SIGHT & SOUND
Music in the air
AMITA MALIK

I am never tired of repeating the story of the Japanese listener who wrote to All India Radio. He begged them not to change the timings of a filmi geet programme, because he could not go to sleep unless he heard it at bedtime. In fact, AIR Shillong once got a request from a listener in Latin America who had got a freak reception of the same kind of programme. But this is radio, which carries all over the world mostly uncensored and freely available.

The same cannot be said of television where music has been the greatest casualty. Private channels have no time for it and last time I heard it, DD’s National Programme of Music, a weekly late night show, was putting on the most mediocre singers. This was, however, better than the National Programme of Dance, where middle-aged wives of bureaucrats seemed to get priority. So it is with a happy frame of mind that in the recent past I have come across some welcome music of all types on TV. Don’t ask me to name the channels, because once the music starts I tend to close my eyes and relax. And in this sudden bonanza, I do not include the terrible Indian Idol-type music contests where judges are even more suspect than the mediocre singers who seem to score. And recently we have even had a regional row when, apparently, a singer from Assam was not considered an Indian.

Judges in talent hunt programmes are even more suspect than the mediocre singers

However, back to the good, unexpected music on TV. It started with the BBC, one week-end, honouring Mozart in this special year, by putting on BBC World one of his concertos in full, then introducing us to the solo pianist who was from Eastern Europe, now settled in England, interviewing him and his musician family in an idyllic cottage out in the country.

Not to be outdone, some Indian channels followed the suit. There was a wonderful public occasion when A.R. Rahman seemed to be rehearsing with Hariharan. It was enthralling. Rahman gets so charged up, often bursting into song himself, that one also gets carried away.

Ironically, it is presentation and awards ceremonies which bring forth longer sessions of music. A commercial firm, last week, had Remo Fernandes at his infectious best, first singing some ragas in pop style with a wonderful solo dholak player keeping him company. But soon enough, he reverted to his beloved Goan songs and the entire staid-looking audience of businessmen and their page 3 wives shipped in.

Usha Uthup also incites her audiences into joining in, but when she is being interviewed she bores us by giving the story of her life before being asked.

Then there was a touching, long tribute to R. D. Burman. A visibly moved Rajesh Khanna watched from the front rows as a very good singer took us through R.D. Burman’s most loved songs, with occasional cuts of the film sequence where it is sung by a young and vibrant Rajesh Khanna.

Burman’s old friend Gulzar then came on the stage to recite a poem for his late friend, how they had once got caught in the rain with him and how they had laughed and enjoyed it. As song after song poured out, one realised how some of them are a part of our lives.

However, for me, the most moving music sequence remains on the rendering of Jana Gana Mana by our top classical singers and instrumentalists, each contributing one line, against the magnificent backdrop of Ladakh. It always brings a lump to my throat. But while I still get bored by the unending Rabindra Sangeet on AIR Kolkata whenever I visit, it is still better than the Mumbai filmi geet inspired adhunik sangeet which is taking over.

Surely, it is a tribute to Rabindranath that two countries have adopted his songs as national anthems: India with Jana Gana Mana and Bangladesh with Sheikh Mujeeb’s favourite Amar Sonar Bangla. Quite something, isn’t it?

On the delectable satirical programme Gustakhi Maaf of NDTV Hindi, Sourav Ganguly meets Inzamam-ul-Haq and remarks they are two captains in trouble and Sourav warns Aloo: "Now, Aloo be careful, and don’t get bird flu".

"How can I get bird flu?" asks Aloo, really puzzled, "I am not a bird".

Lovely humour, and so innocent too. Nothing like it on the two upstart new English channels, eternally chasing exposes.