Music for the soul

Rinky Kumar

Tochi Raina, whose Gal meethi meethi bol is rocking the charts, aims to serve the helpless through music and spirituality.

Aisha might have received a lukewarm response at the box-office but one song that is ruling the airwaves consistently is the Punjabi folk composition Gal meethi meethi bol. Though the song is seen in the movie only for 40-50 seconds, it has caught on for its foot-tapping rhythm and effortless rendition by Tochi Raina.

The singer, who had earlier crooned O pardesi from Dev. D and the male version of Iktara in Wake Up Sid! for Amit Trivedi is basking in the success of his third consecutive hit with the composer. He says, “We knew that Gal meethi meethi bol would be a hit. Amit knows which song suits my voice and offers it to me accordingly.”

Tochi explains that whenever he takes up a song, he first reads the lyrics, understands their meaning and relevance in the film and then sings. “I try to comprehend the poetry in the lyrics. Beautiful lyrics coupled with a lovely composition inspire me to sing better,” he adds.

Known as a singer, Tochi is also actively involved in Sufism and spiritualism. He practises music therapy and treats asthma patients too. He first realised the healing powers of music 15-16 years ago when he was a teacher at Delhi. He says, “A student suffering from asthma came up to me and said that he would get tired after singing for just five minutes. I was doing some research in vocal sounds at that time and took up his case as a challenge. I gave him several vocal exercises that cleared his nose, ears and throat and helped him to sing confidently.”

Soon word spread and Tochi started treating asthma patients. In fact, he has also treated his manager, whose vocal chords were affected after an operation. “My friend introduced her to me and she broke down. For a year, I helped her to imbibe a positive energy and follow spiritualism,” he smiles.

Tochi’s tryst with music and spiritualism began almost two decades ago. Born in Bihar, he had his education at Nepal where his father, a government employee, was posted. The singer narrates that he realised the significance of selfless service during his childhood. “Our quarters were located opposite a cremation ground. I would often go and watch the last rites of people just out of curiosity. And gradually it dawned upon me that man becomes so helpless toward the end of his life. It’s futile to be materialistic. We spend our entire lives earning money but when we die, we don’t have anything at all. That’s when I decided that I will try to serve the society.”

But initially Tochi was clueless how to go about it. He shifted to Patiala and tried to pursue photography but soon realised that it was not his calling. He later moved to Delhi where he met his guruji Pandit Vinod Kumar, who is the disciple of Indian classical singer Bade Ghulam Ali Khan.

“I learnt singing from Panditji and music evoked my interest in Sufism,” he says. Gradually he started following the works of reputed Sufi singers Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan of Pakistan and Ustad Altaf Hussain Saarang of Afghanistan. Tochi confesses that though he hails from a musical background, he’s the first professional singer in his family. “My grandmother and uncle played the sitar and violin respectively,” he says.

He came to Mumbai a few years ago to make a career as a playback singer. He met music director Rajat Dholakia who later introduced him to Amit Trivedi. Tochi got his first commercial break with Bulleshah in A Wednesday! in 2008. He says, "Director Neeraj Pandey and music composer Sanjay Chowdhury knew me well and were keen that I should record this song. But unfortunately I lost my mother at the same time. But Sanjay and Neeraj were patient and showed immense faith in me. I’m grateful to them for giving me my first big break.”

The director and composer were so impressed with Tochi’s rendition and presentation that they urged him to appear in the music video too.

Tochi followed it up with the chartbuster O pardesi in Dev. D. But rather than basking in the success, he went into severe depression as he was not given due credit for the song in a popular website. He explains, “Four months after the song became a hit, my friend told me that a website had given the song’s credit to singer Toshi Sabri. I was highly disturbed as it was unfair. I contacted the lawyer of the film’s production house, he sent a notice to the website and they gave me due credit overnight.”

But he admits that the damage was already done. “Toshi didn’t come ahead and clarify that he was not the singer. That year, I lost almost all the shows as he bagged all of them. I would have never done anything like that. It hurts when after striving for such a long time, someone else steals your thunder.”

The singer battled his depression through meditation. After lying low for some time, he weaved his magic again with the male version of Iktara and followed it up with Gal meethi meethi bol. Quiz him if he’ll ever work with other composers apart from Amit Trivedi and he says, “I’ve already recorded seven or eight songs with other composers. I’m open to working with everyone.”

Apart from film songs, Tochi is also working on forming his band Bandagi. He elaborates that it will provide a platform to all those artistes who have never got a due chance to show their talent. He also intends to combine Sufi and Jazz and explore a new genre thereby. “My guruji Pandit Vinod Kumar always said that Sufi and Jazz are quite similar as both of them deal with spiritual singing. He suggested that I should attempt both. After coming to Mumbai, I started learning western classical guitar from my teacher Ram Ramchandran who also reiterated the same point. So I decided to follow their advice. It will be like a compilation of Urdu, Hindi and Punjabi poetry,” he signs off.

September 10, 2010, Screen

Dreaming big

Shaikh Nassir has pioneered the trend of directing popular remakes like Malegaon Ke Sholay and Malegaon Ka Superman with limited resources

Set in the narrow bylanes of Malegaon, popularly known as the power-loom town of Maharashtra, Shaikh Nassir’s video parlour was a one-stop entertainment shop for film lovers ten years ago. Stocked with black and white classics, Hollywood and Bollywood blockbusters, Nassir’s parlour offered a wide range of options to the locals for over two decades to entertain themselves at the end of long hard day.

Though his shop did brisk business, Nassir always nurtured a desire to provide a different kind of entertainment to the locals. The movie-buff, who had acted in several school dramas and watched Chitrahaar, the weekly show on popular Bollywood songs on Doordarshan religiously during his childhood, says, “I loved watching movies of Jackie Chan, Charlie Chaplin and James Bond and always felt that I should make films to entertain everyone.” He gradually learnt video shooting and started his career by capturing local weddings on a video camera.

Bur rather than making an original film, Nassir decided to make remakes of popular movies. “I would have loved to make a brand new film, but it would have been too expensive. So I thought of directing remakes and make the best use of the limited resources available.”

In 2000, Nassir decided to make his first film as a remake of the evergreen blockbuster Sholay, one of his personal favourites. “Two of my friends resembled Amitabh Bachchan and Dharmendra and I didn’t have to try too hard to scout for the locations,” he says. So he took a loan of Rs 50,000 from his brother, roped in his friends and used daily equipments to make the film. “We had limited resources and a tight budget so we had to use the available equipments. After much brain storming, I decided that we could use a bullock cart as a crane and a trolley as a cycle and used a video camera to shoot the film in Malegaon. I also roped in my friends Akram Khan and Hameed Subani to write the film’s script.”

The duo tried to stay as close to the original script as possible and only incorporated few changes to make the film set in the local milieu and make it funny. So Gabbar Singh became Rubber Singh and Basanti was called Basmati. While in the original, Gabbar Singh’s men raid the villager’s homes and rob them of their money and jewellery, in the remake, Rubber Singh’s men board a local bus and rob the natives of daily amenities.

Shot within a span of two months, Nassir eventually made VHS tapes of the film and then sold them in his parlour. The film was a resounding success among the locals and the debutant director managed to make a profit of Rs two lakhs.

Inspired by this success, Nassir decided to make more such films. His second venture was called Malegaon ki Shaan, a remake of director Ramesh Sippy’s superhit Shaan and was shot with a Panasonic digital TV camera. “Malegaon Ki Shaan was a parody of the original. We had better resources for this movie so in terms of picture quality and cinematography, it was much better than my first film,” says Nassir. Once again, they used local amenities to add a certain finesse to the movie. In the original, Shakaal (played by Kulbhushan Kharbanda) has a revolving chair. In the remake, the villain had a similar chair which was placed on a bullock cart’s wheel that was manually spinned by the crew during the shoot. Like its predecessor, Malegaon ki Shaan, too proved to be a success amongst the locals.

But Nassir shot in the limelight after filmmaker Faiza Ahmed Khan and her team shot a documentary, The Making of Malegaon Ka Superman, on his forthcoming movie Malegaon ka Superman. Shot in 2009, the film is a spoof on DC comic’s famous superhero and will be released in the power loom town this year during Eid. It’s based on a shy boy who suddenly gets superhero powers. Shot within a month on a budget of Rs one lakh, it stars Akram Khan, who is a far cry from the conventional Superman. He’s a thin, short man who dons Superman’s light blue outfit with M for a new emblem (denoting Malegaon) and wears boxer shorts with long draw strings (nada) deliberately left hanging. Khan dances in the fields, saves his love interest from goons and can’t fly too high as he’s malnourished. “We made Akram slide on a log of wood that juts out of a cart and asked the crew members to wave out his red cape from behind. The cart moves forward taking Akram along and creates an impression that he’s flying,” explains Nassir.

The documentary was screened at the Osian Film festival last year and generated a lot of interest about Nassir’s film. “Malegaon ka Superman has travelled to several film festivals including Doha International Film Festival and has also been screened at the 40th International Film Festival (IFFI) at Goa,” says the director excitedly.

Nassir’s success story has prompted other movie-buffs to try their hand at directing similar films. He has given creative inputs for other movies like Malegoan Ke Karan Arjun, Malegaon Ki Lagaan and Malegaon Ka Don, which have also been loved by the natives of the power-loom town.

Thanks to his works, Nassir is now directing SAB TV’s latest silent comedy Malegaon Ka Chintu. Inspired by popular British comedy series Mr Bean, the show is about a simple native of Malegaon and the hilarious incidents in his life. As of now, Nassir is focussing all his energies on his debut television serial. Quiz him, if he’s keen on making any more films and Nassir says, “Right now, I’m concentrating only on Malegaon Ka Chintu and films have taken a a backseat. I just hope the show is liked by everyone.”

Romancing the wordsmith

Theatre activist Mujeeb Khan’s group IDEA staged 50 plays on Munshi Premchand’s stories in a 10-day festival, Prem Utsav

Many years ago when playwright and director Mujeeb Khan first read Munshi Premchand’s story, Kafan, about a poor man who collects money for the funeral rites of his dead wife, it left an indelible impact on his mind. Gradually Khan, a literature student, started reading the author’s works diligently and learnt about his life. Five years ago on the writer’s 125th birth anniversary, the theatre activist decided to pay a tribute to him through a 10-day long theatre festival, Prem Utsav, and a series called as Aadab Main Premchand Hoon.

Since then the festival has become an annual event where Khan and his Mumbai-based theatre group - Ideal Drama and Entertainment Academy (IDEA) - stage plays on the author’s short stories. Till date, they have staged 238 plays. This year, IDEA staged 50 plays as part of Aadab Main Premchand Hoon, that was held from August 1 -10 at Sathaye College in Mumbai. Some of them were Badnaseeb Maa, Mandir Masjid, Miss Padma, Lottery and Kafan.

“We had first staged Premchand’s stories like Bade Bhaaisaab, Pashtava and Sava Ser Gehu. But we started enjoying the whole process of staging plays based on the litterateur’s stories. Rather than adapting his plays, I chose his stories as the whole challenge lies in staging a play on a story and doing justice to it,” says Khan.

According to the theatre activist, the most difficult task that he faces is to stay as close to the story as possible and transport the audience to the era as depicted in Premchand’s works. “Munshiji’s works were set in a certain period. So I ensure that the era is created in my plays through the make-up, costumes, lighting and backdrop. I also focus on the language as he would write in chaste Hindi and Urdu,” explains Khan.

He also chose Munshiji’s stories as they are relevant in the present social milieu. “He would deal with topics like poverty and romance that are still prevalent today. In 1911, he had written a short story, Kanooni Kumar, in which he has mentioned that it was time to pass a women’s bill. Early this year, the women’s reservation bill was passed. In 1916, he had tackled the subject of a live-in relationship in Miss Padma. Today, live-in relationships are rampant. Munshiji had an amazing foresight.”

Apart from the author, Khan is keen on celebrating festivals on famous literary figures like Rabindranath Tagore, Ismat Chugtai and Saadat Hasan Manto. His next venture is a festival of plays based on Tagore’s stories and poetry
and is called Namaste Main Rabindranath Tagore Hoon. “Just like we have archaeological society that preserves old monuments, I consider myself as a theatre archaeologist responsible for preserving the works of literary greats and presenting them to today’s generation.”

Treading regional grounds

Marathi theatre gets a shot in the arm with NCPA Pratibimb: Marathi Natya Utsav, NCPA’s first-ever festival of contemporary Marathi plays

Marathi theatre has always been known for its socially- relevant plays dealing with a multitude of contemporary issues that not only compel the audiences to think but also generate an awareness amongst them. In order to give an impetus to this kind of theatre, the National Centre for Performing Arts, Mumbai’s premier cultural institution, has conceptualised its first-ever festival of contemporary Marathi plays - NCPA Pratibimb:Marathi Natya Utsav. The event, which is planned as an annual feature in the institution’s calendar, was organised from August 7-11 at the Experimental Theatre, NCPA.

Critically-acclaimed plays directed by young as well as old directors like Baaya Daar Ughad, Ek Rikaami Baju, Geli Ekvees Varsha, Ekmekaat, Aanandbhog Mall and Mahapoor were staged at the event followed by lively sessions of debates and discussions conducted by theatre experts like Shanta Gokhale, Jayant Pawar and Sumedha Raikar Mhatre.

Explaining the relevance of the festival, Khushroo N Suntook, Chairman, NCPA said, “NCPA has always been the home for several dance, drama and music performances. But I have never got a real reply as to why despite being a premier cultural organisation, Marathi plays were never prominently displayed in our programme list. Marathi plays have always explored a variety of issues and we want to provide a platform to the young talent to showcase their skills. Since this is the first edition of the festival, it’s being conducted at the Experimental Theatre. Eventually, we want to produce our own Marathi plays and conduct workshops in this language. We are also planning to conduct festivals for Bengali and Gujarati theatre.”

Actor Atul Kulkarni, who started his career with theatre, has been actively involved in organising this festival for the last two months. He said, “Before I started my acting career, I still remember the days when I would come from Solapur, my hometown, to Mumbai. NCPA was one of the first places that I would visit. It was like home to me and I remember seeing some great plays over here. I always wished that this institution’s vast infrastructure should be used especially by the Marathi theatre. I’m glad this festival has served this purpose.”

The actor further explained how any theatre festival is always relevant as it creates a positive atmosphere that promotes collective energy. “Theatre is about interacting and sharing an energy between the actors and the audience. I see Pratibimb as the beginning of a movement to promote a vibrancy that I have missed in the last couple of years in Marathi theatre.” Deepa Gahlot, Head Programming (Theatre and Film), NCPA, explains that the basic motive was to familiarise the audiences with Marathi theatre, so after consulting stalwarts like Shanta Gokhale, Vijaya Mehta and Waman Kendre, a perfect mix of classic plays directed by old and new directors were chosen for the five-day event.

Director Sushama Deshpande on Baaya Daar Ughad:

The play: Baaya Daar Ughad is a play based on poetry (abhang) by women saints from 13th to 18th century. The poetry explores their relationship with Lord Vitthal. These saints derived courage to face life through this spiritual relationship which was their source of happiness and a means to understand themselves.

The inspiration: I got the idea for this play after reading an article about women saints in search of Lord Vitthal. I was intrigued and thought of writing a play on it as I have always focussed on women-oriented issues. I started reading poetry penned by these saints in the 13th century and realised that they were very progressive and focused on women’s liberalisation.

For instance: Earlier in rural Maharashtra, women were considered impure during their menses and were prevented from praying. One of the poems addresses this issue and says that since women’s minds and souls are clear, why should they be prevented from performing prayers during their menses? My play charts the journey of three women who undertake a yatra in search of Lord Vitthal.

Director Manaswini Lata Ravindra on > Ekmekaat :

The play: Ekmekaat is a play about a girl who is very angry with the world. Her pessimism affects her romantic life as her beau has a completely different personality and craves for stability. While they both seek answers from the world they live in, it seems that the quest for a secure and successful life serves to link them after their break-up.

The inspiration : Three years ago when I attended the Royal Court Theatre Workshop in London for emerging playwrights, I had first submitted a script of this play to the organisers. That time the idea had not been fleshed out completely. Once I returned I completely forgot about it. But a few months ago, I thought I should revive the script and direct a play on it.

Actually, the present status of women in the Indian society compelled me to write this play. I feel that contemporary women have a lot of anger and angst. They can’t express their emotions about a lot of things and it starts affecting their inter-personal relationships. But even today men are still conservative, so they can’t accept this aggressive streak in women. I would describe Ekmekaat as a play about complexities. We have performed in different parts of Maharashtra and I’m glad that people of all ages could relate to it.

Director Aniruddh Khutwad on Ek Rikaami Baju and Mahapoor :

The plays: Ek Rikaami Baju is the Indian adaptation of a play written by British playwright Louise Page. It’s about a young lady whose life changes after she is afflicted with breast cancer. In its unique style, the play has only three actors playing 16 roles. It travels through various time-zones and locations to present various small scenes.

Mahapoor is about a youngster, Govind Ragunath Kawthekar, who is torn between his upbringing and his philosophy of life. His love for his childhood sweetheart and hatred for his parents provoke him to live in his own world of virtual reality.

The inspiration : I read Louise Page’s play on actor Gitanjali Kulkarni’s recommendation. I was instantly impressed with it as it was very sensitive. We decided to adapt it to the Indian context and stage it. So I contacted Page and got her permission.

Later, I visited the Tata Memorial Hospital for my research. I soon realised the magnitude of this disease and the play’s relevance in today’s society. Usually women above 40 are detected with breast cancer but there are also rare cases where younger women have been afflicted with this disease. While in the original play, there are different characters, in Ek Rikaami Baju, I have deliberately made two actors enact 16 roles as I wanted to make the play very realistic. I believe in the Stanislavsky system of acting (method acting) so I conducted workshops with my actors so that they could enact these various characters effortlessly.

Mahapoor means flood of thoughts. It was written in 1972 and first staged in 1975. It’s a modern classic that focuses on psychological behaviour. Though the play was written over three decades ago, it’s still relevant now as even today’s youth is undergoing an identity crisis. Govind, the protagonist, symbolises today’s youth who are considered worthless by their predecessors. I have only changed the treatment of the play and made it more intimate. The actors perform very close to the audience in order to make them feel their angst.