When will OSCAR love BOLLYWOOD?

A movie buff usually plans the Oscars soirée in advance and spends hours glued to the TV screen rooting for his/her favorites.

I am however one movie buff who barely remembers the last time she sat down to watch the Oscars. My love for films and good stories currently only motivates me to follow the Oscar nominees for Best Foreign Picture and then the list of actual winners for all categories once the gala is over.  "Why?", I have been asked time and again. This would seem a simple question to answer but, upon second thought, it sort of opens a pandora box of thoughts regarding cinema in general, Academy award policies and, last but not least, Indian cinema. 

The main reason I believe the Oscars have lost their filmdom shimmer for me is the fact that they have been so focused in awarding English language films. I remain perplex at the hundreds of cinema genres and musical rhythms being labelled as World Music and World Cinema in the English speaking world, as if the world was divided into two types of people: English speakers and the rest of the world. The Oscars are no exception to this view of the world and their measurement of merit has long seemed extremely reduced to me. A fine example is the Best Foreign Language Film category, where only a tiny handful of films from every part of the world compete together, therefore reducing the chance for many excellent foreign language films of benefiting from the platform they would deserve. Likewise, the Academy also waited too long, in my opinion, to give due acknowledgement to the colossal musical talent of A.R. Rahman, only doing so when he composed the soundtrack of a good English language film made by a well-known Western director.

This year a foreign film finally got its well deserved ovation, entering the mainstream English language award categories. French film "The Artist" received the attention it deserved. "Finally, the Oscars are able to acknowledge that a great film with a good story is worthy of an award, regardless of its language and of the "drag" of reading subtitles", I thought. Much to my surprise, upon documenting myself a bit more on the French film I came to know that... well... it was a silent film!

Oh Oscar! Why ist thy love so afraid of losing itself in the exotic music of another language and culture?

And this takes me to the inevitable question made by numerous bloggers and media representatives in India each year. What shall it take for an Indian movie to score an Oscar? O skies, when shall proud and reasonable Oscar see the beauty and seductive charm of Bollywood's thick fluttering eyelashes and fall at her feet?

"Mother India", "Lagaan", "Salaam Bombay" and "Rang de Basanti" almost lured Oscar into Bollywood's arms but it was not to be. Each year, the country that is the world's largest producer of films sends some of its best work to the Academy only to lose the coveted statue. I am a firm believer in a lack of mutual cultural understanding. "Communication is the basis of any love relationship, my dears", I once said to Oscar sir and Bolly madam. Will they one day listen to my advice? 

The Academy seeks a good story by Western standards of a concise and rigorous script teamed with excellent acting and a good splash of realism that still succeeds in touching the audience's heart. Bollywood's tightest scripts usually have a couple of cracks that let escapism or unlikely developments seep through. Movies tend to be star-based (Indian films nominated by the Academy in the past have seldom been focused on a star). Fantasy and a mix of genres streamlined with romantic or musical item numbers generate more box office results than sheer realism in India. These strong differences between both tastes for cinema make it difficult to find a common ground.

As Indian films evolve and branch out into more and more different styles and as regional films gain in budget and continue to demonstrate the quality of their scripts, it is likely that an Indian film might conquer the Academy in the future. Then again, is a man (Oscar) who lacks interest in how things are done by others worth the while of a colourful, beautiful and thriving woman (Bolly madam)? Oscar baby, it seems like you also have a long way to go...

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OPRAH IN BOLLYWOOD: The O Factor Charms Tinsel Town

Chat show host Oprah Winfrey had India in her "places to see" list for a long time and has finally flown over for a week-long visit in aims to shoot for her upcoming show "New Chapter".

While she has been scheduled to visit  Delhi, Agra, Jaipur and Rishikesh during her stay, her week started with a visit to the Bachchan family and with a highly attended bash hosted by Parmeshwar Godrej in Bombay, to which numerous stars flocked to meet the TV diva.

Oprah sported an orange sari for the occasion and was personally chauffeured by none other than Amitabh Bachchan to the party organized in her honor along with Abhishek, Aishwarya Rai and Jaya Bachchan.

Other stars seen attending the event were Shah Rukh Khan, Hrithik Roshan, Lara Dutta, Imran Khan, AR Rahman, Preity Zinta, Priyanka Chopra, Anil Kapoor, Anupam Kher, Sameera Reddy, and Arjun Rampal, all of which expressed their joy in meeting her and seeing her wear traditional Indian attire.

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ROCKSTAR A Rebel Sings

When Imtiaz Ali's film Rockstar released its first visuals and music, I was taken by expectation. Jab We Met is one of the Indian movies I always end up recommending to friends who are not Bollywood viewers, in the hopes of engaging them to watch more. I was therefore wishing that this new film would bring back the Imtiaz Ali I had appreciated, soon recommending Rockstar to friends I gathered could get bitten by the Bollywood bug.

First and foremost... and beyond any thoughts on the film itself, Rockstar is showcases how Ranbir Kapoor's acting keeps stepping a notch up with every film of his. I have seldom found an actor in India whom I like to watch if only to observe how his/her acting is evolving with each new character. And if there was still any doubt, the camera in this particular film truly says "Ranbir is the guy"!

But let's get on with Rockstar's plot: Janardhan or Jordan - also called JJ -  (Ranbir Kapoor) is a young man in college who dreams of becoming a rockstar, looking up to Jim Morrison. As he comes to understand that all artists have pain and heartbreak in common, Janardhan resolves to risk being interested in Heer (Nargis Fakhri), a beautiful girl who is known to have broken more than one heart and is number one in every college guy's chicklist. As time goes by however, Heer and Janardhan actually become friends. Later on, while Heer gets married to a man who takes her to live to Europe, Janardhan's musical journey takes off when he starts earning his bread singing bhajans. Classical singer, Ustad Jameel Khan, portrayed by the legendary Shammi Kapoor, is impressed, thus deciding to help the soon-to-become star get a record contract. Follows JJ's journey to become a true rebel rock musician moved by his love and involvement with Heer, whom he meets once again when he travels to Prague to record for his album...

Ranbir Kapoor, as we said before, along with a sincere attempt from Imtiaz Ali to capture a rise to fame, carry the film the entire time. Ranbir's comic timing is brilliant and the lively dialogues between him and his co-star, Nargis, swoosh the audience through the first part of the film with lots of fun and rhythm.

This said, as much as the original idea of Rockstar's story seems quite engaging, while watching the film, the love story element during the second half seems to be strangely warped and convoluted. Nargis Fakhri is pretty enough and makes an honest attempt to step up to Ranbir's talent. Unfortunately, the role she has been given seems way too complex and... to be honest... not very well written out. This results in it being difficult for her as a beginner to pull off Heer with the necessary brio and sadly so. Additionally, her acting often seems reminiscent to me of Jab We Met's Geet (?!). One can feel the director's hand at moulding the girl's character in a similar way and this distracted me more than once from the story at hand. I do hope Fakhri can be given a good role in line with her experience to showcase her budding talent someday. Sadly, Rockstar to me was not such a role, particularly because she is paired with an actor with whom the difference in terms of experience is absolutely palpable on screen and this affects the entire film.

The depiction of how Ranbir moves from a simple dreamer to a star during the movie's second half is also not quite logical but the actor manages to keep the viewer's attention through a great amount of intense and solid acting.  I would have liked it if the love story took a backseat more in order to make JJ's rise to fame a bit meatier and more focused on him and his coming of age through his art.

Definite brownie points go to A.R. Rahman's soundtrack and Mohit Chauhan's voice. Bravo, bravo and three times bravo! I feel one can count in the fingers of one hand the Indian rock soundtracks that are truly rock-music-based and soulful enough to last a long while in the musical subconscious of movie goers. A. R Rahman's album definitely makes the cut. The way he mixes Western influences with Indian musical codes proves once again how much Rahman is in command when he has to deliver a clear understanding of Western and folkloric music. I have seldom seen someone blend different musical universes more successfully in the Indian music industry.

Last but not least, the controversy over Indian censorship bowing down to maintaining good relations with China by omitting any sign of sympathy for Tibet during the picturization of song Sadda Haq, made lots of ink flow this last week in the newspapers. In this scene, JJ sings at a concert for Tibetan refugees and the audience carries a banner with a slogan in support of Tibetan independence. The censor board requested that the slogan be pixelized so that it would not appear on the screen. Though I understand that the censor board wanted to keep the support for a Tibetan cause in the film from making headlines, it seems as if all this talk about the censorship incident in the press gave the Tibetan cause more publicity than if they had just let the picturization be... I salute Ali for having filmed the scene and personally find it questionable that it had to be censored.

The trailer for Sadda Haq, released before the film however, still features the banner and a sign in favor of Tibet. The trailer ends with the words "This season claim what's yours". Because we still think the entire Sadda Haq scene lots its strength and rebellious purpose with the omission of the banners in cinema screens, we are therefore posting the video hereunder, hoping the T-Series trailer remains available to viewers to convey what the original and key scene actually should have instead of leaving it to be a rebellion of sorts.

Watch Rockstar for Ranbir and Shammi Kapoor, for fresh boy-girl dialogues and to get a feel of an Indian rebel. I would however not recommend the entire film to my non-Bollywoody friends... Maybe only the soundtrack and music videos? This blogger will have to wait for Imtiaz Ali's next. Someone who can cast Ranbir Kapoor in a good rebel role has to have more to him than meets the eye. Hence, no Sir, I have not given up hope.

Visit the Rockstar official website
Join Rockstar on Facebook
Purchase the Rockstar soundtrack online


Rockstar

Directed by Imtiaz Ali

Produced by Dhilin Mehta

Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Shammi Kapoor, Nargis Fakhri, Moufid Aziz, Aditi Rao Hydari, Piyush Mishra, Kumud Mishra, Shernaz Patel

Music by A.R. Rahman

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IIFA ROCKS! 2011: A Date with India's Creative Minds

One of the questions most often asked of music composers is "How do you compose a song?" Thanks to the IIFA 2011 Music Workshop, we have the answer.

In a live demonstration, for the first time in history, famed composers Shankar Ehsaan Loy, Salim Merchant, Vishal Bhardwaj and lyricist Javed Akhtar come together to create a musical delight before our eyes. Kalyan "Johnny Bongo" Pathak from Chicago joined them on percussion.

To begin, Javed Akhtar came up with two lines of lyrics which he pondered on and dictated to his partner, Shabana Azmi. When the lyrics were completed, Shankar called out the key and Ehsaan Noorani began banging out a melody on his guitar as Loy Mendonsa put his magic to the keyboard. Shankar Mahadevan used his amazing voice to fuse it all together, organically working on the tune with Vishal Bhardwaj and Salim Merchant joining in.

The following two videos capture the composition session from start to finish.

In the following video, distinguished guest Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, delights the audience with a unique and pace by pace account of how the 'Rang de Basanti' title song emerged thanks to A.R. Rahman (and here Aline CineHindi, my fellow blogger and huge fan of Mr. Mehra, gleefully jumps up and down because I brought back this exclusive video for her).

It is rare for the general public to get a glimpse of the meeting of brilliant minds blending their creativity and making magic happen. The music workshop was definitely the highlight of IIFA for me and I was thrilled to learn more about the creative process. I found it extremely heartwarming to watch it take place before my eyes, seeing wonderful people connecting and coming together to make a beautiful piece of music. A very memorable date and memorable sounds.

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AR Rahman’s exhilarating RAAVAN

The AR Rahman-Mani Ratnam duo is back to mercilessly stimulate our ears. No sir, they indeed did not have enough with delighting us with Roja (1992), Bombay (1995), Dil Se (1998), Saathiya (2002), Yuva (2004) and Guru (2006). Raavan, Ratnam's latest, is creating expectation before its release with a soundtrack that is daring and sumptuous to say the least, tribal at its core and… let us cut to the chase and give you our take on each spine tingling track.

'Beera Beera' is the introduction of the film's main character and opens with Mustafa Kutoane's earthy Afro voice. Additional tribal and electronic voice effects are joined by the enthralling rhythm of clapping hands, drums, xylophone, bells and the hearty singing of Kirti Sagathia and Vijay Prakash. As soon as the promos of the film were out (refer to the video below), AR Rahman fans were glued to their earphones in approval of this track's excerpt, claiming him the most talented music alchemist of this modern era. Listen to the teaser for yourself and enjoy.

Second track, 'Behene De', plunges the listener into a dark but captivating musical journey. It features deliciously accurate vocals by Karthik, who some listeners might remember for his spunky rendition of song 'Behka' in 2008's hit film Ghajini. Not surprisingly, in this track Karthik succeeds in carrying the listener through soulful string arrangements and modern electric guitars with the same skillfulness, leaving us with only one wish, to hear more of him! As if this were not enough brilliance, Gulzar adds his golden touch to the song by painting with exquisitely deep words the doomed feeling of helpless love (refer to lyrics and their English translation here).

Following these splendid songs, 'Khilli Re' undusts sitar, tabla, tambourine and flute, providing a dreamy fusion of traditional Indian music and modern sounds which features the honeysweet voice of Reena Bhardwaj, previously acclaimed for her singing in Meenaxi. Her rendition of the melody lingers on well after you have listened to the entire album.

Next in line are 'Ranjha Ranjha' and 'Thok de Killi'. Despite the fact that 'Ranjha Ranjha' has 'Ghenda Phool's' (Delhi 6) star voice, Rekha Bhardwaj, at its forefront, and even though 'Thok de Killi' has a powerful masculine sound, these might well be the album's first tracks that you might have a difficulty warming up to as both songs feature a liberal use of synthesizers and electric guitars. One of AR Rahman's greatest assets is his will to experiment. That of Mani Ratnam's is to leave enough space for Rahman to go beyond his boundaries and create genius tracks. I still wonder if some listeners will believe that the composer has overstepped them in these particular two songs, but then again, only time and the film that inspired him will tell.

Closing the album, 'Kata Kata' is slightly reminiscent of AR Rahman's excellent work in films such as Mangal Pandey or Roja. A festive and euphoric chill will run down your spine as you listen to the track time and time again, discovering a voice here or a percussion there that you had not quite paid attention to before. Yes, you've got it, the track boasts such rich instrumentation that you are unlikely to ever tire of it. Ila Arun's Rajasthani rawness is mind blowing and will stir any remaining dormant cells.

Raavan is an intriguing and unpredictable soundtrack that promises to awaken audiences to the world of an equally effervescent being with 10 heads and 100 names... Get ready. Umeed ko aag laga zara (Set your hopes on fire).

Note: Seemingly, the Hindi version of the Raavan soundtrack shall sadly lack one song featuring the talent of Sonu Niigaam. The Tamil version of the song should be released soon in the Tamil soundtrack for the same film. Please refer to this post often as we shall provide updates.

Music: A.R.Rahman
Lyrics: Gulzar
Singers: Vijay Prakash, Mustafa, Mohamed Irfan, Karthik, Sukhwinder Singh, Am'Nico, Rekha Bhardwaj, Javed Ali, Reena Bhardwaj, Ila Arun, Sapna Awasthi, Kunal Ganjawala
Soundtrack release: 23 April 2010
Label: T-Series
Buy ´Ravaan' music on Itunes

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LAGAAN SOUNDTRACK REVIEW

This week the Aamir Khan Productions' film LAGAAN... Once upon a Time in India is 8 years old. Each year the highly informative and insightful BollywoodFan blog celebrates the film's anniversary. Cinema Hindi joins them in wishing the best known Indian epic throughout the world a very happy anniversary. Long live Lagaan!

Lagaan… The sheer sound of the word expresses the substance and the magnitude of Ashutosh Gowariker’s film, and truth be said, the soundtrack is as magnificent as the viewing experience.

Yes, thunder never sounded so human and humans never sounded so thunderous. The opening Ghanan Ghanan sets the tone for the film plot as clouds start to gather much to the joy of Champaner villagers, while an all-star rainbow of vocal hues makes its appearance on the music canvas: Alka Yagnik’s smoothness, Udit Narayan’s radiance, Sukhwinder Singh’s warmth, Shankar Mahadevan’s poignancy, Shaan’s zest. Considering myself a voice maniac, I never tire of savoring this song as a particularly luscious treat. However, concentrating solely on the voices would be a pity. Ghanan Ghanan also introduces a playful dafli, a droning synth, pounding drums and crystalline strings. This is the next best experience to actually feeling rain droplets falling on our ears!

Following such a magnificent opening, a rhythmic Mitwa progressively conveys courage and hope through the growing and exuberant use of bass drums, a deliciously folksy violin, a subtle ghatam and the lively use of wind instruments, an ektara and synth strings. Alka Yagnik’s deep voice and Udit Narayan’s uplifting timbre accurately reflect the song’s mood, adding strength to the respective scene in the film.

Radha Kaise na Jale is a particularly eloquent example of how A. R. Rahman’s orchestration talent can make listeners travel through time and space. With eyes closed, where else could this song take us? Well… the countryside, during Holi of course, where Krishna, Radha and the beautiful Gopis dance with the birds whistling in the background. Asha Bhosle’s teasing vocals particularly shine against bells galore, tabla, dandiya stick and a flute that guides her through the song, culminating the lovers’ mischievous interaction with a beautiful display of bhimpalasi raga.

O Rey Chhori features the film’s main trio, each singing their respective declarations of love and I must confess that I have rarely found a musical love triangle so interesting. The song’s forte lies in the transitions between an Eastern upbeat theme strewn with the sound of dry bells and light drums and a Western honey-sweet tune, complete with harp, violins and operatic voices. Javed Akhtar’s lyrics are equally expressive in both languages, with a noteworthy portrayal of Elizabeth’s romantic fantasies, making Vasundhara Das’ transparent interludes blend in beautifully with the main couple’s sweet talk.

What is left to be said of Chale Chalo, a classic that is capable of stirring the blood of any listener throughout the world, regardless of whether they understand Javed Akhtar’s otherwise brilliant lyrics? Humming, stomping, snapping, clapping, banging… even the cello and the dulcimer sound like percussions, chiming in to build up the Lagaan team spirit. The catchy song curiously seems to echo what the epic Lagaan film making experience must have been by reflecting the powerful magic of a joint belief in one goal, with A.R. Rahman himself giving this hymn its main voice.

The album suddenly moves into a softer note, mirroring Elizabeth’s prior declaration of love with a brief Waltz for a Romance. The track sounds exceptionally authentic, making us reminisce some of Hollywood’s most memorable Western classical and baroque-style film compositions.

The previous Western track gives way to its Indian counterpart as A.R. Rahman’s talent for devotional songs gives birth to the gem O Paalaanhare. Lata Mangeshkar is a brilliant choice for the song, given the purity of her voice. (The version of the song in the film includes Sadhana Sargam providing vocals for Gauri.) The bhajan builds up softly with a measured use of the tabla, cymbals and temple bells, ultimately falling into Udit Narayan’s soulful rendition of part of the Lagaan theme chorus. The moving melody elevates the soul in prayer, leading the listener to sympathize with the villagers’ plea.

The Lagaan main theme crowns this scintillating soundtrack with a perfect mix of grandeur and serenity… of East and West combined. I have no qualms in saying that I believe this track somehow captures the universal essence of music itself. Its brain stimulating melody, the combination of seemingly improbable instruments together in the same piece (sitar, cymbals and church organ, anyone?) nevertheless achieving amazing harmony... It is simply magnificent. R. Prassana’s spine tingling string arrangements deserve a special mention as they transport the listener to unprecedented heights. Anuradha Sriram’s voice gently brings us back to tranquility with her earthy and melodious hum, closing an absolutely monumental soundtrack.

The film Lagaan: Once upon a Time in India was certainly meant to become a landmark in Indian cinema. The challenge of composing an equally brilliant music was successfully achieved when the Mozart of Madras concocted this “sound feast”. Lagaan’s music contributed to make the film shine and vice versa, therefore both the film and its music are bound to continue gathering applause from viewers and listeners alike, regardless of their cultural and musical background.

This timeless tour de force by A.R. Rahman and his outstanding musical team (a special mention to the late H. Sridhar, sound engineer, who worked not only on the soundtrack but on the film’s sound in general) may be put up there with the very best soundtracks of all time, even several years after its release.

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DELHI-6 SOUNDTRACK REVIEW

An astoundingly fresh, urban and spiritual soundtrack, AR Rahman's Delhi 6 captures a large range of genres in which the Oscar winner's talent as a composer excels, making it a compulsory introduction to his fabulous body of work for Western listeners and a wonderful addition to any Eastern listener's music collection.

"Masakali" is undoubtedly the soundtrack's perfect opening song, as Prasoon Joshi's playful lyrics prove once more that he is indeed a consummate master in the art of using language as a musical instrument (clearly revealed in Ghajini's "Behka"). The song's haunting Congo drum pattern, the use of a fleeting accordeon and particularly Mohit Chouhan's relaxed and almost mischievous singing style make "Masakali" an album's gem that will hypnotize many a listener.

Following such a light and ear-pleasing opening, Kailash Kher's and Javed Ali's brilliantly executed duet in "Arziyan" introduces the soundtrack's partially devotional tone. Its Sufi brio is later balanced with the peaceful hinduist "Aarti", further leading to the album's final spiritual note in "Noor", in which Amitabh Bachchan gives a short spoken performance, praising God's all-enveloping presence.

A pleasant surprise awaits Indian classical music lovers in the mesmerizing rendition of a candid and charming "Bhor Baye", featuring young Shreya Ghoshal along with music legend Ustad Bale Ghulam Ali Khan.

Delhi 6 also offers a funky urban atmosphere that surrounds the album's remaining songs, starting with the sensual title track ("Delhi 6") which mixes Hindi and French in a rap that will not fail to please the young crowds. AR Rahman then proceeds to grace the romantic "Rehna Tu" with his warm voice. The result is a sultry pop song that can compete with the best of its genre around the world, just to leave all competition behind as it finishes with a simple but splendid continuum melody. Prasoon Joshi's lyrics continue to shine through "Hey Kaala Bandar" which is slightly reminiscent of Rang de Basanti's "Paathshala". One of the soundtrack's most intriguing songs in my humble opinion is "Dil Gira Dafatan", which strongly relies on Ash King's crisp and sweet voice, achieving an airy and universal feel. Last but not least, the album's funky repertoire closes with "Genda Phool", a catchy tune with rustic vocals delivered by Rekha Bharadwaj.

All in all, Delhi 6 is similar to an eclectic polished diamond whose beauty is to be enjoyed by all. Delhiites must indeed be proud to have inspired such a dazzling array of talent-filled songs and performances.

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