India, Aug. 22 -- With 1942: A Love Story returning to theatres this week, its music also got a new audience. As lyricist Javed Akhtar, who wrote songs such as Ek Ladki Ko Dekha and Kuchh Na Kaho, relives those melodies, he also contrasts it with the current state of music in Indian films and the influence of West in it. He says the influence has created an "embarrassment" around the traditional role of songs in Indian storytelling. "Ab jo log Western cinema se expose hue hain, unke andar ek embarrassment hai. Nayi generation sawal karti hai ki ye gaane ka kya chakkar hai?" he says. Akhtar, however, argues that songs should not be dismissed simply because they are unrealistic. "Film mein gaane hero ga raha hai, party mein khade ho kar gaa raha hai, toh badi fake baat hai. Fake toh kya hai? Art ne theka liya real hone ka?" he says. For him, a song's worth lies in what it adds to the experience. "Wo interesting ho, seductive ho, aur koi achhi value aapko de raha ho, sense of beauty de raha hai, that is also a good value," he says. The 81-year-old also sees contemporary film music as increasingly divided between two extremes. "Ek toh jin mein double meaning ho, aur doosre jin mein koi meaning nahin. Toh beech mein ek meaning ka gaana nahin bachta," he says. Akhtar believes the problem is not the presence of songs in films, but their weakening connection with the narrative and characters. He also believes the current state of film music cannot simply be blamed on writers or composers. "Ab unhone jo kiya hai, woh ek bahut hi bada compromise hai. Ab ke gaane background mein hote hain, jinka aam taur se foreground se koi vaasta bhi nahin hota hai. Gaane toh achhe tab honge, jab unn mein koi narrative ka participation ho, character ka representation ho," he says. There is also an ongoing debate around the lyrics and visual treatment of contemporary songs. Recently, Guru Randhawa's Fine Shyt faced criticism over its portrayal of women and alleged misogynistic undertones, while Badshah's Tateeree drew backlash over its explicit lyrics and visuals. Akhtar's comments come amid this wider conversation around the responsibility of artists and the place of meaning and context in popular music....