Old man river... keeps rolling along

Old man river... keeps rolling along

You don't have to be a rich man's son to move around the world. You don't have to compromise on your principles to carve out your own following in Bollywood. You can just be Bhupen Hazarika and watch fate take you places. ZIYA US SALAM speaks to the veteran composer, still singing aloud the song of life... .

Bhupen Hazarika... good old times, good old melody.

IT SHALL remain one of the delicious ironies of fate that Anu Malik - now Maliik, now Mallik, now Annu as per convenient numerology - remains Bollywood dream merchants' favourite, notching up double digit films every year while an infinitely more talented Bhupen Hazarika still has to rely on "Dil Hoom Hoom Kare" from "Rudaali" (1993) to establish an acquaintance with posterity. Malik might copy "Come September," Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and others with bravado bordering on impudence, yet for the common man, he remains the king of Bollywood, probably its most identifiable music director after A. R. Rahman and Nadeem-Shravan. Yet, the original continues to languish in relative obscurity, working in an odd Kalpana Lajmi film here, an odd M. F. Husain film there. In niche cinema lies his following. As a well-known wit said: "One composes for the classes, the other for asses!"

In New Delhi recently, Bhupen Hazarika is picture of dignity and content. "I am happy with life. After all these years of struggle and all the awards and felicitations that have come my way, I have no regret. I never visualised it when I started out. I wanted to be a journalist, though I was a serious student of music. I am at peace with everybody, with the world. Now, I have just one message for the new generation: Simplicity always wins. You don't have to be the son of a rich man to see the world. You can be a schoolmaster's son and still be able to see the world. I may not be a rich man even now but I have never worked 9-5, never had to worry about the income tax. But whatever I have should last me for the rest of my life." Incidentally, Hazarika, 76, himself is the son of a schoolteacher and set out to see the world when India was just keeping its tryst with destiny.

"I have done 122 films in Assamese, Bengali, Hindi. I have got love from all over. I have got Dadasaheb Phalke Award after 'Rudaali'. I cannot compose songs like 'Khatiya' and 'Choli ke Peeche'. I was happy when 'Dil Hoom... ' beat such songs in the countdown shows. Film music is not marriage video or a Punjabi party. Movies have become a consumer product. Now, even when they talk of patriotism in Hindi cinema and the NRIs coming back home to the homeland, it is like commercialisation of patriotism. I cannot do that."

Yet, he is no old man yearning for retrospective contentment while cribbing about the present. He showers praises on Ilaiyaraja and A. R. Rahman. "I love all good things of life. I find Rahman and Ilaiyaraja on the right track. Whenever they go off the track, they know how to come back to the right path. I sang once for Rahman, he just told me to do what I wanted! I tell him to take it easy, take a break, avoid repetition of tunes. That is the way to last longer. He agrees but then there is the problem with directors. After one hit song, all of them want similar <243>songs!"

How come the man whose Assamese songs have been translated into Japanese, Nepalese and many other languages, is not seen more often in Hindi cinema: "I love Hindi but nobody brought me here. When I started out I did not have the money to stay in Delhi or Mumbai for a month and wait for work. Until one day Atma Ram - Kalpana Lajmi's uncle - gave me 'Aarop'. I composed the song 'Nainon Mein Darpan Hai, Darpan Mein Koi'. It became a hit. To tell you the truth, it is originally a cowboy song in the North-East. I heard this from a boy in Khasi Hills. I immediately learnt the tune but I did not copy it. I preserved the soil, the soul of the song and brought it to a wider audience. I basked in the glory of 'Nainon Mein Darpan' for sometime until 'Rudaali' happened."

Well, "Rudaali" too was sheer accident. "I was in the Capital with other film personalities, meeting at the National School of Drama. There Lajmi had sent her film proposal for 'Rudaali' with my name as the music director and I did not even know! I did the film for free, actually one rupee which again, never came my way!"

Yet, again the man given to frequent bouts of nostalgia, lapses into the past. "The tune, 'Dil Hoom... ', was actually composed way back in 1962 for an Assamese film 'Moniram Dewan'. I used that tune for 'Rudaali'," recalls this student of Jyotiprasad Aggrawalla, the man who made the first Assamese film in 1935, whose ancestors had shifted from Rajasthan to the Hill State in the early 19th Century.

Recalls Hazarika, a product of Cotton Collegiate Higher Secondary School in Assam, "I wanted to do many things when I started out. I wanted to be a journalist, so I did Ph. D in Mass Communication from Columbia University. I wanted to be a lawyer and sing in the bathroom. So I went ahead and did M.A. in Political Science from Banaras Hindu University. There I also learnt music for four years from Sangeet Bhuvan without having to pay any fees. I was enamoured of the rhythm and melody of the hills and the plains. I met luminaries of Indian People's Theatre Association and music possessed me. I did not know Marx but my first song was on Shankara Deva. Then and there I realised that a slogan could not be a song, it must reach out to the heart. Ragas cannot be distorted, they are the soul of music. In Guwahati, I was an Assamese. In Kolkata, I became a Bengali but I became an Indian after coming to Uttar Pradesh, particularly BHU. I was lucky to get in touch with people like Jyotiprasad and Narayan Menon who guided me."

I went to America in 1949. I went via Paris where I met my idol Picasso. I did not know how to react when I met the legendary painter. He wanted to know if I were really his follower and asked me about what quality I liked the best in his works! When I replied I liked the 'Blue period', he was convinced. I had no camera, there was no proof of that morning meeting. I wanted to touch Picasso and his words stay with me: 'Hazarika goes to America'! In America, I washed dishes, wrote commentary for short films in New York for 250 dollars. It was a lot of money for me. I became a Leftist in the land of Capitalism."

In America, he met another idol of his - Paul Robson and the rest, is 'Old Man River, You Don't Nothing, You Just Keep Rolling Along... ' The song stayed with him and was transliterated into almost every Indian language. In Assam, the river was called Brahmaputra, in U.P. it was called Ganga by Narendra Sharma - 'Oh Ganga Behti Ho Kyon...'

Though his memory is failing him and he frequently falls into the wistful lap of the past, he is still full of life, full of humour. In one interview, he gives you sufficient matter for a chapter or two of an authorised biography. Cool, composed, soft-spoken man from a family of singers - his brothers, sisters and even the next two generation members of his family are singers - is now busy wooing the next generation in Kalpana Lajmi's "Kyon", based on the problems of growing up and the responsibilities of parents. "I am also planning an Assamese film. It should be ready by the end of the year," informs the man who has composed for films like "Saaz", "Daman", "Mil Gayi Manzil Mujhe" and "Gaj Gamini" in the past. "Well, like 'Rudaali' 'Gaj Gamini' also happened by chance. M.F. Husain called up from a press conference in London to tell me that I was doing the film. I was not even given time to think. He just decided for me!"

Well, if life is an accident, this humble man with lofty deeds has had some sweet things happening to him. "No complaints. I am happy," signs off the man who has been at the helm of affairs of Assam Sahitya Sabha, Sangeet Natak Akademi and has also dabbled in politics.

Thanks Pradip 😊

Bhupen Hazarika - only last of few good men of music industry - who effortlessly floats between 'Ganasangeet' to movie music - From "O ganga..." to 'Dil Hoom Hoom.." via "Sagar Sangame..." (it is one of my fav - although sounded little funny on Uttam Kumar's lip 😛) - the man stands Apart. I wish Hindi music got more out of him.

He came back from the gates of heaven recently - wish him a long healthy life!

Originally posted by: pradip200

"I have done 122 films in Assamese, Bengali, Hindi. I have got love from all over. I have got Dadasaheb Phalke Award after 'Rudaali'. I cannot compose songs like 'Khatiya' and 'Choli ke Peeche'. I was happy when 'Dil Hoom... ' beat such songs in the countdown shows. Film music is not marriage video or a Punjabi party. Movies have become a consumer product. Now, even when they talk of patriotism in Hindi cinema and the NRIs coming back home to the homeland, it is like commercialisation of patriotism. I cannot do that."

👏 We want only that from you sir...

Thanks pradip for this wonderful article

Beautiful Assam

Dr. Bhupen Hazarika is a stalwart in the annals of India's cultural heritage today.

A multifaceted genius, he is a good poet, music composer, singer, actor, journalist, author and film-maker of the very highest repute. He is the only living pioneer of Assam.s film industry in the Northeast, and has been therefore, rightly hailed as the uncrowned king of North-Eastern India.s cultural world.

Education

Bhupen Hazarika was born in 1926, in Sadiya, Assam. An extremely academically prolific person, he did his Inter (Arts) in Guwahati in 1942, and went on to Banaras Hindu University to complete his B. A. in 1944 and his M. A. in Political Science in 1946.

Soon after, he left for New York, USA where he lived for five years and received his doctorate (PhD) in Mass Communication from Columbia University. He also received the Lisle Fellowship from Chicago University, USA to study the use of educational project development through cinema.

Achievement in Cinema

Bhupen Hazarika is ranked amongst the leading film makers of the nation.

He is probably the only living pioneer who is solely responsible for placing the fledging Assamese cinema on the all India and on the world cinema map. He has been the only person in the past 40 years to propagate the better cinema movement and has integrated all the seven north-eastern states, including tribal culture, through the medium of cinema. His remarkable popularity brought him to the legislative Assembly as an Independent member between 1967 to 1972, where he was solely responsible for installing the first state owned film studio of its kind ever, in India in Guwahati, Assam.

Bhupen Hazarika began his career in films as a child actor in the second talkie film to be made in the pioneering years of 1939 in the film .Indramalati..

A prodigious genius he wrote and sang his first song at the age of 10 after which there has been no looking back.

He has produced and directed, composed music and sang for the Assamese language films .Era Batar Sur. in 1956, .Shakuntala. in 1960, .Pratidhwani. in 1964, .Lotighoti. in 1967, .Chick Mick Bijuli. in 1971, .Mon Projapati. in 1978, .Swikarokti. in 1986, .Siraj. in 1988. He also directed, composed music and sang for .Mahut Bandhure. in 1958. He produced, directed, and composed music for Arunachal Pradesh.s first Hindi feature film in colour .Mera Dharam Meri Maa. in 1977. He directed a colour ducumentary for the Arunachal Pradesh Government on Tribal folk songs and dances entitled .For Whom The Sun Shines. in 1974.

He produced and directed a documentary .Emuthi Saular Kahini. based on the co- operative movement for the Govt. of Assam entirely in the format of lyrics. He produced and directed a half-hour documentary for Calcutta Doordarshan Kendra in 1977 on the folk songs and dances of north east India entitled .Through Melody and Rhythm.. He produced and composed music for five reeler colour documentary to promote tourism for the Govt. of Assam in 1981. He produced and composed music for the internationally famous award winning Hindi feature film .Ek Pal. in 1986, directed by Kalpana Lajmi, starring Shabana Azmi, Nasiruddin Shah, Faroque Shaikh. He produced and composed the music for the extremely popular television serial .Lohit Kinare. directed by Kalpana Lajmi, based on famous short stories of Assam for the prime time National Network in 1988. He has been the Executive Producer, Music Composer for the recent award winning film in Hindi .Rudaali. starring Dimple Kapadia, Raj Babbar, Amjad Khan and Rakhi.

He has won the President.s National Award for the best film maker thrice : for .Shakuntala., .Pratidhwani., and .Loti Ghoti. in 1960, 1964 and 1967 respectively. He won the Arunachal Pradesh Government.s Gold Medal in 1977 for his outstanding contribution towards Tribal Welfare, and Upliftment of Tribal Culture through cinema and music. He also won the National Award as best music composer in India in 1977 for the Assamese film .Chameli Memsaab..

Dr. Bhupen Hazarika has been the Chairman, Eastern Region on the Appellate Body of the Central Board of Film Censors, Government of India for 9 years consecutively till 1990.

He is on the Script Committee of the National Film Development Corporation, Eastern India.

He is the director on the national level on the Board of Directors of National Film Development Corporation, Government of India.

He was the Executive Council Member of the Children Film Society (N.CYP) headed by Mrs. Jaya Bachchan. He is the member of the Board of Trustees for the Poor Artists Welfare Fund, Government of India. He was the Chairman of the Jury of the National Film Awards in 1985 and was a jury member several times from 1958 to 1990. He is at present also on the Governing Council for policy making decisions for the Film and Television Institute, Government of India , Pune.

The Information and Broadcasting Ministry, Government of India bestowed the honour of Producer Emeritus on him.

Bhupen Hazarika was also a member of P. C. Joshi Committee appointed by the Information Ministry for revitalising software programming through television for the coming 21st century.

He has rendered music, written lyrics and sung for numerous Assamese, Bengali and Hindi films from 1930s to the 1990s. Bhupen Hazarika has scored music and sung for the highest number of Assamese films made in the past 40 years.

He has directed music in outstanding Bengali films, such as .Jiban Trishna., .Jonakir Alo., .Mahut Bandhure., .Kari o Komal., .Asamapta., .Ekhane Pinjar., .Dampati., .Chameli Memsaab., .Dui., .Bechara., and Hindi films like .Arop., .Ek Pal., and .Rudaali.. He has in 1995 given music for Sai Paranjype.s Hindi feature film .Papiha. and Bimal Dutt.s Hindi feature film .Pratimurti..

In 1996 he has composed music for Plus Channel.s Hindi feature film .Mil Gayee Manzil Mujhe. directed by Lekh Tandon starring Meenakshi Sheshadri.

In 1996 he has also composed for Plus Channel.s Hindi feature film .Saaz. directed by Sai Paranjype starring Shabana Azmi.

In 1996 he has composed music for Pan Pictures Hindi feature film .Darmiyaan. starring Kiron Kher and Tabu directed and written by Kalpana Lajmi.

In 1998 he has composed music for Hindi feature film .Gajagamini. Written and Directed by eminent painter Mr. M. F. Hussain.

He had produced a 52 episodes tele-serial titled .Dawn. for telecast on Star TV. The serial casts Shahbaaz Khan, Mona Ambegaonkar, Deepa Lagoo, Tom Alter and others.

He has also produced another 18 part documentary entitled . Glimpses of the Misty East. on the socio economic and cultural progress in North Eastern India from 1947 to 1997 , assigned to him by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Govt of India for celebration of Fifty years of India.s Independence.

In 2000 he has composed music for Hindi feature film .Daman. Written and Directed by Ms. Kalpana Lajmi.

In 2003 he composed music for Hindi feature film "Kyon" Directed by Ms. Kalpana Lajmi.

Achievements in Music and Culture

He is considered today the last of the great mass singers and the only great ballad singer alive in India. Involved in the Indian movement from his very childhood, till today he writes and composes masterpieces teeming with social consciousness which are in striking contrast to his famous love songs. Besides being associated with films, Bhupen Hazarika has won the hearts of the entire Indian people through his discs through which he has rendered some of his finest compositions.

For Bhupen Hazarika music has always been his first love. He met Paul Robson with whom he became closely associated between 1949 and 1955 in USA. It was during this period he was awarded a Gold Medallion in New York as the best interpreter of India.s folk songs by Eleanor Roosevelt.

Bhupen Hazarika sings in numerous languages but writes his lyrics and poems in his home language, Assamese. Bhupen Hazarika has rightly been hailed as India.s Cultural Ambassador abroad for placing the folk music of Eastern India on the map of world folk music.

He has travelled widely as a Delegate to Conferences on Mass Communication, Poetry, Music, Performing Arts and Cinema from the Belgium Congo to Samarkand, from the Mississipi to Danube, to Europe, Canada, South-East Asia, Japan, USA, UK and Australia.

He represented India in Berlin at the World Conference of Composers who used songs as an instrument in social change. He was given the honour of inaugurating the World Seminar in Congress Hall with his own songs on the liberation of Bangladesh.

Bhupen Hazarika.s popularity is so tremendous as a performing artist that for the last 50 years he has been the biggest crowd puller and was honoured for the Golden Jubilee of his singing career in 1991. Achievements in Literature

Bhupen Hazarika has been conferred the highest the highest honour by making him the president of Sahitya Sabha in 1993.

He is one of the leading author / poets of Assam and has to his credit more than one thousand lyrics and more than fifteen major books on short stories, essays, travelogues, poems and children.s rhymes.

He is an extremely popular journalist and editor for the past two decades of the popular monthlies .Amar Pratinidhi. and .Pratidhwani.

Honours Conferred The country bestowed its greatest honour on him, the Padamshree in 1977 for his outstanding contribution to the field of culture in India.

In 1977 he won two awards in West Bengal. The Bangla Chalachitra Prasar Samity and the Bangla Chalchitra Purashkar Samity for being the best music director for the film .Dampati.. In 1978 he won two awards from Bangladesh as rhe best music director for the film .Simana Periye. from the Bangladesh Journalists Association and the Bangladesh film industry.

The Gramophone Company of India bestowed on him the Gold Disc for his outstanding contribution towards Indian Music in 1978.

In 1979 and 1980 he won the Ritwick Ghatak Award as best music directors for two theatre plays .Mohua Sundari. and .Nagini Kanyar Kahini..

In 1979 he won the All India Critic Association Award for the best performing folk artist in India.

In 1987 he was conferred the National Citizen.s Award at New Delhi for his outstanding excellence in music.

The Government of Assam bestowed its highest award the .Shankar Dev Award. in 1987 for his contribution to Assam.s culture.

In 1987 he won Assam.s .Man of the Year. award.

Sangeet Natak Academy - New Delhi awarded him in 1987 for his outstanding contribution towards Indian music.

The Bengal Journalist.s Association honoured him with the .Indira Gandhi Smriti Purashkar. in 1987.

In 1992, the Government of West Bengal honoured him with the award for his contribution to the World of Arts.

In 1993, he was honoured India.s Oscar .The Dadasaheb Phalke Award. for his lifetime.s contribution to development of Indian cinema.

In 1993, he was conferred as the first Indian Music Director for best music Internationally for the film .Rudaali. at the Asia Pacific International Film Festival at Japan.

In 1999, he has been appointed by the Honourable President of India as the Chairman of Sangeet Natak Akademi for a period of five years.

In 2000, he has been appointed by the Government of India as the Trustee of Indira Gandhi Centre of Arts for a period of ten years.

He has been appointed by the Government of India as the trustee of ICCR, for a period of 3 years.

In 2001, he was honoured by the Government of India with the Padma Bhushan, one of the highest civilian award and he was given the Lata Mangeshkar Award for his overall contribution in music by the Madhya Pradesh Government.

In November 2001, he was honoured with the Doctor of Philosophy (Honoris Causa) from the Tezpur University.

In 2003, Dr. Bhupen Hazarika has been appointed the member of the Prasar Bharati Board, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India.

Bhupen Hazarika is one of the only forces in India today who is a true exponent of National Integration, expressed wonderfully through a variety of media.

The legend unplugged

Do you recall your initial days as an aspiring composer in Mumbai?

I came to Mumbai to work in the Indian People's Theatre Movement (IPTA) with Salil Chowdhury, Balraj Sahni and other Marxist intellectuals. At IPTA I once again met Hemant Kumar whom I had met earlier. He took me around to meet all the big music directors and singers in Mumbai. I remember my first meeting with Lataji. She took one look at me and said, Jitna naam hai utni umar nahin hai (laughs). I had just returned from the United States and I had never seen her. I wanted her to sing a song for my first film as a director, Tunes From The Deserted Path about a moonlit night in Assam. And she did it. The song became so famous she selected it as one of her personal favourites in her first golden disc.

And was it Hemantda who introduced you to Lataji?
Yes. I remember when Hemantda took me to meet her she was playing with her brood of puppies. She was sitting on the floor in her home in Walkeshwar. From her window I could see the sea. She was a petite girl. And she spoke to me and Hemantda in fluent Bengali. She immediately agreed to sing for me. The minute she sang for my film my distributors clamoured to buy my film. I didn't have much money back then.

I shall never forget Hemantda's generosity. He used to take me to his house and give me his son and daughter's room. Hemantda, Lataji and I became friends. We would visit places like Pune together. Hemantda's wife Belaji was also very nice. Whenever I came to Mumbai and needed a recording studio Hemantda would cancel his own recording to accommodate mine. Lataji would also go out of her way to help me. That sort of affection is very rare nowadays. In fact it's gone. I remember Hemantda took me for a song in the Uttam Kumar starrer Jeebon Trishna although he was Uttam Kumar's constant ghost voice. I became very famous singing for the Bengali superstar. Uttam Kumar insisted that I sing that particular song in his film. I tried to wriggle out, pleading I'd be assaulted if anyone but Hemantda sang for Uttam Kumar. But Hemantda insisted. Fortunately the song Sagor sangame became very famous. Later Gulzar translated it into Hindi in my album Main Aur Mera Saaya.

You were recently appointed the chairperson of the Sangeet Natak Akademi. What does the job require you to do?
It means I've to act as the storekeeper for art and culture (laughs). I've to look after dance and music and drama in various parts of the country. The Akademi has earlier been chaired by some very eminent intellectuals. I'm the first person from the music world to be appointed as its chairperson. I don't get paid for it. But to me it's as big an honour as the Dadasaheb Phalke Award. Our duty is to take art and culture to the next millennium. If we don't preserve our heritage we shall only have rust and dust to give to the coming generations.

Practically speaking, what are you doing to preserve our art and culture?
A millennium fellowship is being given to eminent musicians. We've already given the fellowship to vocalist Bhimsen Joshi and playwright Vijay Tendulkar. The honour is for people who have dedicated their lives to the arts.

And what about promoting fresh talent?
For that we are giving grants to young upcoming talent from all over India. Our motives are the documentation of knowledge pertaining to arts, honouring distinguished talent, encouraging new talent and promoting unrecognised Gharanas.

Don't you think the classical heritage has somehow been lost due to popular entertainment?
It's our good fortune that right from the '30s onwards, All India Radio has recorded and preserved the voices of our classical artistes. Do you know, All India Radio was known as the BBC —- Short for the Bukhari Brothers Corporation. They have a whole audio treasure in their archives. Now we need to promote and market the audio treasures. We're also thinking of computerising all the departments of Sangeet Natak Academy. Another thing we must do is help youngsters to recover the classical element in our music. There will always be a conflict between the old and the new. Take for example fusion music. It's not as though it's a '90s phenomenon. A lot of it has been done in the past as well. But in an aesthetic manner. The only thing is, the audience should choose what to buy carefully. If they only buy new things then how do we encourage the older artistes?

But how do we encourage consumers to buy classical music?
Let me give you an example. When I was in the competition in the charts with Dil hum hum karey (Rudaali), I went by the need of the script. But I also hoped that the music in the film would be accepted by younger generations. You cannot create confusion in the name of fusion. The sitar of Ravi Shankar and the violin of Yehudi Menuhin have been fused beautifully because neither has sacrificed his classical roots in coming together. Likewise Hariharan and Leslie Lewis' fusion is feasible - My own Dil hoom hoom karey was in the market alongside songs about the blouse and khatiya. I thought there would be no buyers for my songs. But the album sold to the tune of six crore rupees. The NFDC made that much money out of the music and the film.

And how much of that money did you make?
Not even two paise. I was a member of the board of directors at the NFDC. Board of directors paise lete hain kya? Nahin lete hain. I had told them I'd work for them only on condition that I don't get paid. If the music company had decided to pay me later, tab theek hai. Finally I got so little money for Rudaali that I don't even want to mention it. But I got the love and appreciation of listeners all over the world.

Do you think any of today's composers have it in them to carry forward the tradition of film music initiated by people like you and Hemant Kumar?

Well there's AR Rahman. People become immediately entranced by whatever he composes. Rahman is a phenomenon. He's young and talented. And he has his fingers on the pulse of the young generation. Illayaraja too is a great composer. Like Salil Chowdhury he knows both Western and Indian musical styles. Rahman too belonged to that group until he was reduced to a consumer product. I remember once I went to Hyderabad after Rudaali was released. The South Indian press wanted my opinion on Rahman. I told them he should take it easy. He has even composed a song Take it easy policy (laughs). He's a great talent but his talent shouldn't be over-utilised. I'm glad he's expanding his creativity, incorporating North Indian folk, and so on. Recently nine of us including Lataji, Ashaji and Jagjit Singh sang Jana gana mana under Rahman's supervision. It'll be released on August 15. The project has been produced by the Vande Mataram producer Raja Bala. I was like a chorus singer singing for Rahman. He told me to sing in my own way. He also joined us in the singing. He got so excited that he picked up the guitar and started playing impromptu during the recording. I could make out Rahman loves me.

Do you know Urmila Matondkar is a great fan of yours?

(Shyly) I've heard this. It feels very good when youngsters appreciate my music. A few years ago I was at the John F Kennedy airport in New York when a very handsome and tall Pakistani gentleman approached me and said, Hazarika saab, gaate jaiye aise nagme. He had heard my songs in Rudaali in Islamabad on pirated tapes. Do you know what he said, Hum log acchche cheez chori kar ke sun lete hain aur har Pakistani ke ghar mein dil hoom hoom karta hai. And then he disappeared into the crowds.

In London a Supreme Court judge from Pakistan organised a private concert with me. More than half the audience was composed of Pakistanis. And mind you, this was during the Kargil incident. The Muslims touched my feet just like the Hindus do to show their reverence for an artiste. I feel I've got the same love from Pakistani music listeners as my Indian fans.

It makes me so happy that youngsters who like Michael Jackson and Madonna loved my music in Rudaali. Indian composers should not ape Western styles. They owe it to today's listeners to give them something original. Ravi Shankar and Zakir Hussain are legendary abroad. It's considered prestigious to learn the sitar and the tabla in the United States. I feel melody will always triumph over cacophony in our own country. The jungle calls that today's composers make in the name of music must be stopped.

Are you amused or disheartened by present day musical trends?
I'm a little sad. I've observed five decades of changing styles and trends. But you can't kill a raga like Bhairavi or a clean melody by Hemant Kumar or Lata Mangeshkar. But why don't they have music as a subject in all the schools? They teach Do re mi to the children in the schools out West. Why don't they teach Sa re ga ma to our kids? Only then can the whole nation sing Jana gana mana in one voice. We musicians shouldn't abuse youngsters for falling tastes. We should criticise music companies for marketing rubbish. There's a lot of mediocrity in the name of music. My hopes are pinned on AR Rahman. There are other youngsters also coming up.

Such as?
Ah there you have got me! Yehin mushqil ho jata hai na. I find that spark in Hariharan. I also have great respect for Illayaraja. I have a feeling he'll come back with some great music.

Let's talk about your music in MF Husain's Gaja Gamini.
I've completed the music score. It was an entirely new experience for me. Usually I'm given the script and song situations. But in Gaja Gamini, Husain bhai gave me only an abstract concept. We had to first tune into each other's creative requirements. To do that, I had to work really hard. Husain Bhai has tried to explore 5,000 years of our culture in one film through several characters played by Madhuri Dixit. Her character jumps from one time frame to another, one ethos into another... I had to convey a sense of continuity through my music. I've used the services of big classical musicians for the songs. I had to synthesise styles in unusual ways to suit the unusual story telling, for example Leonardo di Vinci doesn't paint Mona Lisa. He plays the violin and comes to Ujjain to meet Tansen.

So how did you synthesise all these influences?
I had to work really hard. I took help from a lot of great musicians. I had to compose a song in the Deepak Raag. For this I had to do a lot of research. There was a song by KL Saigal Jag mag jag mag diya jalao. But that isn't really in the Deepak Raag. It's a mixed raga, whereas I had to approach the Ustads and find out what a real Deepak Raag is. Then I caught hold of Hariharan and arranger Anil Mohile. The three of us worked the song out.

What have you enjoyed the most while composing in Gaja Gamini?
The jugalbandi between the East and West. The conflict was very inspiring. The impact of my music depends on the final product. The NRIs are waiting for this film. They're all fans of MF Husain and Madhuri.

Not to mention you. Husain saab was inspired by Madhuri. Were you also inspired by her?

I didn't know her before Gaja Gamini. But Madhuri turned out to be a very sweet girl. She's very modest and respects Husain saab very much. Madhuri asked me once if I had the same difficulties as she did. Husain saab instructed both of us through abstract notions. One day after performing a dance she asked me if she did it okay. She was fantastic. Gaja Gamini was tough and challenging. I've given three of my best songs in this film. I think Kavita Krishnamurthy's best song ever is Hansa re hansa in Gaja Gamini.

Didn't you miss Lataji's vocals in Gaja Gamini?

Very much so. But the time factor we had to record one song played ... villain within one night. Shah Rukh Khan could give dates only for one day. Overnight I had to record a song to be picturised on Shah Rukh and Madhuri. It's a very modern song. Because Shah Rukh has enacted the song it may become popular.

So you enjoyed doing Gaja Gamini?

Husain told me, 'Bhupen, you paint through your songs. But I can't sing with my paintbrush. It's up to you to fill this lacuna in my artistry. That's why I've taken you.' I asked Husain saab why he didn't take a big Ustad for the music. He said he didn't want an Ustad. He wanted a pagal like him.

What plans do you have for the future?

I want to make a film in Assamese. It'll be a lyrical film. That's my forte. I know only one language, and that's music. Also a lot of musicians want to do fusion albums with me in Shubha Mudgal's style. If I do fusion I won't use parallel or contradictory ragas. Melodious fusion would help the cause of music in the coming millennium. Otherwise, the way things are going sometimes I fear music will get scared and run away from us.

Any other ambitions?

Tips has approached me for a project with Lataji. It's being worked out. The album will contain songs selected by her. I have the highest regard for her talent. When I recently met her for Rahman's recordings she recalled incidents from our past. We were both appreciative of Rahman's gentle and humble attitude. Otherwise there's too much arrogance all around us. And mediocrity sab aksham anukram ho raha hai.

Subhash K Jha

thx pradip 👏 👏 just finish reading the 1st article such a respectful and friendly natured person heads off

Bhupen Hazarika's songs:

http://guwahatitoday.com/music/music.html

http://www.musicindiaonline.com/l/15/s/artist.558/

Rudaali (1993)

MUSIC: Bhupen Hazarika
CAST: Raj Babbar, Rakhee, Dimple Kapadia
Click on the 'stars' below to rate a track.

TRACK LISTING:
Dil Hoom Hoom Kare
Bhupen Hazarika

Dil Hoom Hoom Kare
Lata Mangeshkar

Jhoothi Moothi Mitwa
Lata Mangeshkar

Samay O Dheere Chalo
Asha Bhosle

O Maula
Bhupen Hazarika

Bhupen Hazarika


From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Bhupen Hazarika is a multi-faceted artist from Assam, a state in the north-eastern part of India. As a singer, he is known for his wonderful crisp voice and flawless diction, as a lyricist, he is known for poetic compositions and parables that touch on a wide range of themes---ranging from the erotic to social and political commentary, and as a composer for his use of folk music with a touch of the contemporary. He also participated, first as a child artist, and later as a director, in the nascent Assamese film industry. He is immensely popular, touching on reverence, in Assam and other states such as West Bengal.

Bhupen Hazarika was born in Sadiya, Assam in 1926. He completed his Intermediate Arts from Cotton College, Guwahati, Assam in 1942, and went on to Banaras Hindu University to complete his B. A. in 1944 and his M. A. in Political Science in 1946. He earned a Ph.D. in Mass Communication from Columbia University, New York, USA in early the 1950's.

In 1992, he was awarded the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for lifetime achievements in cinema.

If man wouldn't think for man
With a little sympathy
Tell me who will - comrade.

If we repeat history
If we try to buy
Or sell humanity
Won't we be wrong - comrade?

If the weak
Tide across the rapids of life
With your help
What do you stand to lose?

If man does not become man
A demon never will
If a demon turns more human
Whom shall it shame more - comrade?

Translation of "Manush Manusher Jonne" by Pradip Acharya and compiled from Bard of the Brahmaputra.