Girish Karnad criticises AR Rahman

Jnanpith laureate Girish Karnad, who recently called Rabindranath Tagore a 'second-rate playwright', has now taken on Oscar Award winner AR Rahman. At an Urdu poetry function, Karnad accused Rahman of ignoring the beauty of lyrics and giving importance to instruments in his compositions.

Karnad claimed that Urdu poetry were defining Bollywood songs but today it is dead. AR Rahman should be mainly blamed for it. He further added that the Roja music director is a great musician but his instruments have overpowered the beauty of lyrics.

"Rahman is a great musician, his orchestration is beautiful and overpowering, as a result of which one misses the beauty of lyrics that once defined songs in Bollywood," he claimed. Karnad expressed this at the event, which was attended by Urdu poets from Pakistan, Bangladesh and India. The function was held in Bangalore.

However, his remark on AR Rahman has got mixed response.