We, the Nirvana residents, are multitalented. Many among us are good gardeners, golfers, pet lovers and good singers too. Some weeks back the centenary celebrations of Raj Kapoor, the greatest and most influential actor and filmmaker in the history of Indian cinema were taking place across India. So, the newly created Nirvana Karaoke Club decided to come together and organise a Karaoke evening of their favourite songs from Raj Kapoor’s movies.
Raj Kapoor was born a century back in Peshawar, in present-day Pakistan. He grew up to be an actor, film director and producer and is referred to as the Greatest Showman and as the Charlie Chaplin of Indian Cinema. Hence, this event would be a small tribute to this amazing man.
There was great excitement in the room as each invitee entered. Each ‘singer’ had rehearsed their songs till they were perfect. A phone had been set up on a special stand to record each performance, seats had been set up all around, with a special place with microphones for the performers. Our hosts, the Paruthis, warmly welcomed us with hot cups of tea, to create the perfect mood.
To start it off was a bubbly song sung by our host Suresh Paruthi of Espace. It was a classic from the iconic 1973 movie Bobby starring Rishi Kapoor and Dimple, which had all the young lovers of that time swaying to its beat
Main shayar to nahi magar aye hanseen
Jab se dekha main ne tujhko mujhko
Shaayari aa gaye
And had all of us enchanted to its beat a half-century later!
The next song from the movie, Dharam Karam, by Mukesh and Lata Mangeshkar which had Raj Kapoor’s philosophical message, was sung by Indrajit Lahiri (AG)
Ek Din bik jayega maati kay mol
Jag may reh jayengay maati tayray bol
Even now in faraway Russia, one song is still hummed and sung with its famous words,
Yeh joota hai Japani
Yeh patloon Englishtani
Yeh lal topi Russi
Par Yeh Dil hai Hindustani”
….. which are still embedded in many hearts along with Raj Kapoor’s image as a genial tramp. This was sung by our senior most member Mr Khera (Espace).
The same idea of the richness of the heart was reflected in the next song from the movie Anari by Mukesh.
Maana ki jeb say fakir hain,
Phir bhi yaaron dil say ameer hain
Yet amongst Raj Kapoor’s songs depicting the sheer joy of living, was a streak of gray depression where he asks
“ Duniya banane wale
Toonay kaahay ko duniya banaai?”
Sung by our super-talented member, Pushpa Khera (Espace) who sang amazingly without any background music.
Many more songs were sung–some romancing the beloved, teasing each other, others about a broken heart and some light and frothy. Each song showcases the beauty of the words and with melodious music.
The singing was followed by a discussion about the genius of Raj Kapoor. It was impressive how each song was seamlessly woven into the fabric of the film, and used to complement the narrative.
Raj Kapoor was a trained musician as he had learnt it at Narayan Rao Vyas’s Academy of Music, where he learned classical music. He had learnt to play the tabla, the harmonium, and the sitar so had a trained ear. He was one of the few directors of his time who visualised his songs before he pictured them. For him, songs in his films were meant to be audio-visual experiences.
As each member left, after enjoying a delicious potluck array of snacks, each member felt delighted at being part of the musical evening. The next event will be in February, the Valentine month, so the theme is going to be romantic songs.
If you want to know more about Nirvana Karaoke Club, please send a message to Suresh Paruthi – 9810470009.
