After four years—Shaad Ali's Saathiya was the last one—Gulzar is returning to script -writing, for Shoorjit Sircar's new film. Interestingly Gulzar returns to screenwriting at a time when another renowned lyricist Javed Akhtar is doing the same.

Then there's a short film for Sanjay Gupta, "He met me. We discussed a story idea. But we're yet to meet again. What I'm happy about is that he has offered to produce a short-story for Bosky (Megha Gulzar). I met him before I went to New York this month."

He recently returned from the US. "There was a concert for Jagjit Singh where I had to introduce him. Not that he needed an introduction. I just went along as assistant chief guest," he jokes.

"The Bharat Vidya Bhavan had completed 25 years. And I was honoured to go for the celebration. I also took part in a mushaira where there were two Hindi and two Urdu poets. As usual I was stuck between the two languages.

I love that kind of ambience which is more creative than commercial. Montek Singh Ahliwalia was also there. Since Punjabi Sardars often know Urdu they've a penchant for poetry.Even Dr Manmohan Singh likes to recite shayari."

He's now looking forward to Shaad Ali's Jhoom Baraabar Jhoom with Shankar-Ehsan Loy. "Though I've used the phrase Jhoom baraabar jhoom from Jaani Babu Qawwall's famous Qawwalli, our title song isn't a Qawwalli. Ours is a melody. Shankar-Ehsan-Loy are very melodious. Like Bunty Aur Babli, the music will again be the highlight of Jhoom Baraabar Jhoom."

Gulzar Saab isn't frightened by people's expectations. "I know people expect another Kajrare from me. Wohkab nahin hua? Didn't people expect Chal chaiyyan chaiyyan from me again after Dil Se, and Chappa chappa after Maachis?

Everyone goes through that. After Hum Aapke Hain Kaun everyone expected Sooraj Barjatya to keep making that film. There's no logic behind such demands as 'Bas ek hit gana de dijiye.' I've been hearing it for sixty years.

I know there're huge expectations from me and Shaad. ...just like all eyes are on Vishal Bhardwaj. They expected Omkara to be another Maqbool. But we won't fulfil those expectations in expected ways."

He attributes the success of Kajra re to Aishwarya Rai. "A lot of songs become successes. But only a few become a rage. I now so many people who keep going back to Kajra re because of Aishwarya's dance. Objectively speaking, the song was a success more because of Aishwarya's dance than my words."

Gulzar Saab has more work on hand than ever before. " I recently did the lyrics in my daughter Meghna's film Just Married. It's again a lively film. Kaise kaise ram milaye jodi, is the theme song. Sannate (silences) bhi dete hain kharrate (snores) bhi. Those two words sannate and kharrate, I borrowed from Meghna's script."

Gulzar Saab says even the songs that he wrote for Omkara weren't serious. "Let me tell you one thing. There's a complete change of scenario. The era of melody is gone. We're going through a new phase in film music.

After action films, it's back to musicals. Ganon par ganen. Films have 7-8 songs. Films stretching up to 3-4 hours are chockfull of music that they enjoy here and overseas. For me this is phase where I'm learning a new style of expression. I'm going with the flow, but making sure that my aesthetics are in place. I'm waiting to see if a new style emerges.

I can't write lyrics like Roz akeli aaye and Tum aa gaye ho noor aa gaya hai any longer. Iss terah ka romance ab hota hi nahin. It's very difficult to hold on to my aethestics. Not that it was ever easy. I had to struggle all along.

Each time an artiste speaks a new language he's shunned. But in the earlier generations there were filmmakers like Bimal Roy, Basu Bhattacharya and Hrishikesh Mukherjee who were like-minded. The last time I wrote some some oldfashioned poetry it was in Shaad Ali's Saathiya.

You could see the change in Shaad 's Bunty Aur Babli. And now you'll see more change in Shaad's Jhoom Baraabar Jhoom. I'm glad I still have a rapport with today's generation of filmmakers whether it's my daughter Meghna, Vishal Bharadwaj, Shaad Ali or Shirish Kunder (for whom I've written lyrics in Jaan-e-Man).

I'm grateful I can still walk and talk with these youngsters without a walking stick. Change is inevitable. One should keep smiling about it. For me every lyric is a new experience. I feel just as nervous writing for Shaad's Jhoom Baraabar Jhoom and his guru Mani Rathnam's Guru as I did for my first film as lyricist Bandini."