The fervor of Rakta Charitra – A Blood-soaked Note!

Writer’s Note: Probably because I am directing a film or probably because I love intense films or probably the liking I have on creative stuff, I am writing this piece. But, more than any of such above reasons, a thinking viewer in me has pondered the plot of Rakta Charitra and here I am with this piece to satisfy that thinking viewer. Faint hearts are not advised to go through my post!

The film starts with two headlines:

“Revenge is the ultimate bliss” – Mahabharat

“In revenge lies one’s destruction” – Mahatma Gandhi

Out of these two statements comes my take - can revenge be a soul of one’s existence? Yes! That was my instant reaction after watching Ram Gopal Varma’s magnum-opus ‘Rakta Charitra’ (RC). RC is an intense violent story not between the good and the evil; rather, it is between sustaining the revenge and winning the feud as a result of that revenge, purely for pride and supremacy and for nothing else.

The expressions best define a person’s emotion in that particular instant. The intensity of that emotion results in an activity. The nature of the activity whether it is good or bad depends on how the people perceive it according to their perception. To be precise, an activity cannot be termed as good or bad. It is purely situational-based and is driven by a motive, the nature of which is purely subjective.

A film is a channel or a medium through which a film-maker envisions his/her vision on the celluloid. One’s day begins with executing an emotion in one form or the other, knowingly or unknowingly. Capturing that emotion on screen is the task of a film-maker. One such film-maker leads us to Ram Gopal Varma who is adept at portraying such visuals. The intensity with which he portrays his characters on screen is nothing less than a visual delight.

This film is all about the story, the characters and the intensity with which it was portrayed on screen. Perceptions of understanding the film are diverse in nature. But the film’s fate hangs on how well the film-maker conveyed his vision to the audience. And in case of RC, Ram Gopal Varma succeeds in doing so.

The quotient of violence shown in the film is undoubtedly ruthless. Men are bludgeoned with stones, axes and hammers; drills are driven through their heads, the sharp ended tree branches pierce into men’s hearts, the rats are jabbed into men’s abdomen, the arms are chopped off, the men are thrown into the wells, and their heads are hanged to the crowbars, smashed with the coconuts and kept in stakes. There is a relentless blood flowing throughout the film. As a viewer, one should refrain from watching such acts as the brutal violence portrayed in the film can always send wrong messages to the society challenging the very purpose of making a film. But from a film-maker’s point of view, there lies a onus on him/her to portray the facts happening in the society and no doubt, the way these scenes are canned are exactly the way they are happening in reality in such intense blood and revenge soaked killings.

To visualize the characters and the emotions they carry out through their expressions in essaying their roles is a wonderful experience as an audience. This topic isn’t over yet. The saga continues on December 03. Yes! You have guessed it right - it’s the scheduled release date of Rakta Charitra-2. But, still the story never has an ending as it is the part of a blood-soaked historical saga and a historical saga has no end.

The Euphony of 'Hari' in Rahman's Music

Yes, that's what my new article is titled and I am happy to announce that I have ventured back into my favorite field, i.e., Music with this release. The article primarily focuses on the spiritual aspects of music in Dr. A.R. Rahman's music and the way he is blending the ‘godly’ quotient in his music. Hope you all do have a good read! Cheers!!

My Dream Cricket Team

Probably inspired by the glitzy IPL (Indian Premier League), I was bent on picking my dream team of XI for any format of the game, be it a Test match, a One Day match or a T20. After so many additions and deletions at the back end, I am finally done with my XI. Here goes the list… vroom:

Virender Sehwag

Sachin Tendulkar (Captain)

Kevin Pietersen

Kumar Sangakkara (Wicket Keeper)

Mahela Jayawardane

Michael Hussey

Albie Morkel

Daniel Vettori

Doug Bollinger

Dale Steyn

Dirk Nannes

P.S.: Only the current players (i.e., as of May, 2010) have been considered (unlike IPL).

What were the other options that I have considered before zeroing on the above eleven?

Ideally I wanted to have a team with 6 batsmen (including a wicket-keeper), 4 bowlers and a hard-hitting allrounder.

Maestro Sachin Tendulkar and the dangerous Virender Sehwag are adept in dismantling any sort of bowling attack. While Kevin Pietersen and Mahela Jayawardane were the ideal choices, I had vouched for Michael Hussey for his formidability at number six. For the wicket-keeper slot, I have explored the options of Brendon McCullum, Robin Uthappa and Kumar Sangakkara. Eventually Sangakkara was selected because of his vast experience. For the allrounder slot, Albie Morkel got my nod ahead of the Aussie Shane Watson for his economical bowling rate on comparison with that of Watson. As for the bowling slots, Dirk Nannes, Daniel Vettori and Doug Bolliinger were the automatic choices while I have dilly dallied between the express quicks Dale Steyn and Shaun Tait. Finally, Steyn got the ticket for his more accurate line and consistency. So that’s how my eleven has been selected.

Garbage turns a Linchpin?

When one gets to have a look at the present crop of problems subsisting in the world, one can witness that there is a hue and cry all over about the usage of plastic. On the same lines, when one takes the situation in Nepal, one gets flabbergasted at the sight of the garbage flooding the mountain areas. It includes empty cans and loads of plastic material, which might just turn out to be a linchpin in the prevailing problems of the nation, if the saga continues.

One might end up with a plethora of causes if one explores the reasons for piling up of such huge amounts of garbage in the region. One of the driving causes for the outburst of plastic material can be attributed to the spurt in the number of tourists to Nepal over the years. Even the various methods employed to keep a check on these mounds of garbage did not bear the desired results. But sorry to say this, it is one of the most astonishing and cynical things the nation had been experiencing for years!

Bottom-Line:

The surveys conducted suggested that there is a need for prognosis in the mindsets of the people to refrain themselves from using plastic and its derivatives. Thanks to some volunteer organizations and media, there is a quotient of awareness instilled in the public. Yet, there is a need for radical change in the methodologies since there are some sections among the people who are absolutely oblivious of the fact that it is not the plastic bags that they are carrying but in fact they are inviting the tribulations hovering around the usage of plastic.

But a commendable step among all the black marks is that few of the market stores (Emerald Mithai Shop at Hyderabad) have stopped serving the goods in plastic bags for their customers. There is a crying need for such holistic approaches to be followed and one should take a leaf out of their notebooks and try to implement the same in a more refined way.

Can the Agony be replaced?

It all starts with one’s tendency to depend on others taking the shape of a big-wig on its way to become a routine or tradition, to that matter and it only ends after one’s doom! The issue to which I was pointing to is the rotten glitch in the human’s mind and the path to which it takes a human in committing the most frivolous things out in the world. One of them boils down to the deployment of children as their maids and daily workers in their houses.

If one goes by the real logistics then one’s conscience echoes that is this the way to behave with the most ingenuous and naïve people on the earth? The animosity they go through is inexplicable. It can only be witnessed if one keeps themselves in their shoes. Every now and then we witness children in almost every walk of life ranging from the act of sweeping roads to the act of lifting loads to the act of even working as couriers to the notorious criminals subsisting in this crooked world. Won’t there be any end to this inundating act of butchery? I used butchery because I mean it! It is nothing less than the meaning the word signifies going by the pathos the children suffer at the hands of these so-called dependable!

In the second largest populous nation in the world, one gets to witness innumerous children working literally as slaves ranging from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, without enjoying their sweetest childhood which they can’t get in their lifetime. A few sections of the people working for their well-being should be supported rather than discarding their valuable work. In a country like India, the so-called child labour acts are thrown to dumps way-back when I was born. Just think of this notion,

A sweet work a day makes you much sweeter in your sweetest life!

One who gets to understand the essence of the quote (penned by me) wouldn’t indulge in such frivolous acts! It’s a bit exaggeration but I still believe that atleast a fraction of the quotient called humanity is instilled in the hearts of the human-beings!

A Singer's State

A singer starts his/her journey into the world of singing with voice as his’ or hers only main weapon. One gets to face a lot of challenges before carving out a name or place for one-selves in the industry. Again in this, one comes across a rich variety of singers. Some singers sing only classical, some do only playback, some give only stage performances, some devote their voices only to religious purposes, etc. In a country like India, where there are different cultures and different forms of music, this is no strange thing to happen.

In a world where experts are speculating whether this advanced technology has become a bane or a boon to the common man, it comes as no surprise that this ever-surging technological wave has hit the conventional arts. Whether the hit is for the betterment or deterioration is the question of the hour!

One among these repercussions has hit the singers. Their voices can be manipulated according to one’s will with the help of technology which are given names like Remix, Rap, Modulation, etc! Moreover, the point is not about a singer’s performance in a concert in either olden days or in present. Irrespective of the time-frame, a singer should be a singer. There's no sense if he/she becomes an actor on stage and enthrall audience with their antics. There are actors for doing all that stuff but a singer should ideally be able to sing whatever might be the stage whether it is a recording studio or a concert or a show, etc. Am I right in saying so? There is no doubting that everyone has got one's own talent but to what extent they possess that talent is to be noticed (at least for the topic now).

Singers like Anupama, Vasundhara, Minmini, etc are all either one or two-song wonders. They are gone after that and no one remembers them. Dr. A.R.Rahman Sir is adept in making the voices of 'untrained' singers sound fabulous which is possible only with the usage of technical equipment otherwise their voices are not at all appealing. And this is the striking point which is to be compared with the greats of S.P.Balasubrahmanyam, K.S.Chitra, etc. Their voices can sound outstanding either with the usage of equipment or even without the usage of equipment. This is where the present crop of singers lag behind them by leaps and bounds.

More or less, the same monotonous process is being followed by most of the composers these days. They usually do not ‘find’ (?) singers with great voice and for compensating the quality in the voice, they heavily rely on technical equipment and give statements that they have used new instrument(s) for the film’s score. But it is ultimately the singers who are at stake as they will be given a wrong feedback about their voice. Carrying out that false eulogy, these singers resort to weird actions and feel as if they have attained the zenith in singing with just one or two songs. Their real talent is known only when they come before the people in a live performance and once they start realizing that it’s not going to work anymore, they start doing all kinds of antics which make people jump and laugh.

One more point to be observed here is why the singers who feature in Rahman's camp do not figure in any of the other music composers' camp? For that matter, every singer who features in Ilaiyaraja Sir's camp is a trained singer with strong foundation and is used by every other composer. By saying this, it's not that I am taking stand in support of Ilaiyaraja Sir. Whatever I have written here are facts and just facts. Don't you people agree on that? One can observe that the singers who perform for classical concerts will be reluctant to do the playback for they fear the usage of technical equipment dominates more than their voice, which is contrary to their learnt lessons and practice.

Finally what matters to the common audience is that irrespective of whether a composer uses technical equipment or not, the song should be appealing enough to listen. All the composers including Rahman and Ilaiyaraja strive to do the same. Some are successful in doing that and some are not. And if that is a live performance, people come to watch for the composers’ and singers' live performance and not for their weird actions.

Sa Re Ga Ma of Fashion

This is my 'much-hyped' magazine which was selected for Newsweek.... As it had not reached the readers I have intended it to, I am soon planning to do a modified version and re-launch the article by organizing an event.... Till then, you can enjoy the first version of Sa Re Ga Ma of Fashion and drop your invaluable comments!

Video directed by: Satish

Background Music provided by: Dr. A.R.Rahman

Mixed by: Praneel Shah

Aman Ki Asha

My line for you:

"'Peace' and 'Piece' both sound the same... but the former has much more lasting effect than the latter... Its only known by experiencing it!"

Here is the video of the ad being aired on television:

Video directed by: Vinil Mathew

Music Composed by: Shankar Mahadevan

Singers: Shankar Mahadevan, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan

Lyrics by: Gulzar

Produced by: Swadha Kulkarni, Footcandles Films

Initiative conceived by: Times of India and Jang Groups

My Interview (On the Article)

Kudos to your fantabulous article. It was a nice read.

Thank You!

Do you think all the music composed by Rahman sir or any other director is based on Carnatic music or Hindustani?

No... In no case, it can be understood that way because there are a lot of genres in the music prevalent all over the world. But one can segregate this whole of music quotation into two branches for an easy understanding of the art.

1>Indian Music

2>Western Music

Indian Music comprises of two branches namely Carnatic and Hindustani... Indian Music has the strongest base compared to any other genre of music. The roots of music have originated from the carnatic music... so if one terms it as the moolah of music, it is in no way an exaggeration. Raagams are a part of classical music.

Western Music comprises of rock, rap, jazz, country, etc... It has the same seven notes C D E F G A B as that of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Da Ni in Indian classical music albeit in a different notion.

And it is not necessary that every song is based on carnatic or hindustani. They are just two forms of music. And trying to relate every other song with either carnatic or hindustani is one of the wrong practices adopted in learning the music.

We have so many music composers all over the world. And naturally, all of them do not know carnatic or hindustani. So a composer composes a song basing on his learnt or known genre. Similar is the case of A R Rahman... He learnt Indian music... So most of his songs contain Indian flavor... and its purely his genius that he blended the western music with Indian music by foraying into the western music and learning the nauances of it.

What do you say about Pappu Can't Dance or other fast numbers?

Yes... this pappu cant dance is a fast number based on western beat music... I can't say the exact genre because I don't have much knowledge on the western music... One thing I can say about these type of numbers is that they are not based on Indian classical music (laughter).

And what do you say about Dreams on fire (from Slumdog Millionaire)?

Its another western symphony which has a strong feel embedded within it.

Does it have roots with any Classical/Hindustani Raga?

No... It doesn't.

And can you relate any Western song to that in an Indian raga?

Sometimes yes and sometimes no.... when it is Rahman, you can relate few western songs to Indian because his way of composing is totally unique... he masters the art of blending western into Indian music which no other Indian composer is good at.... that's one of the secrets of his success. You can consider the examples of Fanaa in Ayudha Ezhuthu, Rehna Tu in Delhi 6, etc...

And do you know how Rahman sir or anyone else does a fusion?

If I have known the way Rahman sir does a fusion, then I guess Rahman sir would not have as easily pocketed those 2 Oscars (intended pun!). It would be the same in case of anyone else as well.

You have said to consider the example of Mausam and Escape from SDM. Which is that Raga?

Mausam and Escape is another example of blending western music with Indian flavor... It starts with a slight shade of Malahari (not pure) but then takes a paradigm shift to Rahman genre of mixing the things!

Who do you feel is the best among Ilaiyaraja and Rahman?

A very difficult question. But the answer is very simple. One cannot compare two extremes. Both of them are legends in their own way.

Are all the songs required to be in specific raga or mix up of ragaas? If he composes the song in western style, is the Indian ragaas applicable? For eg : is there any raaga associated with Petarap (Kadhalan) ?

No... Its not that way. I have said earlier. It's sometimes Yes and sometimes No. I am not sure of that song... it sounds complex to my ears.

Is there any raga which ARR was never used so far even in parts?

Yes... there are many like Kamavardhini, Valaji, Ketakapriya, Amrutha Varshini, etc... very rare raagas and which cannot be used at the outset.

Of late, we have not seen an article based on the music. When can we expect one?

Actually, I have wantedly refrained from writing a piece with music as subject as I was feared of getting branded as a writer who writes only on music. I don't want to take such kind of acclaim. As a writer, I feel one should be able to pen on any subject. That's why I have switched to various topics. Money, Fashion, Autism, Human Relations, Reality Shows, Leadership..... I have explored quite a variety of topics last year. Probably I may soon write a piece based on music. You have to wait.

I have gone crazy over your Sa Re Ga Ma of Fashion. What is your feeling when it was selected for Newsweek?

Thanks. But don't go crazy over it. Just read and try to garner a piece or two knowledge bytes from it. Even if you don't, there is no problem. Just inculcate the habit of reading. It really is of use. My feeling was really satisfying for my effort. But it has not reached the intended audience I had kept in my mind while writing probably because of lack of promotion... you know these days, every product needs a promotion. I plan to do an edited version and re-launch the article by organizing an event.

You have said that Ilaiyaraja sticks to only one raaga. But actually he doesn't. What is the reason behind such a controversial statement?

Wow! A misinterpretation can stir a controversy.... see friend, FYI, I have never mentioned that Raja sir sticks to only one raaga in 'every composition of his'... probably you might have missed out on an i/w of Raja sir where he said that he prefers using a single raaga in one song rather than going for a ragamalika. So I have just taken a point of his and said the statement... Its a normal thing we the writers do! And in no way, I have said that Raja sir uses only one raaga in each and every song of his. Hope you are clear with this explanation.

What is your forthcoming article?

I am contemplating on a couple of subjects, one is 'women' given by Rupa and the other is based on 'knowledge'. Probably you might see one of these subjects.

P.S.: This (Classical Extemporization from Roja to Yuvvraaj's ARR) was my article that I had written exactly one year back. Strangely or deservingly, it was rated as my best work till date by my readers and fans although I don't consider it as my best ever work! I am thankful to all those who have appreciated the piece. For commemorating the first anniversary of my (best-ever?) work, I have done an interview in which few readers have raised certain questions which I am going to post now along with my answers so that the people who couldn't make up for the interview and having the same doubts can get clarified with this transcript.

Hope you all continue to lend me your valuable support....Cheers!

Classical Extemporization from Roja to Yuvvraaj's ARR

January 06, 2009… 12:17 P.M., at this point of time, if you ask any person well versed in various forms of Indian Classical Music (probably a guru or a maestro) that if the same pattern which was actually contrived by Muthuswami Dikshitar and Thyagaraja still being taught to this generation, the answer would be an unanimous NO… because there has been a sea change in the time frames and generations and thereby, various changes were evolved in teaching the music so as to vibe well with the tastes of the generations. Obviously, there would be no change done to the root part, the swaras and the raagas will remain the same!

It was in 1992 when the music wizard A.R.Rahman composed the tunes for his first filmy album Roja... He was 26 then. Now at 43, he composed the tunes for his latest offing, Yuvvraaj. So taking a cue from the above stance, one can wonder the amount of change that had been evolved in his composing styles in this time-gap of 17 years!

The first song of Rahman to which I listened was Nila Kaigirathu from Indira (as that was the first ever film I watched)… At that point of time, I don’t know who Rahman was but that song did haunt me like a diva in my sporadic dreams! The first raaga I learnt was Mayamalava gowla and that was followed by a chain of raagas after which I took a break to analyze the songs based on the learnt raagas… Indeed, the first song I analyzed was Nila Kaigirathu. It is strongly based on Hamir Kalyani.

Pudhu Vellai Mazhai from Roja was a master-piece based on Kapi. The moment I heard Mannmohini Morey from Yuvvraaj, I thought it was a rendition on Kapi. But after a few times of hearing made me confirm that it was the alaap of Aabheri (Ni Sa Ga Ma Pa)! Rahman had composed only one song based on Aabheri, which is Kannodu Kanbathellam from Jeans. The song requires quite a high pitch. Nithyashree Mahadevan was absolutely great in that song as is Vijay Prakash in Mannmohini. When I compared the composing styles of Rahman in both these songs, I felt that he mixed that song with Sudha Dhanyasi and made it a raagamalika while he made a fusion of Aabheri in western in Mannmohini!

The moment I heard Tu Muskura… It made me remind of Sonnalum Ketpadhillai from Kadhal Virus which was based on Nalinakanthi. The interludes embedded in the song are purely western yet the base of the song is in Hamsadhwani. I was flabbergasted at the way Rahman mixed this song on such low notes with western loops. Then I realized that only a Rahman can do this sort of song! Alka Yagnik sounded better even on such low notes and Javed Ali is apt for his Hindustani alaap. The song is best suited to have a perfect evening!

Melody-Rhythm-Lyrical Beauty… these are the 3 pillars on which Carnatic Music is based on… and that is exactly one can witness in Zindagi…. Gulzar explaining the various modes of life and Srinivas taking you through the modes while Rahman is providing the fuel to the song. The song is etched on the raaga Saranga…. It made me reminiscent of Azhage Sugama (based on Dhwijavathi and Sahana) from Paarthale Paravasam. The varied styles in the pace of the song make it a celestial number. Here one can witness the contemporary style of Rahman, composing a melody.

An euphonious song is what I can say about Tu Hi Meri Dost Hain… It is probably the best example of western symphony Rahman is talking about these days and I guess this is the theme which he is trying to infuse in KMMC. This song can be simply listened for its lyrics which go like...

Kabhi dil ka hai saahil, Jahan shaam utarti hai

Kehte hain samundar se, Ek pari guzarti hai

Wo raat ki raani hai, Sargam par chalti hai

Gulzar Saab is to be applauded for his impeccable work. Without his lyrics, this song wouldn’t have been rooted in the ears of listeners. A hundred time listener… I might be sounding vague because it's actually more than a hundred time listener!

How can I forget the resplendent works of A.R.Rahman in Kandukondain Kandukondain? Kannamochi (based on Nattakuranji) and Thongi Choose (based on Kathanukathagulam) deeply evoke my feelings till date…The same Rahman I get to hear listening to these master-piece songs from Yuvvraaj although in a different way! The way Rahman is blending his music with different genres since Roja is simply breathtaking and quite amazing. That indeed makes a striking difference between him and other composers who are into producing some strident sounds.

As the notion says, the change is only about moving forward… one has to move forward adapting to the styles of the current time-frame one is living in without being able to forget one’s moolah! It applies universally, be it an A.R.Rahman, be it a Raghav or anyone else. Rahman has instigated various styles of music in him according to the changes and he is making his music move forward with them and along with it, he is transcending places. Let us wish him a wonderful birthday and request him to continue enthralling us with his music!