BY BISWADEEP GHOSH
While visiting Pune, veteran music composer O P Nayyar said that shows like Indian Idol did not mean much to him. Nayyar should know. After all, he is the man who crafted some of the most beautiful tunes Asha Bhonsle has ever sung in her entire career. Nayyar explored the Western idiom often, yet his songs had an unmistakable Indian identity, one of the reasons why Nayyar's originals are still heard in the 'real' India while in the confused cosmos, people indulge in the retro remixes of his tracks and jive with them at nightspots.
Why should Nayyar not be critical about such talent hunt shows is a question one must ask. Firstly, most of these guys who come to the shows are seekers of limelight, not expertise. Lots of money and incentives are on offer. The programmes are telecast, and re-telecast, on major channels. Those with mediocre voices get past those with bad voices. They become celebrities overnight.
Think Abhijit Sawant, Qazi, Ruprekha Banerjee. Their discs might be circulating in the market, and I am sure have been picked up by many hopefuls who feel that if guys with such voices can make it, why can't we? But, does that make them good singers? No way. The only person who has proved to be a serious exception to this reality is Shreya Ghoshal. But then, Shreya did not need to have a great personality to make a musical point. She had to sing which she did very well, and today, she is one of the better talents in the country.
Eventually, somebody like Qazi will have to hardsell himself as a singer if he is not looking at a career in acting. But, is Qazi prepared for it despite being splashed on the cover of leading magazines? He is not, if one goes by what one heard in his album Jodi No.1 with Ruprekha. He needs some serious practice, he needs to try out a variety of tracks, possibly even undergo some regular classical grooming to get his basics right. Or else, he will be just one of those guys who came out of nowhere and disappeared in nothingness.
A veteran music composer like O P Nayyar knows the perils of premature superstardom. Anybody who views music as something that is meant to be heard and not seen will agree with him.
4 comments:
Bish,
Many of us would know why you think this way, and there is little doubt that you are absolutely right.
But these youngsters, all they want is attention. Music? That cums last on their priority.
Have you heard Qazi? He sucks. He is a good looking guy, and throws attitude. women like him that is why. and guys wanna know why women like him so they watch him.
As kids we either heard Lata,Asha,Rafi,Kishore kumar or Barabara Streisand, Beegees, Beatles,Abba....and I shudder when my kids have Qazi & Co as role models! Thank god for shaan and KK, all might not be lost! But it's the very shows that are awful - whether it's Nach Baliye, Indian Idol or any other Bollywood -centric tamasha on TV!
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