Vishal & Shekhar- Siddharth Anand- A combination that has produced lovable music that doesn’t get its fair due

 For somebody like me whose understanding of Hindi and generally the foray into Bollywood music happened in the early 2000’s there is one music composer duo, Vishal-Shekhar who have played a significant role in ensuring I became a big admirer of Bollywood Music and started following almost each Hindi album especially from 2005 onwards with a vigour and an expectation.

It goes without saying that this was my inlet into the world of Bollywood Movies as well. We obviously had AR Rahman who was shuffling between Kollywood and Bollywood and when he did compose in Hindi movies, he always manages to produce albums that became chartbusters and are pretty complex, and probably life changing experiences between 2000-2011 in Bollywood starting from ‘Lagaan’ to ‘Rockstar’.  

This extends even to 2020, where many listeners tired of the current state of Bollywood music are requesting ARR to come back to Hindi music and he recently announced ‘Atrangi Re’ with Aanand L Rai that would see ARR back in Bollywood. People can have lot of expectations as their first movie together ‘Raanjhana’ was an exhilarating and fresh experience.

Apart from ARR, there came four prominent music composers who were extremely talented and gifted in their own right- Pritam, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, Salim-Suleiman and Vishal-Shekhar. Later on, we had the introduction of Amit Trivedi who I have personally started admiring much more in the past few months as he produces some unconventional stuff like his work in ‘Dev D’ and ‘Bombay Velvet’ can pull off a simple yet heart-touching melody like ‘Ik Kudi’ from ‘Udta Punjab’.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyKZXbxx2lc

Everyone who has been following their music to an extent can have their personal favourites- personally it will be Pritam for me as the voice that he considers his favourite singer, KK is the main reason I know and appreciate Hindi Music and the lyrics so much. It’s a voice that comes once in a generation and it truly has changed my life. So, the magic KK infused into Pritam Da’s compositions still lingers on. They made chartbusters that are so good that many playlists will be filled with their songs, but they never get appreciated or lauded enough.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVvfLz6IeXY

That I feel is got to do with them just doing their thing and not coming out and constantly being in front of audiences. Their skill does the talking and they both have largely stayed away from the limelight and that’s one more reason I respect them and love their collaboration even more.

When you look at a career graph of a music director in Bollywood especially post 2000, they are at their creative best with couple of directors. That jodi transpires into some magical compositions that still continue to impress, inspire and make people emotional years after the album has released.

Among the most talked about Music Director- Film Director combinations would be ARR with Ashuthosh Gowariker(Lagaan, Swades, Jodhaa Akbar and Mohejo Daro), ARR with Imtiaz Ali(Highway, Tamasha), Pritam- Anurag Basu(Gangster, Life In a Metro, Barfi, Jagga Jasoos) Pritam- Imtiaz Ali(Jab We Met, Love Aaj Kal 1 and 2, Jab Harry Met Sejal) and SEL- Farhan Akhtar( Dil Chahta Hai, Lakshya and Don, Don 2).

I would personally want to shed some light on creative partnership that I have really started to like and go back to often in recent times. This is a combination that has continuously produced some memorable tunes that would evoke lot of memories. It’s among my favourite Musical jodis in Bollywood. The combination I am talking about is Vishal & Shekhar along with Siddharth Anand.

They get talked about with less regard compared to other stellar collaborations mentioned because the movies that they have associated mainly have light-hearted and extremely easy on the eye. Their music gets probably listened and enjoyed a lot  even now, but sadly the credit doesn’t come in as much as I personally feel it should.

They came together in the amazing ‘Salaam Namaste’. Everything was so good in that movie- Saif Ali Khan and Priety Zinta were at their peak, Javed Jaffrey was hilarious in his small role and the music was so fresh and is still something that many listeners go back to. Be it the catchy title track or among my most heard Vishal-Shekhar songs ‘My Dil Goes Mmm’. Full marks to Shaan and Gayatri Iyer for singing so well!

Vishal-Shekhar after that amped their quality with every future collaboration with Siddharth Anand. Some of the most repeat worthy and pleasant melodies in that decade came in albums like ‘Ta Ra Rum Pum’ and ‘Bachna Ae Haseeno’. ‘Hey Shona is probably in the top five songs sung by Shaan for me, it makes you feel calm and happy. And the same album had the fun and catchy title track and the energetic party number ‘Ab To Forever’ sung by KK that’s still a constant in party circles, discos etc.

If there is one song that took Ranbir Kapoor one level higher in terms of popularity and acceptance it has to be the immaculately well sung ‘Khuda Jaane’ where KK makes it sound so simple- a trademark of the singer! Shot on the beautiful locales of Venice, many forget that the music is still fresh and it’s not only about ‘Khuda Jaane’. The title track, ‘Aahista Aahista’ sung by Lucky Ali and Shreya Ghoshal and even ‘Lucky Boy’ effortlessly crooned by Sunidhi Chauhan are still trending songs. A solid album that became a chartbuster.

By this time, I was a quiet admirer of this combination as they had already produced tunes that was a big part of my childhood and my college days. But why this combination remains special personally and why I feel it should get more mention is after ‘Anjaana Anjaani’ came out. Boy, what an album that was! In terms of complexity, impact and repeat value nothing could beat this complete package. It would rank as the best Vishal-Shekhar album for me till date!

People who appreciate superb music complimented by some outstanding singing should definitely give this album a proper hearing. It didn’t get it’s due for sure, and lot of it has to do with the subject of this movie- two people want to commit suicide and how they find meaning in life. It’s too harsh or bold to direct a movie with such a tricky plot and I must admit in terms of performances that Siddharth Anand derived from his actors ‘Anjaana Anjaani’ would rank as his best movie.  The movie tanked at the box office, but would personally rank it very highly.

This movie has a special place in my life as two of my closest friends have had life-altering experiences (the last movie they saw with their ex-girlfriends) happened to be this Ranbir Kapoor starrer. They connected with the movie at an all new level and me trying to support and help them get over their grief, fell in love with this complex and effective soundtrack!

‘Thujhe Bhula Diya’ and ‘Aas Paas Khuda’ deserved awards for the composition and singing. Fantastic stuff. For people who had any doubts whether Mohit Chauhan could pull of Rockstar I quietly knew in my mind that through ‘Thujhe Bhula Diya’ he proved his worth as a singer who can invoke deep emotions through his voice. And after that as they say rest is history.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyi-Qh_HeTI

Even the best collaborators see a slide in form or quality and for that happened to a large extent with ‘Bang Bang’ and ‘War’ where the music wasn’t that good, something felt missing. Maybe it’s the shoddy execution of the Hrithik Roshan- Katrina Kaif starrer which was almost a punch to my stomach for me as I couldn’t believe that the same team that gave us ‘Anjaana Anjaani’ could after a gap of four years come up with ‘Bang Bang’. ‘Tu  Meri’ and to an extent ‘Meherbaan’ are good songs but it requires the video to get through the song- which was not required for this combination up until ‘Bang Bang’.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAOIbHBEvi0

It’s quiet often the case that once a music director gets acclaim or a film director attains a cult status, they move on to other composers in pursuit of excellence in order to offer the listeners a different perspective and maybe a different experience. In that regard, I really appreciate them standing together and continuing their journey together even now.

Lot of pleasant memories of my childhood and growing up days are associated with this unassuming Jodi. I have always enjoyed the music coming out of this creative pairing and I hope listeners revisit all these albums and can experience what I have and had experienced.

In between the unbelievable brilliance of AR Rahman to the freshness that SEL provided and the effortless ease at which Pritam was able to produce scintillating chartbusters largely propelled by KK to the unconventional brilliance of Amit Trivedi, Vishal & Shekhar get left behind.

This combination was entrusted with composing music for Shahrukh Khans much talked about comeback to the big screen after a hiatus of five years with "Pathaan", and also play an integral part in the final outcome of Hrithik Roshan & Deepika Padukones aerial action thriller, "Fighter". 

Its fair to say although both albums very received very well and most songs became huge trending hits on social media platforms, as a fan of this collabration's melodies or their work primarily until Siddharth Anand took a conscious decision to move to directing action fests over romantic dramas the music has also to an large extent become more generic party songs which after a few listens loose its sheen. 

The Bollywood music buff in me hopes to see this partnership mix up a 'War' or 'Pathaan' sort of spectacle movies along with a simple slice of life romantic drams like a 'Salaam Namaste' as well. There is certainly an audience for this mix of films but the question to be asked is will Sid Anand want to take the tougher route when all his action movies have become such big blockbusters??

For people who are unaware of the work of Vishal-Shekhar along with Siddharth Anand so far, here are my favorite tracks from this combination:

1. My Dil Goes Mmm & Tu Jahaan- Salaam Namaste

2. Hey Shona & Ab To Forever- Ta Ra Rum Pum

3. Anjaana Anjaani- Listen to the full album as its among my favorite Bollywood album of all time! 

4. Meherbaan- Bang Bang

5. Sher Khul Gaye from Fighter and Ghungroo from War. 

Their compositions have been pretty easy on the ear and also have been really effective, repeat worthy and popular and something that could get spoken of and written about more. This is my attempt of highlighting their contribution to Bollywood music as I hope the songs mentioned finds a way into all of your playlists more often now!!

 

How the music of Rockstar becomes even more magical in current times

 As the world is grappling under the Coronavirus pandemic, there are many people who want to do many things but are trapped as they can’t step out of their homes. The impending uncertainty of what to expect in the coming days and how soon this pandemic can go away still bothers everyone in some form or the other. In times like this, we all need the power of music to help us smoothly battle lockdown blues.

AR Rahman’s music has the ability to calm, heal and help us overcome any hurdle. It is that soulful and definitely magical. Back in 2011, when ‘Rockstar’ released to mixed reviews, I being a huge Imtiaz Ali fan myself was a bit confused after watching the movie, I didn’t know whether to appreciate Ranbir’s acting or feel let-down by the randomness of the screenplay.  But that was also a sign that there is something working in the movie as no movie of this director apart from ‘Jab We Met’ can be loved by everyone after the first viewing.

I was unable to comprehend Jordan and his character arc. But only when I saw it recently on TV did this movie hit me.  So profound was the impact it made on me that It probably remains my favourite movie of Imtiaz along with ‘Tamasha’.

Kudos to Ranbir Kapoor for pulling off such varied characters like Jordan and Ved so beautifully! He literally lives and breathes both the characters and every emotion he goes through is clearly visible for the audiences.

But one thing that still remains is the freshness and purity of the album, the magic created by none other than ARR. With A. R. Rahman's out-of-this-world music and Irshad Kamil's profound lyrics, no wonder the album created waves and continues to do so. This was a coming together of two creative power-houses Imtiaz Ali and ARR and I was keen to listen to the output.

 

Jordan's journey, from his anguish to his fearless conviction, everything was conveyed beautifully through the film's songs.  Mohit Chauhan was the heart and soul of this scintillating album and he was so convincing as the voice of Jordan!

 

The first ARR- Imtiaz collaboration was the album that captures a multitude of  emotions so brilliantly. The emotions felt by Jordan could well be what many of us would be feeling off late. My mind goes back to ‘Rockstar’ and its magic.

 

The album had fourteen songs including 2 stirring instrumentals. What sets this apart from many other ARR albums that I personally feel should have won the Oscars is the fact that almost every song from this classic has a relatability factor to them (Probably Rang De Basanti comes closest for an ARR Hindi album).

I remember my brother getting the CD for this and we were excited and thrilled  as it was another ARR album to discover. And this album released in close proximity to two other ARR specials- ‘Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya’ and ‘Enthiran’ and still we were reeling from it’s after effects.

We were still decoding and discovering facets of both those albums and were thoroughly enjoying the process. But ARR didn’t relent, as he dropped another album which easily is among his best work till date. It made both of us forget his other work and concentrate on the soundtrack of ‘Rockstar’.

I had read reports online about ‘Rockstar’ and knew that it was a journey of a singer/Rockstar, so personally exceptions shot up to a different stratosphere. Thankfully, we had not hit the singles era yet (nowadays every album release singles that ruins the experience of listening to a new album, especially if it’s  composed by AR Rahman). So once the audio started playing from the sound system, I was blown away and I still haven’t got over the effect of those tunes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kOzFMR9Hys

‘Jo Bhi Main’, ‘Phir Se Ud Chala’ and ‘Nadaan Parindey’ is directly in Imtiaz Ali territory- Jordan questioning his existence, his self-worth and reflecting on his deeds. The mesmerizing lyrics by Irshad Kamil in these songs made me his fan and I continue to appreciate his work and look forward to his lyrics  especially when he teams up with his close friend and film-maker Imtiaz Ali.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RDI9CMilhk

‘Kun Faaya Kun’, ‘Tum Ho’ and ‘Tum Ko’ deal with Jordan seeking solace and doing lot of soul searching. For people seeking solace and a way out of their grief or if someone is missing someone, their loved ones in times of lockdown, let ARR help you feel you less worried.

These are the songs that attain a different meaning in times when one questions what we are doing and what we want to do in life.  Such immersive lyrics that anyone listening to these songs will  get transported into the pain and plight of Jordan. The power of spirituality and music at its outstanding best!

Just when I thought this album was only deep and emotional, ARR springs a surprise on us, as there are three lighter songs that are equally effective. ‘Katiya Karun’, ‘Haawa Haawa’ and ‘Sheher Main’ bring out the spunk and naughtiness in Jordan and also shall we say ARR as in this album, Jordan and ARR are almost intertwined. The variations in the singing in each song, especially Mohit in ‘Haawa Haawa’ make them so good and refreshing to hear!

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0W1hGx5CChI

 

But the two songs that I would go on to proclaim as among the best songs I have heard from ARR for Bollywood and that are  extremely close to my heart for the impact the songs still create, that manages to effortlessly express and bring out the angst and passion of Jordan out in the open so magnificently are ‘Sadda Haq’ and ‘Aur Ho’.

 

Scintillating, goose bumps inducing stuff from ARR where it’s almost as if he is almost daring the listeners to get over these songs without not getting affected by them. That’s still not happened and I have listened to them so many times that I have lost count. The electrifying guitar from Sadda Haq still send shivers down my spine!

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTQVG5rSMkQ

 

If there were any doubts about Mohit Chauhan the singer or Ranbir Kapoor as a performer, this album should shatter any such doubts. In times when everyone is caged and confined within the four walls of their homes and many people are contemplating how to spend their time, let ARR-Mohit Chauhan take you on a journey, one that would be enriching, joyful  and which will  prove therapeutic!!

“I hear music when I close my eyes. When I open my eyes, the music does not go away. I often can’t follow the words that people speak, but I get the music of their soul. It’s good that way, because words can lie but music cannot. Pleasant or disturbing, music is always the truth.” These deep and thought-provoking words define the magic of Rockstar!! 

Reminiscing ‘Rang De Basanti- One of my favourite movies boosted by powerful film-making and music

 I clearly remember watching ‘Rang De Basanti’ with my family and was blown away by its brilliance and the impact it created on me personally. I was in my late teens and never had any movie until then have such an ever-lasting impact on me. Everything from the performances, to the story to the plot twists and AR Rahman’s exuberance in the songs and BGMs was phenomenal. And it truly remains one of the best movies I have watched in a long-time.

I remember and now should probably even thank my brother as he convinced my parents to take us for a re-watch of ‘RDB’ on a weekday. My parents were adamant as there was  school the next day and they said we could watch it in the weekend, but I stood firm and even remember going into my room and crying like a cry-baby  in a bid to convince my parents to oblige and take me to the theatre for a re-watch of this movie.

 And my brother convinced them and we all went to watch the movie again in theatres! I have such fond memories of watching this movie and that experience is still so fresh in my mind. And this movie released at a time when my brother was in his college days. He was so lucky as he could experience and connect to all the characters- DJ, Aslam, Karan, Sukhi and even Ajay as he also had a big gang of friends in college.

Probably, that is why this remains the only Bollywood movie which has such a strong connect between us apart from Mani Ratnam’s work in Bollywood. We could probably watch it again in an OTT platform, such is the recall value of this classic. It would be the few Hindi movies we still can connect with through AR Rahman’s energetic and triumphant soundtrack.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpW7Vci18gY

I clearly remember him buying the cassette of RDB and it started off with ‘Ik Onkar’ which was a nice, pleasant devotional song. But as soon as ‘Paatshaala’ started playing I wanted to dance in the car! Boy, can ARR get into the mood of a movie or what! Outstanding peppy beats and colloquial lyrics mixed with Hinglish made it a cult classic. The album has songs that touch different chords in various stages of my life.

But thanks to our love for ARR, my brother and I used to keep listening and discovering the album. A beautiful experience as he has a very unique and different taste which is pretty much in contrast to mine barring some really obvious song choices.

So, after giving ‘RDB’ a proper hearing, his favourite was ‘Tu Bin Bateyein’ and ‘Lukka Chuppi’ which I found slow and boring in the beginning. But of-course, as years have gone by, two of my go-to songs from this album are what he liked after the first hearing! Such is the connection we both share with this album as well!

I remember feeling the bromance that DJ and Sukhi shared and even the quiet yet visible love and respect that Karan and Ajay had. It was such a refreshing experience to see how the characters and people evolve during the course of the narrative. Probably, this would give ‘Dil Chahta Hai’ an extremely close fight when it comes to portrayal of friendship and bromance on screen so well!

I still can’t erase the restaurant scene from my memory where DJ in a drunken state talks about ‘The End da style’. For Ajay who is an IAF pilot, it would be with state honour and salutes and for others not even street dogs would bark after their death. This dialogue attains even more significance when Ajay passes away due to a defect in the MIG fighter jet he was operating. A seamless dialogue had such a profound impact later on!  Many more such instances makes the dialogues of this movie really powerful and repeat worthy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFpgYjL2aJo

Along with many others, having followed Ajay’s character and the pride he had in serving his country, it was an extremely emotional moment when Ajay’s belongings come in a coffin post his death and ARR’s voice kicks in ‘Lukka Chuppi’ in the background. That song holds a special place in my heart thanks to its fantastic composition along with the picturization and how that moment (death of someone who was like family) sparks a complete shift in the mood and tone of the plot. No one could hold back and sit quiet, especially after one of their best mates died to political negligence.

I would go on to say that from then my respect for the armed forces went up more as I admired Ajay and the pride, he had in serving his nation. I couldn’t believe that he died in the crash. So, a big salute to all the Armed forces and their families foe being so strong and resilient! Having not had real, first hand exposure of what their families go through, this could probably be the closest I could get to understand their situation.  As Waheeda Rahman(who played Ajay’s mother in the movie) says: They are first the nation’s pride and then he is my son. Nation above all.

And of course, you could see how much the death meant to someone like Karan who just wanted to go abroad and move on with life. Ajay’s death sparked something in him and he was at the forefront of the plan to kill the defence minister after knowing that his own father was involved in this scam. This movie took characterization and their development to an all new level. You end up loving each character and their uniqueness and you quietly vouch for them to get justice that was denied.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28OJpIA_rNo

Take for example, Laxman whose role was that of a staunch Hindutva, and how his world is shaken up when the people who orchestrated the violence on people who were peacefully protesting against the government, was actually the same people he worshipped and followed. The shift from shock to bewilderment to outrage was captured magnificently in “Khoon Chala’’.  It also introduced me to someone’s voice who I have quietly admired- Mohit Chauhan. Thank you ARR for that.

It goes without saying that Aamir Khan is probably among the best actors in India currently, and this role remains among his best. Even his detractors would rank this up there among his best work. Full credit must be given to the film’s director Rakeyesh Mehra for bringing such characters to life. I found his other works like ‘Bhaag Mikha Bhaag’ and ‘Delhi-6’ pretty disappointing but his stellar work in ‘RDB’ can’t be forgotten!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kMv5ssr6Dw

On a personal note, this movie’s soundtrack holds rather strong significance. Three years after the release of this stellar album, my grandfather passed away. And I used to listen to ‘Robaroo’ on loop on my IPOD in the aftermath of his death. The song embodied hope, happiness. I needed that and will be ever thankful for this song as it helped me in time of extreme distress and helplessness.

Every film has its shelf life, but there are some movies that never leave your system or mind. “Rang De Basanti’’ is one such movie. Ever since I saw it first time, it pulled me like a magnet and still continues to do so. I watched it on NetFlix few weeks back and still I was completely involved and was moved once the movie ended. It felt like the movie had just recently released!!!

I am sure everyone would have watched this coming of age movie ‘Rang De Basanti’ and would have fond memories of this movie. For me personally it’s a mixed bag emotionally but it is something I hold on to for sure, be it in good or bad times. The complete package was something special, I wish that we get another RDB to inspire and rouse a generation like it did upon it’s release.

Thank you Sukhi, DJ, Karan, Laxman, Aslam, Ajay, Sonia and Sue for enriching my childhood, No one could have bought their characters on screen as well as you have. I definitely will watch this movie more often, and relive your journey all over again!!

 

 

 

Life in the 21-day lock down isn’t as bad it’s made out to be, in fact it brings in more gratitude

It was scary when I first got to hear about this new virus that had spread from Wuhan in China and had started spreading across the world. Sometime around February end or March first week is when the reality sunk in that ‘this new virus’ called as the novel Coronavirus is here to stay. It had by then caused immense damage and loss of lives in many countries in Europe and slowly had seeped into India.

It was only a matter of time when India would be in a lock down or quarantine mode, and that happened from March 23^rd onward where all of us were asked to stay in our homes, for our safety and well-being  for a 21-day period. No one can get out unless you want to buy essential commodities like groceries or medicines. This is the new norm almost everywhere in the world, and definitely it’s not easy to accept but the question to be asked is- Is it that bad a situation as it’s made out to be?

Personally, this lock-down period has changed my perspective about many things, is helping me become a better person and has bought in a sense of gratitude that was somewhat missing to a large extent earlier, along with some disappointments and frustrations.

Growing up, I have always taken it for granted that if I am at home, Amma would make food for us and we can enjoy her tasty food. But never have I helped her that much, which could be attributed to the fact that maids were around so things got done without too much effort from my side. I should have helped her more and generally helped in maintaining the house (which I did when I stayed in the flat in Whitefield for the past 2 years with friends or when I go and stay with Varun and Charanya).

Somehow, that feeling of helping out never came in my mind too often when I was at home. But this 21-day lock down has changed that too a large extent. I am helping with the household chores as much as possible. I help in brooming, mopping the common area where all of us generally sit along with helping out with washing clothes and ensuring that clothes from each washroom gets collected and gets washed on a daily basis. And generally be more receptive to help out wherever it's possible. 

My gratitude towards the relentless, tireless work the maids do on a daily basis has increased a lot in this period. We have been thought never to look down upon them and definitely my respect for them has gone up now, as it’s not easy to do all the household chores along with managing our professional commitments. And the tireless way in which Amma cooks some delicious meals must be specially appreciated too, more so in the current situation.

The daily exercise routine I used to follow with my personal trainer, Suresh is still continuing even in this period where I can’t do personal under his supervision. It’s his goodwill that he shares a personally curated workout routine everyday such that I can manage to do all the exercises without too much difficulty. In times like this his small acts of kindness where he sends a message daily pushes me to do the workout with dedication and stay healthy and active. 

On a personal front this period of lock down has made me even more determined to complete studying for whatever remaining SAP certifications I want to complete in the next few weeks. This time has given me the opportunity to study with Appa, who just makes even the most boring topics so relevant and interesting by giving real-life corporate examples. So far, it has been great as I have made very good progress and I target to get one certification in my kitty before my birthday in June! Thanks to Appa and his brand of teaching!

For someone like me who lives and breathes Cricket, this period and what lies ahead of us with no sporting activity is extremely distressing and bothering. I can’t still believe that there may be no cricket for the next 3-6 months or longer, which is  something that I have to completely  get used to.

Many of you may say it’s a good thing in a way as there was too much cricket being played in recent times leading to a cricket overdose etc and that these small things shouldn’t matter much when you look at the bigger picture of the damage that COVID-19 is causing. But this issue hits me and many others who write about the beautiful game pretty hard. Again, here I am thankful that CricWizz.com, a relatively new website approached me to become an online editor.

So even in this period of lull and doom, I am able to stay in touch with the sport I love and can ‘not live without. There are other ways I feel good about this situation is that it gives me time to rethink my writing in this space once things get back to normal. Probably this forced break would help me improve creatively and help me rejuvenate myself.

And I am trying to get in different perspectives and angles of the sport by reading lot of articles and watching many shows/documentaries on the sport like the one on Amazon Prime called  The Test- A new era in Australia’s cricket, Cricket’s Greatest  on Star Sports Select and Memorable Masterstrokes on Sony Six. I have read many books on Cricket and many autobiographies but I have made it a conscious decision to focus on documentaries and specials on players in this time where there is no live cricket. 

They not only enrich my knowledge about a certain player but also helps me reconnect with the game truly from a fan’s perspective (as when I write one needs to put on the analyst hat and not only write like a cricket fan). The telecast of some iconic games of India in World Cups is refreshing to watch but I personally wish they show the replay of the 2005 and 2006 Ashes series.Those were memorable series worth watching ball by ball. 

It would be pure gold to witness that drama and see those players in action again! Probably even the 2007 World Cup as most us couldn’t watch the games live completely as the games started very late at night in India. This would be the right time to telecast that tournament as well.

Just a few days before the Janta Curfew that was followed by this national lock-down we are all in the middle of, AR Rahman quietly slipped in his latest offering, or gift ’99 songs’. The joy of discovering an ARR album is an experience in itself. Me and my brother Varun often have varied choices for the  favorite song of the album and it changes on a daily basis! So, I would suggest everyone to give this album a hearing, and for now here are two of my favorites from the album:

What surprised me or shocked me is the kind of Tweets I see posted since the lock-down was announced. People really don’t know what to do with this extra time, and not being able to go out of home is adding to their frustrations.

But it’s pretty simple- if you wanted to spend quality time with your family, start something new (be it cooking, reading a book, learn a new course etc) this is the time to do it. I personally don’t look at it as being caged or jailed, there’s so much to do and now with abundance of time, people should try something that they had  put on the back burner all this while for various reasons.

The world is reeling under the invisible enemy- Coronavirus. We need to remain positive and stay healthy and safe. It’s a situation no one has and will probably never experience before in our lifetimes. But personally I feel doing things that give you joy shouldn’t be pushed aside and this is the time to unearth skills that you never knew existed!!

Musical Round up of Bollywood and Kollywood Movies

As first published on "Magic Of Bollywood".

Every movie released will be either be remembered for the performances of their lead actors or the direction. But generally, even for movies that don't do well at the BO and for those that do, it's the music from that movie that lingers in the hearts and minds of audiences much longer than the actual movie in itself.

Music plays an important role in garnering interest for a particular movie, to making people watch a specific movie just to see how a particular song has been picturized. This trend holds good for the Indian film industry for sure. The musical album draws in a huge section of audiences to the theatres, so it becomes almost imperative for the songs to be liked, enjoyed and appreciated by the audiences.

Since I follow Bollywood and Kollywood movies and also listen to the latest songs coming out of those industries, I decided to present a music round-up of such songs which have released in recent times and has managed to stay in my mind.

Songs in this list can be easily relatable for people who follow Hindi and Tamil film music. For those who don't actively follow the latest songs, hopefully this list can generate some interest in you to go and listen to them and probably add them to your personal playlists.

So without further delay here's presenting the list of songs, in no specific order:

Dil Diyaan Gallan from 'Tiger Zinda Hai'

This soulful melody is right up there in the list of songs in recent times that has stayed in my playlist for sometime. Beautiful tune with a sufi infusion, makes for a nice, pleasant hear.

For those who enjoy and appreciate Atif Aslam's voice like I do, then this song is a must hear. His controlled, melodious  singing coupled with amazing high pitch singing makes you want to re-visit this melody may times.

He has proven his versatility in songs like ' Jeena Jeena' from 'Badlapur' and even in the chartbuster 'Tu Chahiye ' from 'Bhajrangi Bhaijaan'.  And full credits must be given to the director Ali Abbas Zafar for the picturisation of the video.

The visuals showcasing Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif in beautiful, serene locations in Poland adds to the beauty and longevity of the song.  So for all those people who like to listen to a nice melody which will be pleasing to hear, then definitely you must listen to this song.

Also, the unplugged version is also worth listening to but I personally prefer the original version sung by Atif Aslam.

'Naana Thaana' from 'Thaana Serndha Kootam'

The combination of music director Anirudh and Suriya works fabulously in this melody. As it is with most songs composed by Anirudh, when you hear them for the first few times, it wouldn't catch your attention.  But the more hearings you give to his songs, the more you will enjoy it.

The video enhances the quality of this song sung by Anirudh himself. Set in the 1980's, Suriya's natural, charismatic charm and the cuteness of Keerthy Suresh makes for superb viewing.

Pay close attention to the high pitched rendering of the word 'Adiye' through the song along with the fabulous violin interludes in the song. With catchy, simple lyrics this song is a must hear for all fans of Tamil music in general and surely for fans of music director Anirudh and the movie's lead stars Suriya and Keerthy Suresh.

Although another song from this movie 'Sodakku' is the  most popular from the album is trending online, my personal favorite and the song which will last in my memory is 'Naana Thaana' over
'Sodakku' but nevertheless I will leave to the readers to decide which song they like more!  For those music buffs who prefer beats and fast moving songs then I am sure you would love 'Sodakku'.

'Yaad Hai' from 'Aiyaary'.

Ankit Tiwari has a distinct voice which sets him apart from the likes of Arijit Singh. He rose to fame after the superbly rendered 'Sun Raha Hai' from 'Aashiqui 2' and 'Tu Hai Ki Nahi' from 'Roy'.

What I liked most about those two songs was the breath control he possesses in high pitch and the feel with which he sings. It's become a trademark, something which makes listeners like us appreciate his voice along with Arijit Singh and the other singers.

'Yaad  Hai' is a slightly more simple, toned down composition compared to some of Ankit Tiwari's previous compositions but still  which would give listeners a kind of deja-vu feeling as it does sound similar to his previous songs especially when he sings in high-pitch.

Still, I liked it as I am someone who enjoys melodies much more than fast, peppy numbers generally. So this song works in that regard. It's a nice, simple song and has lyrics which are pretty good as well.  For the romantics out there, this one would surely work for you.

'Idhayane'  from 'Vellaikaran'

The combination of Sivakarthikeyan and Anirudh  has given Tamil music buffs lot of foot tapping numbers as well as soothing, long-lasting melodies. Some of my favorites in their combination would have to be the entire album of 'Ethir Neechal' and some songs from the movie Remo like ' 'Sirikadhey' and 'Senjithaley'. 

Their combination is sure to make the music album a chartbuster. And the same thing happened with their most recent collaboration ' Vellaikaran'.  The album on a whole works well especially some songs whose song placement makes it even more impactful.

To pin-point one song which I liked the most is a bit tough, but my favorite song from this movie is 'Idhayane'. Vocals from Neeti Mohan and Anirudh, shot in some exotic locations, it's a must hear. The tune and singing grows on the listeners and in my opinion it's among the better tunes composed by Anirudh but hasn't got it's complete due.

Probably due to the album having other chartbusters like 'Iraiva', ' Karuthavallam Gallejam' this song went under appreciated. A very good song, another one of Anirudh's songs which I listen to quiet often in recent times. 

For those unfamiliar with Anirudh's music or this album in particular, then I would recommend  you to give 'Ethir Neechal' and 'Velaikaran' a good listening and I am sure you guys would enjoy and appreciate the songs.

'Swag Se Swagat' from 'Tiger Zinda Hai'.

This song is among those songs in recent times which is fast, peppy and immensely likeable. Although there are so many remixed songs which have become chartbusters in the year 2017, personally I don't like such songs. Barring 'Chalti Hai Kya 9-12' from 'Judwaa 2' which maintained the funkiness of the original tune, the other remixes actually ruined the original song.

Stepping away from the trend of remixing popular songs, Vishal & Shekhar come out with flying colors in this upbeat, stylish dance number. It has Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif in full flow with regards to their dancing, not to forget this dance is extremely high on style, so for people not to fond of Salman Khan or 'Bhai's' antics on screen, they actually will enjoy the dance moves in this song.

With good singing by Vishal Dadlani and Neha Bhasin with rap portions by Raftaar, this is a chartbuster and it's a likable, addictive chartbuster. It conveys the message of peace and brotherhood which is the underlying theme of 'Tiger Zinda Hai'.

Overall, this foot-tapping number is sure to get almost everyone who listens hooked on to it!

Most Anticipated Tamil Movies of 2018..

As first published on "Magic Of Bollywod".

With a new year comes renewed hope and expectations. A fresh set of movies is going to hit theatres in 2018. Like every year, there will be a list of movies of our favorite hero, heroine, director coming up for which we are eagerly looking forward to seeing.

Here's a list of the most anticipated Tamil movies of 2018, excluding the projects which are at a very nascent stage as of now and the Pongal releases 'Thaana Serndha Kootam' and 'Sketch'.

The list is in no specific order as such, but for sure all or most of these movies would be surely anticipated by most Tamil movie-goers.

Ennai Nokki Paayam Thotta

The coming together of an acting powerhouse in Dhanush in the direction  of one our finest filmmakers in recent times Gautam Vasudev Menon itself is enough reason for us to be eagerly waiting for this movie to release in theatres.

With GVM opting for a new marketing strategy by releasing two singles 'Maruvarthai' and 'Naan Pizhipenno' well in advance and not announcing the music director and declaring it as Mr X, adding to the curiosity of the listeners.

It was announced recently when a third single 'Visiri' was released that Mr X was Darabuka Siva. So in all the movie looks promising with a new, fresh team coming together. One can hope for the typical GVM class coupled with a good role for Dhanush which would be very different from his 'VIP' and 'Kodi' in terms of presentation and looks.

Dhruva  Natchathiram

A project which is something very close to Gautam Vasudev Menon's heart would  release sometime in 2018. It was marred in a unfortunate controversy when this movie was offered to Suirya and he declined it stating creative differences with the script and the overall feel of the movie.

That led to a temporary  breakdown in the relationship with Suriya and GVM which in the past few months seem to have improved, something noticeable with the fact that one of the key characters in Suriya's latest movie had voice provided by GVM.

Coming back to this movie, after the disappointment of not getting to work on this project, GVM completed two movies 'Yennai Arindhaal' and Acham Embathu Madamaiyada' which proved to very good for their lead actors Ajith and Simbu more than establishing GVM the director as both movies didn't have too much of his directorial finesse visible.

With Dhruva Natchathiram's teaser one can say that the director in Gautam Vasudev Menon is going to comeback with a bang. With Chiyaan VIkram looking extremely stylish and classy in a role of a spy/agent, we can  expect a high voltage action/romance movie.

Vikram has the ability of picking the worst possible scripts for his movies since Anniyan, but atleast this promises to be a positive change from that disturbing trend. With Harris Jeyaraj reuniting with GVM, this can be surely expected to be a musical treat.

Shot extensively in New York, Turkey and New Delhi one can only hope that there is enough substance in this movie's script which can see a return of Vikram the actor( 'I' was a disaster, especially for the efforts he put in for the role) and re-establish GVM as a director.

Sandakozhi 2

Sandakozhi, which released way back in 2005 was a game changer for it's lead star Vishal and the director N.Linguswamy.  The tightly packed, fast faced action drama established Linguswamy as a good, commercial movie director.

It also gave Vishal his biggest break as an actor what with his chemistry with Meera Jasmine appreciated and also his portions with Raj Kiran still talked about. With fabulous music and background score by Yuvan Shankar Raja, Sandakozhi remains Linguswamy's finest work till date.

Post the financial setbacks he suffered with 'Uttama Villan' and 'Anjaan' failing to bring in the expected returns, it is indeed a relief and a sign of hope that he is able to get back to direction with the sequel of his biggest hit.

With new additions like Keerthy Suresh and D.Imman as the music director for the sequel the audiences can hope for the return of Linguswamy and hopefully a movie as good as the original. With this movie scheduled for a Tamil New Year's release, it sure would be a festival treat, definetly worth waiting for.

Enthiran 2.0

With every movie directed by Shankar, he pushes the bar higher when it comes to imagination. One must credit his vision for thinking of a concept like Enthiran which in itself was a complete surprise as it was a perfect mix of computer graphics and Super Star Rajnikanth' s style and acting.

The sequel to Enthiran, 2.0 is touted to be the costliest ever Tamil Movie to be made, even surpassing the cost of Bahubali Series. From the songs released and the posters released we can say that the robot angle will be much more in this than the original.

With Chitti the Robot relinquished in the first part, and the inclusion of the ever consistent Akshay Kumar in the sequel, Shankar sure knows how to keep audiences waiting for the release of his upcoming movie.

With Super Star Rajinikanth announcing his political entry recently, we can for sure say that 2.0 and 'Kaala' directed by P.A Ranjith could well be the last we can see Rajini on screen. That in itself would give enough reason for everyone to wait for this movie.

It's going to release in the end of April and being summer time, it is going to be a treat to see what Shankar has up his sleeve as he floundered horribly in 'I' where the story was so wafer thin that one feels sorry for Vikram as all the hard-work put in by him went largely unnoticed as the movie was so bad.

This futuristic movie is among the most anticipated movies of the year and rightly so. Let's hope this would be as entertaining as the first part if not bigger and better.

Nargasooran

For everyone who has seen 'Dhruvangal Pathinaaru', you would agree with me that it's director Karthick Naren is someone to look forward to. He proved his finesse and what was so good to see was how well he built his story around a small incident.

The locations of that movie is close to my heart as it was shot extensively in Coimbatore and in localities very near to my grandparents house in Coimbatore. Keeping that aside the story, performances, and the fabulous way in which the story evolves made 'Dhruvaangal Pathinaaru' so good.

It's so refreshing to see new age directors give so much importance to the screenplay and story more than the actors. With 'Nargasooran', Karthick explores a different genre with the versatile Arvind Swamy as the lead actor.

Produced by ace filmmaker Gautham Vasudev Menon, this like his debut movie promises to be high on content and there seems to be a suspense element involved which would for sure keep audiences hooked right through the movie.

The tagline itself keeps us guessing- The Tale of a fallen demon. Really looking forward to this movie!

Mercury

A filmmaker who has carved his own space through some wild, imaginative and progressive thinking Karthik Subbaraj is coming up with his next movie 'Mercury', a silent thriller movie.

Very rarely we get to see silent thrillers being made in Kollywood, so this is indeed an unique movie in that sense. With music by Santhosh Narayanan and cinematography by national awardee Thirru, the crew of the movie is reason enough to go to the theatres to see this.

Known for his progressive thinking when it comes to writing or sheer brilliance in his portrayal of characters, Subbaraj is definetly one of the finest filmmakers in Tamil cinema currently. With Mani Ratnam himself having praised this young, talented director, he is sure to impress again with 'Mercury'.

The poster leaves lots for the audience to guess. Only after the trailer is released can we ascertain what exactly to expect from this movie. But given his past track record and the fact that we get to see Prabhu Deva as an antagonist, audiences can be sure of another great movie from Karthik Subbaraj.

Naachiyar

A crime thriller directed by Bala starring Jyothika and GV Prakash Kumar in the lead roles, Naachiyar looks really intense and promising.

After her return to acting with '36 Vaayanthile' and 'Magalir Mattum', Jyothika is proving that age is no reason to be written off. Infact she is playing age appropriate roles which has worked really well post her return.

It's always interesting when Bala announces a movie. One gets the feeling that he was trying to shove tragic situations at the audience with his last two movies ' Paradesi' and 'Thara Thapattai' rather than have normal situations play out into tragedy where he brings out the best in his actors and actresses.

One thing is for sure- actors who have worked under Bala's direction have gone to carve their own space now in the Tamil Film industry. Be it Vikram after 'Sethu' and 'Pithamagan',  Suriya after 'Nanndha' and 'Pithamagan'  or a Aarya after 'Naan  Kadavul'.

Bala shapes and molds actors and utilizes their unearthed potential so well. One may find his movies depressing and tragic  but we cannot undermine the importance of this director and his movies. Without him Vikram, Suriya and Aarya wouldn't be the stars they are now as Bala moulded them into actors to be reckoned with.

Naachiyaar promises to be a crime thriller which would unleash acting skills we haven't seen in Jyothika or GV Prakash Kumar. If Bala's movie is even 50% as good as the teaser is then it would definitely see the return of the veteran filmmaker deliver a hard-hitting movie in his usual traditional style.

Here's a list of movies which are untitled or which we know very little of but still are highly anticipated:

Mani Ratnam' s next- Starring Jyothika, Arvind Swamy, Fahad Faasil, Vijay Sethupathi, Simbu, Prakash Raj and Aishwariya Rajesh. This is touted to be a gangster movie, but it's too early to predict or say anything about this. With music by AR Rahman and cinematography by Santosh Shivan, this is one movie everyone is eagerly looking forward to watch.

Suriya 36- After impressing fans and critics alike with the clean family entairtainer "Thaana Serndha Kootam", Suriya's next directed by Selvaraghavan with music by Yuvan Shankar Raja and Sai Pallavi of 'Premam' fame promises to be a landmark movie in Suriya's career.

Again nothing much has been relieved about this movie, but it is heartening to see such fine talents get together for a movie.

Kaala- P.A Ranjith's next after 'Kabali' starring Super Star Rajini as a local don in the slums of Mumbai promises to be a treat for people like me who enjoy crime and gangster based movies. It is sure that once more information is revealed about this movie, the anticipation will automatically rise for this upcoming movie.

Illayathalapathy 62-  Vijay reunites with his 'Thupakki' and 'Katthi' director A.R Murgadoss for his next post his successful 'Mersal'.  Known to address  strong social issues in his movies, one can expect another such movie from this combination. What makes this movie even bigger is the fact that the Mozart of Madras A R Rahman has been roped as the composer for this upcoming movie.

Post the stupendous success of their latest collaboration 'Mersal', we can expect another quality album which would please Vijay's fans and have the signature ARR touch to it.

Religious Rituals- A waste of time and resources in modern times..

How many times have you heard from your parents or in my case, from my grandparents that we must visit a temple at least  once a week so that the week will go well and many more bogus, unwanted rituals such as these which has no significance in modern times.

You have people fasting on Tuesdays and Thursdays or people who eat both Vegetarian or Non-Vegetarian not eat non-veg food on two days of the week. My question is the  chicken or mutton going to come back to life on those two days to thank them for not eating them?

 NO. So why follow such weird superstitions when you will suffer indirectly as a result of that. It goes for people across  religions as fasting is good for weight loss but can have serious health related issues which people tend to ignore in the name of following religious rituals or superstitions.

In a society which is labelled as progressive there are umpteen number of rituals/ superstitions followed by people. They need  to be practiced after knowing the reason behind practicing the rituals rather than just doing it just to prove you are a religious person.  There are many festivals we celebrate without knowing the actual reason behind celebrating it.

As my mother rightly says, people will follow some religious rituals/ superstitions  just because they think that gives them mental peace and happiness. So that's my stand on this- I don't believe in these unwanted rituals but I don't put down people who do because practicing them gives them happiness  so why spoil the fun for them.

I look at festivals as an occasion where we can gorge on a heavy and tasty food and more importantly get to spend time with family members and friends. And the icing on the cake will be to get tickets for the latest movie which releases in theaters. Nothing to do with the rituals  conducted before eating the food.

When we have so many issues to worry about why bother about these rituals?  We burn wood, use lot of water etc to conduct a religious ceremony . Have you even once in your minds felt that the reason behind your city/locality boiling 4-5 degrees above normal temperature could also  be attributed to practicing these rituals among other things?

Amongst many factors that contribute to wastage of resources and which harm the environment, I find the wastage in the name of rituals disturbs  me a lot.

Lack of green cover and a complete shortage of water are two issues of grave importance which is being faced in  many countries and more so in India. In Latur, Maharashtra for example a train loaded with water was sent as the town didn't have water for over a month.  If not before think about these issues now at least.

I am not talking about only the rituals but I speak on behalf of people who fight for the environment and it's improvement. Hasn't it  come to a point where we put an end or to these rituals or curb the wastage of environmental factors  so that we can save some water, some trees which will help drought affected parts of a state or a village?

I ask you, the educated . well read readers out there whether what I am saying is right or wrong. No point in complaining about water shortage and increased temperatures when all these rituals do is adding to worsening  conditions and  the environment around us.

In modern times, what exactly is the significance of such rituals? We burst crackers to celebrate good over evil? Really? We are only emitting  poisonous and toxic fumes which can cause death to many people who breathe that air when we burst crackers. Now folks who is the good and who are the evil?

 I appreciate the Mumbai High court's  move to remove IPL games from the state of Maharashtra which has seen the most number of farmer suicides in over a decade. When people  are dying the least we can do is to help those who are in need of help. In this case instead of using the water to even the outfield of a ground, give to those who need water to survive.

Renowned actor Nana Patekar has adopted a village in Maharashtra  and has helped the farmers there. He said in a recent interview that the only reason for his living now onward is for the upliftment  of farmer' s condition.  We must applaud such people who go out of  their way to help those people/farmers.

If you can't help those people directly at least start doing things from your side by not wasting water, don't allow people around you to burn wood etc so that some of the water which is allocated to be used in cities could be sent to villages which are suffering from droughts.

I personally go to work through a mix of  walking and car-pooling thereby helping in my small way to reduce pollution levels and I definitely don't waste much water at home.

For those who believe in rituals, my simple and humble request would be- please reduce harming the environment while doing so. If you start doing that indirectly you will be helping lot of people around you.  In times where water and clean air is fading away it's high time we people start thinking about how we celebrate these rituals irrespective of our religion.

This blog post could be the non-believer in me speaking about the ridiculous nature of these rituals and how they mean nothing in these times of grave danger. Because of the frequency of these festivals this is one of the  reasons for the environment getting destroyed around us.

Everything does tend to have a religious overture be it birth or death, sports or celebration. Be it in weddings or public functions. So why not use religion for a change to bring a much needed social change in us too.  If you are religiously sensitive then use that to become socially sensitive.

It's time for the so-called progressive society to start thinking about the points I made in this blog post and start doing something about these regressive practices. It's time to act folks! Actions speak louder than words!