Bhubaneswar, Oct. 26: Lyricist and poet Javed Akhtar was in the city on Sunday to attend an award ceremony. The Telegraph caught up with him. Excerpts.

Your take on the cultural scene in Odisha.

During my last visit I had been to a number of heritage sites in the state and relished a few popular dishes of Odisha. The state is so culturally very vibrant but what upsets me is that very few people have understanding of its rich culture.

Have you ever been exposed to Odia literature?

I have read a few Odia poetry and short story translations. Owing to the language barrier, we are not aware of literary happenings in other parts of the country. It is tragic that language, which is supposed to be a vehicle of communication, sometimes becomes an impediment to one’s understanding of contemporary literature.

Being a lyricist, do you think that songwriters should be blamed for the popularity of songs that have double meaning?

We cannot always blame the songwriters for the degrading lyrics. They write to suit situations given to them. They do what they are paid to do. The music these days is fast and high-pitched and often dominates the lyrics. We are in an age where the scope for songwriters to display their creativity is getting increasingly limited. The trend is not doing any good to the music industry, but hopefully it will change soon.

Do you find the trend of screen adaptations of books and remake of old films healthy for Bollywood?

It depends actually. Devdas has been remade so many times in so many languages but the trend is good only when we are improving each time. Films should not be made just for the sake of it. Even the cult film Mother India was a remake, but it gave the audience something more than the earlier film. So the aim should be to deliver something better even if it is a remake.

You have given strong opinions on a lot of issues frequently landing yourself in controversies. Does this bother you?

I share my opinion and others may like or dislike it. I don’t have a problem with that. Difficulty arises when controversy crops up on things that I have not said at all. If I have said something, I have solid reasoning behind it, you can ask for clarifications. What is not right is distorting my words and then making an issue out of it.

Are your children, Zoya and Farhan, into writing songs?

They are into poetry but they do not write songs often. They write in English. I often seek their help whenever I face problems in writing lines in English.

But if all the upcoming talents start writing in English, don’t you see regional writing suffering in the future?

Yes it can and it is very difficult to change the situation. But, the situation is more like English versus regional language. Both the schools have their own reasoning. The thing is, one should know both the languages. You should know your regional language that will keep you connected to your roots and also know English that would keep you connected to the world.

What would you suggest for the young poets and lyricists to improve their writing skills?

One of the best ways to improve writing skills is reading. And one should read a wide variety of books. From classics to bestsellers to modern literature, one should read them all.