Strumming Along

The unique texture of his voice makes Farhan Akhtar so appealing. We catch him as he gets ready to release his debut album, for a free flowing chat.

- Mehul Reuben Das

Given your unique position in both the Indian film industry and the music industry, why do you think that songs are so intrinsic to Indian films?

Songs have been a crucial and integral part of our popular culture for a long time. Even in our street theatre, lyrics and music have always played a crucial role. So naturally, when we imported the idea and the concept of films, our songs became an integral part of them, because it was already engrained in the DNA of our mass entertainment outlets. I am actually proud of the fact that we have something very unique and distinct like Bollywood music. That is what makes our films so grand and so unique. It goes on to show that different cultures have different ways to tell a story.

The Indian music industry is finally beginning to experiment with forms and styles. From a global perspective, what would you say, where we stand today and where are we heading?