he added.

Kamil’s lyrics in ‘Tamasha’ has been appreciated and he recently won the Filmfare best lyricist award for the song ‘Agar Tum Sath Ho’ from the film. Previously, he had also won it for ‘Aaj Din Chadheya’ from ‘Love Aaj Kal’ and ‘Nadaan Parindey’ from ‘Rockstar’.

Akhtar too has won numerous best lyrics awards for films especially in the late ‘90s and early 2000s. But he hasn’t been writing lyrics for many films nowadays.

“It’s not that way, if I receive a decent film I do it. But that’s not happening. Not many people are approaching me, so I can’t forcibly go to their homes. It’s fine however it is,” Akhtar said.

He also praised ‘Dum Laga Ke Haisha’ singer Papon, who was nominated for the Best Singer at Filmfare Awards.

About the current scenario in music, he said it was like earlier times where both good and bad things are happening.

“The facilities due to technology have been good. There is layering and good depth in orchestration, but still there are issues. By and large the writing standard has gone down,” he said.

“The tone is not conducive, it is so fast that the words aren’t established. There is trend in orchestration, where percussion and beat is higher than the voice and you can’t listen to songs,” the writer-lyricist added.

“This is not a good trend and such kind of songs can’t sustain themselves. We remember songs 60 years ago, but the songs today can’t be even remembered after three months.”

Akhtar had recently written lyrics for wife Shabana’s film ‘Chalk N Duster’.

(Source: IANS)