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Remembering The Greatest Khan
Hm. Who is The Greatest Khan? Some might think Shahrukh. or Salman. or Aamir. or Saif. or Genghis? All wrong.
The Greatest Khan is the man who made sufi music popular among the masses, who became the most popular Pakistani artists in the world. It’s none other than Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.
Khan was recently selected as one of the 50 Greatest Voices of All Time by NPR. This made me think of the legacy he left. Not only was he one of the most inspiring performers of all time, he also mastered the technique of bringing various forms of music together and intertwining them in a way that had never been done before.
To imagine monumental classical music singers such as Ghulam Ali, Pandit Jasraj or Farida Khanum collaborate with London based DJ Bally Sagoo, or with Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder is laughable. But Khan did it all. Not only did he bring the east and west together through music, he reunited Hindustani and Sufi music in a way that had never been done before.
In my last post, I wrote about the new wave in contemporary music that is now experimenting with mixing different sounds from all around the world to create global and original pieces. Khan was the pioneer who paved this path for future musicians. The best example of his melody of Hindustani raaga and Sufi music was through his incorporation of sargam in his qawwalis. Sufism is the mythological branch of Islam, and music plays a huge role in the religion. Qawwalis are the best known form of Sufi devotional music.
Sargam, on the other hand, is an innate quality of raagas. The sargam represents the scale in raagas, and consist of seven notes: sa, re, ga, ma, pa, dha, ni, sa. Each sargam has a different sound. They symbolize Hindustani music. Khan incorporated Sargam into his qawwalis.
A Pakistani Singer in an interview recently stated that artists in the country receive more respect when they perform in Bollywood. The very fact that there is a growing relationship between the countries through music (Bollywood films are banned in Pakistan) is because of Khan.
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s influence is boundless. He composed some music for Bollywood films, influenced groups like Pakistan’s Junoon and singers like India’s Kailash Kher. He is not known as the world’s greatest singer purely for his voice and performance, but for his innovation and ability to transcend borders and politics and bring people together through music.
Here is a personal favorite:
A mainstream piece:
A link to a video of Khan combining qawwali with sargam.
Thank God for Emosonal Attyachaar
Over the last few years, the world has witnessed many improvements in Bollywood: in the quality of films, in the acting, and especially, in the music.
Today, innovation and creativity in Bollywood are best seen through its music industry. Sure, there were mavericks such as A.R. Rahman or Shankar Ehsaan Loy who ventured away from the typical songs. But until 2006, all Bollywood music was monopolized with a handful of singers. Some singers had a heavy voice which automatically designated for the sad songs, some had high pitched voices so they sang mostly love songs, and some singers, such as Asha Bhosle and Sunidhi Chauhan, sang the dance numbers.
In the 90’s, music didn’t compare to the amazing compositions of previous decades. The music industry slowly progressed over time, but it wasn’t until 2006 when things started moving fast.
Bollywood films started featuring Pakistani artists in their soundtracks. It had never been done before on such a consistent basis, or in mainstream films. (Check out my opinion editorial on the subject.) The effect was amazing. Music directors ventured out of their comfort zone. Even lyrics had much more meaning to them and weren’t predictable as they used to be.
Since then, there has been a huge increase in songs with heavy classical Muslim and Hindu sounds, something that was missing in the 90’s. New singers were given opportunities to sing. South Asian classical elements and Western sounds were combined. Of course, mainstream typical music was created, and were extremely popular. But that didn’t deter music directors from trying something different.
Finally, Filmfare (similar to The Oscars) recognized this difference last year by awarding Best Female Playback Singer to two women who sang in a classical raaga style, but with western influences. Progressive films aren’t getting the same treatment, but hey, music is a great start.
Here are some of the best songs that best exemplify this new wave of music:
Iktara, Wake Up Sid, Composed by Amit Trivedi
Rasiya, Kurbaan, Composed by Salim-Sulaiman
Emosonal Attychar, Dev D., Composed by Amit Trivedi
Raat ke Dhai Baje, Kaminey, Composed by Vishal Bhardwaj
Sasural Genda Phool, Delhi 6, Composed by A.R. Rahman
Aaj Din Chadeya, Love Aaj Kal, Composed by Pritam
Rehna Tu, Delhi 6, Composed by A.R. Rahman
Tu Jaane Na (Unplugged), Ajab Prem ki Ghazab Kahaani, Kailash Kher
Sajda, My Name is Khan, Composed by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy
Sapnon Se Bhare Naina, Luck By Chance, Composed by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy
The entire Dev D. soundtrack, Composed by Amit Trivedi
Amitabh: use that Beautiful Voice of Yours
Amitabh Bachchan should know it’s his time to speak up, if only to stop Bal Thackeray from speaking in his defense.
Bachchan, one of the most popular movie stars in India and in the world, was asked to become the Brand Ambassador to Gujarat. What’s the controversy in that, you might ask? Bachchan was Brand Ambassador for Uttar Pradesh, his home state, not long ago.
The problem stems from Gujarat’s government. The Bharatiya Janata Party (right wing) Chief Minister of Gujarat, Narendra Modi, has been harshly criticized for his Hindu fundamental stands, most notably for his role in the 2002 Gujarat riots, one of the most violent events in post-partition India. The United States revoked his Visa the following year, and calls for his resignation were continuously made in the aftermath.
Bachchan was once the darling of the left wing, secular Nationalist Congress Party. He was pals with Rajeev Gandhi and was even a member of Parliament in the 1980’s. He now campaigns for the Samajwadi Party, a popular one in U.P and amongst his fellow Bollywood colleagues. Consequently, the superstar has been harshly criticized by Congress Party members for his endorsement of their main competition (Samajwadi doesn’t align itself with BJP or Congress, but is not a right wing party).
Congress has constantly raised one question: Does Bachchan’s endorsement of Gujarat translate into his support for Modi’s actions during the 2002 communal riots?
Bachchan is usually comfortable sitting on the sidelines during major controversies– the latest was his silence on the Shahrukh Khan- Thackeray debacle. Before that in 2008, Raj Thackeray, another Shiv Sena member and Bal Thackeray’s nephew, accused Bachchan of caring more for his home state, UP, over Maharashtra. This criticism was made during a series of attacks on immigrants in Maharashtra. Bachchan chose to stay mum on the whole issue.
While Congress is being a bit dramatic over his endorsement, Modi himself said anyone who questioned Bachchan’s action were “The Taliban of public life.”
Bachchan hasn’t specifically stated his rejection of Modi’s politics or previous actions; he simply stated that he is a fan of Gujarat’s culture, and is acting as a public servant.
It’s time for Bachchan to speak up. As one of the world’s most popular actors, all of his actions receive immense speculation, and sometimes criticism. Like columnist Vir Sanghvi, I don’t give in to Bachchan’s notion that supporting Gujarat and supporting Modi are that different.
If Bachchan supports Modi, that’s fine. It’s his right. But he shouldn’t keep hiding from every controversy that comes his way. His popularity wouldn’t wane if he was vocal– take Khan’s stance against Thackeray, for instance. He spoke agaisnt Bal Thackeray, and the film industry supported him. Bachchan, like Khan, needs to start addressing uncomfortable situations, whether it be over Congress’s silliness or Thackeray’s absurdity. Especially with that enchanting voice of his, the world would listen.
If Congress thinks that Bachchan will publicly renounce Modi, they shouldn’t hold their breath. It’s not Bachchan’s style. It seems as though all the ruckus Congress has created is because they are afraid of permanently losing the superstar to the right wing. Don’t worry too much, Congress– you still have Govinda.
A Call Center Joke? How Original.
Anil Kapoor has become one of the most famous Bollywood stars in America. After the success of Slumdog Millionaire. The actor bagged a gig in the hit Fox series 24.
Recently, he was interviewed by Good Day LA’s Steve Edwards. While Kapoor enthusiastically explained the dwindling gap between the poor and the middle class in India, Edwards responded by saying, “How come every time I call tech support I seem to get you on the phone?”
Here is the video of the interview:
The interview was difficult to watch. Sadly, ignorant comments like Edwards have become quite common. In a blog post for The Boston Globe, I wrote about then Senator Joe Biden’s racist remark to an Indian American.
South Asian Americans are now regulars in prime time programing (all four shows in NBC’s two hour comedy line-up has an Indian American in a significant role), in Hollywood films, and even as heads of corporations like Pepsi and Citigroup.
Even Bollywood has built its presence in the US over the last few years. When My Name is Khan was released earlier this year, the stars and director of the film had interviews with CNN, NPR, and other leading media outlets. The stars, Shahrukh Khan and Kajol, even rang the opening bell for NASDAQ.
It’s not surprising that Edwards was the one who rudely interrupted Kapoor and made the absurd comment. On his show The Soup, Joel McHale often mocks Edwards for his less than appropriate comments. He had an amusing response to Edwards’ remarks to Kapoor.
In an interview, Shahrukh Khan had stated that Bollywood actors will be known in the US “in the next five or six years, very easily.” Here’s hoping that incidents like this don’t repeat themselves.
A Small Leap for Television…
There is a glimmer of hope amidst the dramatic daily soaps and mind numbing reality programming in Indian television. Yes, reality programming, including the ridiculous copies of American favorites (examples) and singing competitions have taken the majority of prime-time programming and ratings, similar to the trends in the US. Daily soaps are still prime time and will continue to be so in the years to come. But Sony Entertainment Television, one of the standard and most popular channels in the country, is trying something new.
The channel, which is home to Indian Idol and the Indian version of Dancing with the Stars, has gotten rid of most of its daily soaps. It has also launched two new shows, Mahi Way and Rishta.com. The shows are one hour long and only air- wait for it- once a week! It’s a complete departure from the daily soaps (which are similar to telenovelas).
These two shows are funny, witty, and can be slightly uncomfortable for me to watch with my parents- a rare occurrence when watching Indian television. It’s different from previous risky programming, such as serials made by Ajai Sinha. Sinha’s ventures were always scandalous, ripe with sexual innuendos and extra-marital affairs. SET’s newest ventures have characters that drink wine, go clubbing, date, and wear western clothing. Pretty standard stuff for Delhi and Mumbai adults, but also a reality that is avoided in soap operas and serials that have dominated television.
Mahi Way is a show about a lovable and bubbly Agony Aunt columnist who happens to be overweight. Her best friend is gay and she is also friends with a gay couple who live together (progress!). She is career oriented, drinks wine, dates, yet still has family values, lives with her family, and is under a lot of pressure to get married.
This is complete departure from Balaji Entertainment, which replaced some great television in the 90’s with stories that were always the same at the core. The central characters (always women) were from middle class backgrounds and marry into a rich family. The antagonists were always women who wore a lot of make up and jewelry and were not religious. The men were usually flawed and rarely central characters. Of course there were variances and some shows that tried to break the mold, but were usually cancelled or ended up following the same mold. During the last 15 years, these soaps dominated. In fact, it was said they even helped women gain confidence in their own households. Then reality programming broke in and stole some of their thunder.
The two new shows don’t fit these molds, and it’s incredibly refreshing. Rishta.com is about two friends who start a matrimonial business together. One of my favorite episodes was about a guy who was dragged to the company by his parents who were desperate to get their son married. Turns out, he’s gay. But what’s so great about his charecter was that he wasn’t stereotypically gay, meaning he wasn’t extra feminine or wearing really tight shiney clothes, as is usually how gay men are portrayed in most Indian pop culture.
Both shows have an unlikely source– Yash Raj Films. It was about time the production company that once dominated formulaic film making is in the business of making innovative television. It is annoying that they shamelessly promote their music and films, but hey, I’ll take what I can get.
The shows are really funny and entertaining, but still have a women target demographic. They’re the equivalent of Gilmore Girls or Ugly Betty, but in the midst of daily soaps and reality television, the change is very welcome.
CORRECTION: Yash Raj Films have launched five new shows on SET. The other three are Lift Kara de (Talk/reality show with director Karan Johar), Seven (similiar to Heroes) and Powder, a dramatic series that I will review in a future post.
Hats off to Bollywood’s Star
Imagine– Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visits the US, and one of his key meetings are with the creators of Wall-E because their film was about global warming and human waste.
That didn’t happen, obviously. But, when Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visited India, she met up with Aamir Khan. Before you scratch your heads, it’s because Khan is the brand ambassador for The Times of India’s Teach India Initiative. Why is a Bollywood star the brand ambassador for the program? Because he made a movie about a dyslexic child’s struggle with the Indian school system.
Before you think I’m pulling an Arundhati Roy and think it’s ridiculous for actors to voice their opinion or take a stance with social issues, let me tell you that I think what Khan’s doing is brilliant– and here’s why.
Years ago, I wrote an opinion editorial about Lage Raho Munnabhai’s incredible achievement of reviving Gandhi’s teachings in India (yes, Gandhigiri was so forgotten that it needed reviving). I thought it was incredible– and I thought, this is why Bollywood is great. Everyone watches mainstream Bollywood films. And if made right, they really can have an incredible social impact. Aamir Khan’s directorial debut Taare Zameen Par was one such film that highlighted a huge problem in Indian society. I’m not sure how much of an impact it had, if any, on the educational system in India, but it was definitely a topic that needed the limelight.
Khan and Clinton had an important conversation on the many problems in Indian education, like the lack of diversity in majors students pursue, or the style of teaching that the majority of teachers use. Usually, talks about education in India center around the need to make sure rural areas and women are getting a good education. Of course, that’s a topic of utmost importance. But a focus on the current methods of teaching that will impact future students must also be reviewed.
Aamir Khan, as many Bollywood actors, have been criticized for their support of different social issues (such as the Narmada dam). If Bollywood stars are capable of bringing important topics to focus, then I’m all for Bollywood stars getting active with social issues.
Waiting for Kaminey
Kaminey is the next big film to release in Bollywood, and I’m really excited.
The film is directed by one of my favorites, Vishal Bhardwaj. Originally a composer (Maachis was one of his best albums) and good friends with Gulzar, his films are some of the best that have come out of Bollywood in recent years. Most notably, Omkara and Maqbool, both interpretations of Shakespere plays (like Gulzar’s Angoor), were highly appreciated by audiences and critics. Maqbool, starring Pankaj Kapoor, Tabu and Irrfan Khan, reenergized Kapoor and Khan’s career. The haunting interpration of Macbeth reminded us why Tabu is the best.
Omkara went a few steps further. Although Maqbool had better performances and was overall a better film, Omkara was much more mainstream than Maqbool. While Maqbool had more parallel cinema stars like Tabu, Pankaj Kapoor, Naseeruddin Shah and Om Puri, Omkara had Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor, mast item-numbers from Bipasha Basu, an incredible performance from Konkana Sen Sharma, Ajay Devgan and Vivek Oberoi. All were phenomenal in their roles, and it was Khan’s most important and needed performance in his career after Dil Chahta Hai. This film also reminded us that Kapoor can act. It also reminded us that films with incredible depth, meaningful dialogue, and tragedy don’t have to exclude filmi item songs. Serious films can have some fun too, and Omkara taught us that.
So what will Kaminey teach us? Priyanka Chopra already had a fantastic 2008 (Fashion, Dostana, let’s pretend Love Story 2050 didn’t happen) and Shahid Kapoor needs what Omkara did for Khan, to show that he can deliver a performance different from his default role (Jab We Met). Let’s hope this caper helps remind Bollywood what good films are!
Bollywood’s peeking out from its closet
Finally. Finally finally finally. Indian courts yesterday ruled that gay sex is no longer illegal in India, stating that “The inclusiveness that Indian society traditionally displayed, literally in every aspect of life, is manifest in recognizing a role in society for everyone.”
Thankfully, in this new age of Bollywood where fimmakers are actually veering away from formulaic masalas, some films did have gay characters and addressed some issues pertaining to the gay community, some better than others. Here’s a look at some of those films that made an impact:
- Honeymoon Travels, Ptd. Ltd (2007)– A light film with some heavy themes. One of them was of an gay non-resident Indian who married an Indian girl he met online. Another newlywed couple start to face problems when the husband discovers that he may be gay. The reason why the film was important is because it doesn’t portray the two gay characters as cross dressers (which is Bollywood’s default definition of homosexuality). The men are perfectly normal, and are gay. It’s not overly dramatic, it’s actually very relatable. Hats off to the director!
- Fashion (2008)– The film was another from Madhur Bhandarkar, who is famous for his films with strong female leads. The film was mainstream, thanks to the strong backing of Ronnie Screwvala (the producer), and the lead actor Priyanka Chopra, but still touched on themes that were seldom addressed in films before. One of them was homosexuality. Some men were openly gay, while another openly gay established fashion designer asked a female friend to marry him because of pressure from his mother. She does, knowing full well that he is gay. The film did a great job handling the subject because it wasn’t demeaning and it was a realistic portrayal of gay men needing to marry to appease their family.
- My Brother… Nikhil (2005)– This film came out years before any of these others. I would credit it with opening the gates for homosexuality in Bollywood. The film wasn’t like the others– it was serious, and it was a tear-jerker. Also, the main character, unlike the other films, was actually gay. The protagonist, played wonderfully by Sanjay Suri, was diagnosed with HIV. The film doesn’t show any love scenes between the two men, but it does show a type of intimacy that was never before shown between two men in Bollywood. The movie was produced by one of the most powerful production companies in India, Yash Raj Films, but the promos never touched on the gay relationship, just on the AIDS theme.
- Dostana (2008)–I saved this movie for last because it is getting all the hype when it comes to homosexuality in Bollywood. (The New York Times even referred to it in its article about the court case today.) The reason why this film is a big deal is because it is produced by Karan Johar, and stars three A-list actors. Personally, I found some of the story ridiculous (like Priyanka Chopra’s wardrobe, or why Bobby Deol was even in that film). The two leading men (Abhishek Bachchan, John Abraham) pretend to be gay so they can live in an apartment with a girl who has an overprotective aunt. It was a masala flick that was a bit different, but still did have all the songs and ridiculous wardrobe choices and overacting. Although the actors pretend to be gay, homosexuality isn’t looked down upon, and a doting mother even accepts her son and his son-in-law. I wouldn’t say that the film was revolutionary for gay rights, but it seemed to make it OK to be gay, which was definitely needed. I just wished that the characters would have actually been gay.
I have left out Straight because the film failed and didn’t really seem to make sense, but it’s worth a mention because the leading character (Viinay Pathak) thinks he might be gay. It wasn’t that revolutionary, or even that good. I didn’t include Fire because it wasn’t really a Bollywood film and was made way before the period of Bollywood I’m referring to, although it was fantastic. Movies like Girlfriend wasn’t included either because it was all skin and no depth.
Obviously, Bollywood has a long way to go. I’m hoping that Bollywood moves on from only showing cross dressers or gay characters included in the script just for comic relief. Hopefully this progressive movement by the Delhi Court ushers in an even more progressive movement from Bollywood.
Remembering Michael Jackson through A.R. Rahman
When I think of Bollywood and Michael Jackson, I automatically think of this song.
It’s not an obvious copy of anything Jackson, which definitely were common in the 80’s.
The song “Urvashi” by A.R. Rahman was definitely before his Slumdog days, even before his Chaiya Chaiya days. The song, which was from Prabhu Deva’s film Humse Hai Muqabala, makes you feel nostalgic for the 1990s and for the late Michael Jackson.
The song made the now famous singer/ composer Shankar Mahadevan famous. Rahman, who joined Mahadevan for the vocals, made the song extremely popular and catchy.
Today, there are many noteworthy composers who take risks with their music, such as Pritam, Salim-Sulaiman, Vishal-Shekhar and Shankar Ehsaan Loy. In the 90’s, it was Rahman who left the typical Jatin-Lalit and Nadeem-Shravan melodies and made music that was distinctly original, whether it was Roja, Bombay, Dil Se, Taal or Rangeela.
“Urvashi” in particular stands out to me. For one, it was one of his early hits, before his name was a household one in the north (he was already extremely popular in South India). And the other is definitely because of the lyrics of the song.
The chorus simply says, “Take it easy Urvashi,” and the whole point of the song is to just go with the flow, a modern version of Dev Anand’s “Mein zindagi ka saath nibhaata chala gaya.”
Some favorite verses from the song are sometimes comical, sometimes revolutionary. Some favorite verses translated:
Urvashi, Urvashi, take it easy, Urvashi
…..
The way to win is by having a take it easy policy
There are only four days of bliss,
Youth is a fantasy
The power went off during Chitrahaar (popular TV show)
take it easy policy
After studying, still failed
take it easy policy
Father said that you’re mother’s enemy
take it easy policy
Commit sins, and wash them away
take it easy policy
……
Cats aren’t vegitarians, not everyone is God
Women won’t have equal rights without a revolution
Times have changed, old thoughts won’t work
She didn’t come for the movie
take it easy policy
If there’s an old hag sitting next to you
take it easy policy
If you have to work on Sunday
take it easy policy
She loves but then asks for money
It’s an incredible song, made better with Prabhu Deva’s dance moves. Here’s the video:
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