"We have to keep the young crowd in mind. If we give a heavy dose, they will run away. The glamour of westernised nudity and vulgarity pumped in by the media is too much for them to resist and so in order to lure them, we have to give this pill of ghazal sugar-coated in modern rhythm," Jagjit Singh, in City for a concert, told Newsline. "I have seen many seasons and seasonal fruits but have been surviving for the past 33 years and that means, I have been doing the right thing. It is an incredible thing in this industry. Whenever I start a new project, I start from scratch, leaving the moods and moments of the previous album behind," he said.

But, at the same time, are there not limitations in this form, making the ghazals sound repetitive? "The limitations are in the poetry -- there is a fixed metre, rhyming and the pattern of couplets. Every ghazal looks the same and it is only in the music that we can bring in variety. So, at times, I do nazms." The two albums, Mirage and Face to Face are examples of this variety as each ghazal provides a new experience. According to him, the listener's mood also has a big role to play in the appreciation of ghazals.

The recent trend seems to lay more stress on music videos with the charm of ghazals overtaken by an overdose of octopad beats. Are these spoiling the essence of music? "Music videos are there to promote your album. The octopad beats are added by the company, thinking that octopad will give a modern look. But, ultimately, your cassette will sell on the basis of its contents".

Jagjit, of late, has been associated with social causes. If his album, Cry for Cry, was for Child Relief and You (CRY), the more recent Love is Blind was for the National Association for the Blind. "I don't do all this for publicity. This Cry album, it was not the title I gave. But, they changed it as they wanted mileage out of it. I feel every artiste, after reaching a certain stage, should work towards social concerns. It may not make much of a difference in this country as the situation is too grim and will be like putting colour in the ocean, but it does not mean we should forget our duty." So, why not a venture on the lines of the We are the world, the album brought out by the United Arists of America for African children? "I am ready. But in India, the main problem is the ego of artistes. When one comes, the other will think, `How will I share the dais with him'".

So, being the one who provided such numbers like Dhai din na jawani nal.., why not a comeback to this world so that the rhythm of Punjabi music can be saved from the pop-gone-haywire. "I was the one who started the popular rhythm in 1978 and then it went to London. I can give Punjabi songs in small doses only like Mitti da bawa and the album of Batalvi poems as the companies feel they will not run without octopad," he says, with a laugh.

And what about film assignments? For we did not hear much from him after the successful score of Arth, Prem Geet and Meri Aawaz Suno. "I scored music mainly for Mahesh Bhatt but he went into commercial production and I got busy with my work. Now I have to assess myself as well as the offer before accepting a film score." And the all-important question: when can we hear Chitra again? "She will never appear on stage but nowadays, she practices with me. And if she goes on for a few months to attain the form, we might think of cutting an album." And Jagjit Singh, the husband, does the balancing act.