by Subhash K Jha
It's been a long wait. The inimitable poet-on-celluloid Gulzar , who turned a year older on 18 August, hasn't directed a feature film for more than five years.

"I know," laughs the incredibly charismatic lyricist-filmmaker. "Hu-tu-tu came in 1999. That's quite a gap. I'm surprised people haven't forgotten me."

In-between Gulzar Saab put in an amazing amount work to put together a tv serial based on the stories of Munshi Premchand for Doordarshan. Not many people saw it.

"I knew the reach of national television was minimal. But what choice did I have if I wanted to do literature on television? The satellite channels are just not interested. Naturally I took my stories to Doordarshan. I'm very proud of what my team achieved in the limited space provided."

This bitter-sweet tryst with television notwithstanding, Gulzar Saab is all set to do what he was always meant to do. He would be directing a film that his protégée, composer-turned-filmmmaker Vishal Bharadwaj would produce.

Vishal was given his first big break as a music director by Gulzar Saab in Maachis . Since then they've remained personally and professionally affiliated.

"I can't work with people I'm not comfortable with," reveals the man who re-wrote the man-woman relationship in films ranging from Khushboo to Namkeen. "Not at this age, not ever in fact. For me a comfort level is of paramount importance."

Though there were several offers to make films from big banners, Gulzar Saab's heart was just not in it. "So I kept myself employed writing lyrics," he tells me with a habitual twinkle in the eye.

One of them Kajrare kajrare in Bunty Aur Babli has become a smash hit. "I saw the film and liked its energy. But I thought it was a little too loud. If only the song had been filmed at an actual truck drivers' dhaba....But I thought Aishwarya captured the saucy coquttishness of her dancer's character superbly. People call up and ask, 'What's that line which comes after Aankhen kya kamaal karti hain ?' I tell them it, 'Personal se sawaal karti hain.' They ask me to repeat myself. They can't believe I could write such a lyric. But what's wrong with a fun lyric as long as it isn't suggestive or vulgar? I enjoyed working with Shaad Ali in Saathiya and Bunty Aur Babli. He's young bright and full of ideas. I also worked another young filmmaker Shirish Kunder in Jaan-e-Man. Anu Malik asked me to write a title song. But the word jaan-e-man has been done to death. I'll have to give it a new twist."

Gulzar Saab loved Rani Mukherjee's performance in Bunty Aur Babli. "I'd love to work her in my next film. I know she won't say no to me"

The details for Gulzar Saab's directorial venture are still to be worked out. But he has two stories that he wants to direct.And one of them will finally be his next feature film.