Narrow minded opinions.
--- In [email protected], Vithur <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > http://www.business-standard.com/common/news_article.php? leftnm=lmnu4&subLeft=6&autono=322885&tab=r > > An inadequate composition > Suveen Sinha / New Delhi May 14, 2008, 4:53 IST > > After 1969, Mohammad Rafi sang in at least 58 films that were musical hits. > These include Gopi, Heer Ranjha, Jeevan Mrityu, Pagla Kahin Ka, Dastak, Mera > Gaon Mera Desh, Gambler, Caravan, Aap Aye Bahaar Aayee, Gora Aur Kala, Lal > Patthar, Yaadon Ki Baarat, Loafer, Hanste Zakhm, Dost, Kunwara Baap, > Bairaag, Charas, Nagin, Dharam Veer, Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki, Badalte > Rishte, Suhaag, Jaani Dushman, Gautam Govinda, Aap To Aise Na The, Abdullah, > Qurbani and Aasha. In the 1970s, Rafi sang for the first superstar (Sachcha > Jhutha, Mehboob Ki Mehandi) as well as the next (Shaan, Dostana, Mr > Natwarlal). He is also the voice of the young hero (Amar Akbar Anthony, Hum > Kisi Se Kum Nahin, Laila Majnu, Karz, Sargam, Zamane Ko Dikhana Hai). > > It is therefore incomprehensible that Ganesh Anantharaman, on page 179 > of his book, says, " the end of the Rafi era in 1969 saw the end of melody > in music for good measure." In fact, the 1970s attained a musical high with > Laxmikant Pyarelal and R D Burman reaching their peaks as composers. For > L-P, Rafi was a perennial favourite. RD had to use him for songs Kishore > could not do justice to. Interestingly, six pages later, the writer talks > about Rafi in a way that seems to contradict his observation about the end > of the Rafi era. > > Page 179 is not an isolated example. The book has a liberal sprinkling of > contentious statements made with perplexing grandeur but offering little > justification to the reader. "Asked to choose between Manna's Sur Na Saje > and Rafi's Duniya Na Bhaaye, one is in no doubt that the latter is more > arresting, though Sur Na Saje is the better composition," says page 181. > Anantharaman explains the rationale for neither the "more arresting" nor the > "better". He perhaps expects the reader to take his word for it. The > constraint is that, at least to this reader, the writer is an unknown > commodity, certainly not in the league of someone whose word would be final. > > > One begins to wonder how Raju Bharatan, noted music critic, would have said > this. This reviewer does not know Bharatan personally but would expect him > to delve into the ragas and aroh and awaroh and each singer's handling of > them to back up his observation. Anantharaman, on the other hand, is high on > opinion but low on insight and perspective. > > Reading this book, one cannot shake off the troublesome thought of what > might have been. Hindi film music (the writer prefers the term Bollywood) is > fodder for epics. In the beginning, there was no playback. Songs were > recorded during the shooting of the film as actors sang and musicians tried > to stay out of the range of the camera. Often, grains of rice were dropped > on a tin surface to create the sound of falling rain. *Compare that with > today's synthesiser, a small box that packs in all the sounds of the world, > and A R Rahman's way of recording, which cans just the voice of the singers > and fills music later. * > > Unfortunately, this book covers this long journey in the manner of a sprint. > The first chapter packs several decades into just 18 pages. The result is > breathless narration, which is reminiscent of the first reel of the films > made in the 1970s and 1980s that showed the hero's childhood until he grew > up in one dramatic flash. > > That growing-up scene never unfolds in this book, though it does lurk in > some of the pages a line here, a line there, especially in the chapter on > music composers. There are bits about Naushad that raise the level of the > book. But the author's unexplained observations, such as the one dubbing the > great Madan Mohan a "luckless composer", peg it back. > > The best aspects of the book are where the author withdraws: the interviews, > especially the one with Manna Dey. There is a heart-wrenching moment in > which Dey talks of Kishore's voice quality, something that is not possible > to cultivate through training. With a touch of helplessness, the redoubtable > singer recalls how his own voice seems to have something lacking when it > comes after Kishore's in Sholay's Ye Dosti. These were the things to build > on, for which Anantharaman needed to catch his breath, relax and write with > more feeling and passion. > > > > -- > regards, > Vithur > > Whatever God wants to give, no one can deny; Whatever God wants to deny, no > one can give. Be happy always >
