Jagjit saab needs to realize something. Rahman is the only MD IMO who carries the torch from the evergreen era so proudly. While many of his compositions are Western in nature (due to what the director's and films want), ARR has given some of the most soulful and Indian of melodies in the past several years more than any other MD IMO.
While I too wish there were more Ghazals in films today, as Jag Saab might be referring to, accusing ARR of taking tunes from the West only is just false. I would like to have Jag Saab sit down with a pair of good headphones and have him listen to the following songs by ARR in recent years: Tere Bina Ay Hairathe Mujhpe Toofan Tu Bin Bataye Lukha Chuppi Pal Pal Bhaari Main Vari Vari Desh Ki Mitti Ghoomparani Ekla Chalo Piyo Ho Naina Neer Bangari Marori Jashne Bahaar Man Mohanna O Paalanhare Do Qadam Naina Milaike Hum Hai Iss Pal Yahan Khwaja Mere Khwaja Milo Wahan Wahan Zindagi Zindagi (as close to a Ghazal as you can get in films these days!!) Tu Muskura Maula Mere Mauala After having him hear these songs, I would ask, "Now Jagjit Saab, ARR composed all these songs. While most of these are not ghazals, aren't they beautiful melodies? Do these sound like songs that ARR has taken from the West?" --- In [email protected], V S Rawat <vsra...@...> wrote: > > On 1/28/2009 8:25 AM India Time, _Anil Nair_ wrote: > > > Didn't expect Jagjit Singh to say this ...or maybe its just yet again > > the "media monster" at work > > > > -A > > > > Jagjit is not singing any film songs currently because he feels there is > > a lack of taste on the part of today's filmmakers and music directors. > > He is not getting work in films. He is frustrated because of it. > > > "They don't know what ghazals are all about and they lack good taste in > > music. What does AR Rahman know about ghazals? He will never use a > > ghazal in his films. All they do is pick up tunes from the West," he says. > > Jagjit Singh had been popular Ghazal singer at one time, no doubt, but > still, me and some of my friends never kept in any high regards. We feel > that there is hardly any variety in his ghazals. There would be about > only one or two dozen ghazals that are different, otherwise all his 100s > of ghazals sound same. > > So, let me ask What does Jagjit Singh know about ghazals. One should > hear Begum Akhtar, Mallika Pukhraj, Mehdi Hasan, Ghulam Ali, Farida > Khanum, Abida Parveen to know about ghazals. > > And, Madan Mohan will always remain the undisputable king of ghazals in > Hindi cinema. > > > He criticises contemporary music directors for ruining the Indianness of > > sound. "Earlier, in the 60s and 70s, 90% of the music was based on the > > ghazal. Today, there's no poetry phrasing, it's all Western and the > > language is tapori -- a mix of English and Hindi. What kind of lyrics > > are Pappu can't dance > > <http://movies.indiainfo.com/2009/01/28/0901280633_gazals.html#> saala?" > > Pappu can't dance wasn't a ghazal. It had the exact sound and theme and > feelings that the situation demanded. When you need to put sugar in a > vegetable dish, what is the point in decrying that salt is not sugar. > > In one of jagjit singh's film, as an MD, he had given a song College ka > ek Ladka hai aur College ki ek ladki hai, something like that. Should we > also decry what kind of a ghazal this song was, because it was not a ghazal. > > Ghazal is one genre of music. Ghazal is not entire music. > > > Yet the popularity of the form endures. He says, "My audience has only > > grown over the years. I always improvise and add variations to my old > > songs on stage. Every ghazal is re-born on that day." > > Anybody who likes ghazal must hear one of farida khanum's ghazal > "Dhoondhoge hamein mulqo-mulqo" to understand the essence of ghazals. > None of the ghazals by Jagjit Singh measures upto that. > > > Interestingly, Jagjit only performs for a cause. On January 29, at the > > DNA and Rotary concert, he will perform to provide midday meals for > > children. He says, "I never give dates to concerts which are just > > money-making measures. I want to give back to the society. So I give my > > dates only to charity concerts." > > That is good thinking. > > -- > Rawat >
