Interesting article i read. THanks to Namita for bring it to notice
The word paan brings these memory of film to me
Vaheeda Rehmaan..Paan khayye Sainyaa Humarro
Kishore da in Padosan
Amitaabh in Don.Khaiyke paan banaras walla
Although with the music that goes arond now..i highly doubt that paan will be a prop any more
It was really interesting to know some facts on it.
Paan Indian music: Not a healthy choice <clippopup(1513074);>
Priyanka Tiwari
*[ Tuesday, May 02, 2006 09:24:13 pmTIMES NEWS NETWORK ]*
While almost all Indian classical singers and musicians have their reasosn
for chewing paan, we explore the pros and cons of the habit.
Paan might be deemed as a nawaabi shauk, but for classical singers and
musicians in our country, betel leaves garnished with silver foil are not
just a matter of taste. Rather, paan is seen as a voice-quality-enhancer.
"Chewing paan is an integral part of Indian traditional singing,"believes
eminent qawwal Ghulam Hussain Niyazi, who can't do without paan after every
performance.
"Classical music requires tremendous strain on nerves. So after every
strenuous performance, the performer has to de-stress. Paan with a nice mint
flavour serves as a brilliant means to combat the dryness produced in
throat,"says Ghulam Hussain Niyazi, while stressing that betel leaves taken
with tobacco are hazardous to health while the simple paan prepared with
mint and betel nut and anise (saunf) is safe.
Owing to the fresh and cooling effect provided by betel leaves, many
instrumentalists also prefer chewing the same for healthy reasons.
Speaking on phone from Holland, Pt Hari Prasad Chaurasia says, "Like any
vocalist, instrumentalists who need to use their gullet while playing an
instrument also resort to something that would serve as a coolant after a
performance.
Paan is a good and very handy option to carry along."But what about the
unimpressive image that classical singers and instrumentalists reeking with
paan end up with?
That's "a side effect"that Panditji doesn't deny. And perhaps that's the
reason why he abstains from paan even though he used to relish it a lot at
one point.
Apart from its health benefits, chewing paan before a performance is also
considered auspicious. As the celebrated classical singer Girja Devi puts
it, "In certain regions, paan is considered auspicious.
It's a religious belief similar to eating curd prior to any performance."As
for popular notions that paan is unhealthy, Girja Devi says, "I've been
chewing paan for more than 65 years and haven't experienced any harmful
effect."
But does the medical fraternity give clean chit to chewing betel leaves?
"Medically, betel leaves are hazardous to health whether you have them with
or without tobacco.
That's because betel leaves have the same quality as tobacco. The singers
who chew paan have to give it up at some point of time, for in the long term
it proves to be perilous,"says ENT specialist Dr Devendra Lalchandani.
And the new age singers absolutely adhere to the medical prescription. Like
Shaan who says, "Today a singer has to be more screen friendly than before
and chewing paan doesn't portray a positive image.
Moreover, most of the gharanas originated from Uttar Pradesh where betel
leaves are very popular; that's the reason why it's identified with the cult
of classical music. But it's not common among new age singers."
kanpur.times@timesgroup.com
