DesiReflections

SARHADEIN : DIFFERENT ROCK SOUND ACROSS THE BORDER From last few weeks, I am tuning to tune Pakistani Music Channels Musik and Indus on an on going basis. There one can find a number of Pakistani singers in rock mode with, hum able lyrics with good rock guitar work. I was wondering why such rock music is not created by any Indian performer. But I had to change my mind yesterday when I received an album SARHADEIN from Miss Keral Miranda of Raga to Rock. I heard the album in one go and I find that Nitish Pires, the singer has really broke ‘musical sarhadein’ of Indian ( read it as Hindi also) Rock Scene and frankly speaking he sounds better than Pakistani Rock Singers !. Fresh and modulated voice of Nitin impresses. I am told that his musical journey actually started in tender age, by the time he graduated, he joined a group named ‘Parlay’ where he played guitar as well as lead singer. It was 2 years that the group churn out original compositions in English. Nitin had a road block...

I AM THE VERY BEAUTIFUL : DOCUMENTARY FILM BY SHYAMAL KARMAKAR - PRADEEP GUPTA Today, I have seen ‘I am the very beautiful’ a Bangla documentary film directed by Shyamal Karmakar at Vikalp Film Festival, Mumbai. This documentary impressed me on two account. One : a very honest depiction of subject, Tow; shown every part of female body without being vulgar. Shyamal has chosen Ranu , a lady as a plot. This lady after a very modest upbringing in a refugee family with singing background from Bangladesh , an abduction, a child, sucide attempt burning herself by pouring kerosene over the body, 80% burn , no hope for life, survival by sheer guts, many failed relationships, singing in late night clubs and many failed relationships later Ranu is a total contrast to Shyamal, the film director who is well educated well to do and of course well respected. It took Shyamal to film Ranu 6...

Vikalp : Showcase of Alternate Cinema After glamorous MAMI Film Festival in Mumbai, here comes another Film Festival 'Vikalp', which showcase Jindgi ki sachaiyan i.e. face to face with bitter truth of life. The driving force behind this weeklong festival is Aditya Seth, a young film activist and documentary film maker. Aditya has become well known name in the documentary making, he is the one who has also produced documentary films for UNESCO.. Festival has already started on 20th March 2006 in Mumbai at National College Bandra and will continue upto 25th March 2006. This year the focus of Vikalp is independent films originates from Belgium. The Belgian selection include independent films with social content, entwined with personal visual approach by young film makers. As these independent makers do not have commercial considerations so they are very honest close to heart and canned the reality of life. Yesterday, I have seen La Raison du Plus Fort, a documentary by Patric Jean...

DO THE FESTIVAL FILMS NEED CENSOR CLEARANCE ? Vikas Hotwani has raised a very pertinent issue in todays' DNA on theFilm Festivals in India that whether films screened during festivalneeds censor clearance..In fact the film festivals provide platform for film makers who wantto showcase their talent and creativity, many of them may not finddistributors for the commercial release.. The kind of media attentionthese films enjoy distinct them from the normal commercial circuitfilms.But in India the very purpose of these festivals poses a big questionmark. Vikas cited two examples to prove his point, ban on 'Partition'and 'Shoonya' at MAMI and IndieFocus respectively due to permissionissue.We should be very clear that Film Festivals are not for the commonman, these are for serious film buffs, learners of film art/ craftand enlightened writers and journalists. This crowd will hardly makeany protest or organize any bundh to voice any adverse opinion. Letthem view these films...

WHY DO WE NOT HAVE GOOD MUSIC NOW A DAYS Today I read an article in HT Café ‘Sabse bada rupaiyya’ by a very old friend of mine Parag Kamani, a music industry old timer. He has expressed his concern about the lowering quality of music in the recent times. Yes, there was a time not long ago, when music companies used to sign multi album record deals with artistes/ groups, pay for recording, and promotional videos. Besides, the recording artists/ groups were provided with a fair share of the revenues from sales too. The musicians/ performers were also an integral part of family. Now, ther are record deals, studio recording costs still exist, there are pay outs towards composers and/ or studio musicians, and there is the making of inevitable video, among the several other expenses. But the difference now is that the artists wanting to sign a recording deal requires to pay for all these expenses. While it is easy to fault of the record companies for ‘exploiting’ the artistes-after all the ...

MAMI NE KYA DIYA The 9th international film festival organised by the Mumbai Academy of Moving Images (MAMI) was inaugurated on Thursday at Y.B. Chavan Auditorium at Mumbai with much fanfare amidst the presence of distinguished film personalities from India as well as abroad. The highlight of the Festival is that Amitabh Bachchan, was named as the "Indian Cinema's Global Icon." This award was handed over to Tina Munim, an old time film actress and now queen of Ambani Business empire. And by the way it is Ambani's Adlab which has contributed generous funds to MAMI this year. Javed Akhtar script, songwriter got life time achievement award for his contribution to cinema. Javed of Salim Javed screen writer team , that had given box office super duper hits Zanjeer, Deevar and Sholay to Indian Film industry. After split, Javed has given some of the best poetry to Hindi films, a number of songs have become anthem for the indian youth. Pyarelal Sharma, of the famous music...

LOCATION : OPEN SPACE OF BANGLOW FACING SEA AT SEVEN BANGLOW, MUMBAI OCCASION : MUSIC RELEASE OF 'I AM IN LOVE' Arjun Gaur has produced "I am in Love' its storyline is centred around organ donation, it has also raised child abuse issue. Despite based on a social cause, it is having all masalas to engross viewers, exotic foreign locations, good music as well as item song. Music was released by Dr. Shah noted nefrologist.Film has 7 songs but the producer used compositions of 3 music directors viz. louie Bank, Daboo Malik and Praveen.Music lilts,soothes to the ears. Title song 'I am in love' is composed by Louie Bank and sung by Roop Kumar Rathore. Another song sung by him is'Akash ko lali'is also humable. Lyric-wise 'Kaise koi rokejate huae Pal ko' writtenby Yogesh is worth mentioning.Real naughty item number 'Daroga ne loot liya' is suggestive,erotic.'Hai Mara' is not very catchy number.The music is released on new music leve...

Yes my dear friends holi songs from Hindi films have attained status of folk songs. On the holi day, you go to any society in a metro or chawls or a semi urban town's mohalla or choupal of remote village in any part of UP, Bihar, MP, Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab you will listen only 'Hoili Ayee Re Kanhyee Rang Barse', 'Rang Barse Bheege Chunar Wali Rang Barse', 'Aaj Na chorenge hum hamjoli khelenge hum holi' or 'Holi Khele Raghuveera Awadh Main Holi Khele Raghuveera' or other holi songs from films. These have developed stature of folk songs.What the polititians could not create despite of their lambe lambe bhashans, these songs have easily done, bonding people together. Long live spirit of Hindi Film Songs !