My song of the month - Azhagiya Cinderella from Kangalaal Kaidhu Sei, rendered by Hariharan.
The slow but strong western beats with piano chords set the tone for a soft melody. When Hariharan starts with "AruvigaL meley nokki paaigiradhey", you just reach another world. Both the interludes are so fresh and new. The konji konji chorus keeps haunting me all the time! And, the sax interlude - Jus brilliant! I dont think anyone else in TFM uses sax as beautifully as ARR does.
The backing harmony during the two charanams (at very low volume, can be heard prominently if the main vocals are removed) are perfect examples of the maestro's attention to even minute details. If you listen carefully, you can actually listen another voice apart from Hari's and this is a slightly different tune altogether - it is more like a recital than singing! These add a totally new dimension to the song when listened to in a 5:1 speaker system!

One of my all time favourites!

The Bangalore Edition of Mid Day dated 26.11.2006, carried an article about my blog.
But I came to know of this only today and I could not get the newspaper despite looking for it all over the city!
If anyone reading this blog has that particular issue, please.. please.... please let me know (My mail id and yahoo id are on the left side-bar). I will come and collect it!

There's something written about me and my blog, and the world has read it - only I dont know what was written!!! Cha... unfair!

Tagged by PK
Am supposed to write 6 wierd things about me... so, here we go!

1. I love to hangout with friends, but wouldn't mind being alone in my room too - only if I have my comp!
2. Addicted to F.R.I.E.N.D.S off late, watching 5-6 episodes daily!
3. I sometimes get addicted to one song (not necessarily a new one) and listen to it even 20 times a day!
4. I dont drink coffee, tea or Pepsi/Coke!
5. I wake up really early (5.30-6.00 am) even without an alarm clock, even if I hit the bed pretty late!
6. I'm just not able to find out 6 wierd things about me!!!

Ok.. me not tagging anyone.... Whoever is interested can take it up...

A.R.Rahman has taken up a task in hand - and he wants to achieve his goal even if it is at the cost of losing projects! Yes... He has opted out of the Red Chillies production (Shah Rukh Khan's) Om Shanti Om to be directed by Farah Khan. This has been the hot topic of Bollywood, this week!

The task at hand - To force the audio companies to share the publishing rights with the composer and the lyricist. What does Rahman have to say about this?
A.R.Rahman has taken up this issue seriously, and is ready to face the repercussions.

"I'm standing up for what I think is right. Yes, producers will back out. But that's fine. I'm not insecure about my career. If I lose out on some assignments in Mumbai I'm ready to bear with the loss. I've always been asked why I haven't done a non-film album. Now, I have the time to do that."*

Meanwhile, media has started coming up with baseless stories of SRK replacing A.R.Rahman as he did not like ARR's tunes.
Rahman himself has clarified this issue:

"In fact Shah Rukh tried his utmost to see and to put forward my point of view. Unfortunately, T-Series, the music company which will market the music of Om Shanti Om, would have none of it."*

When worldover, the musicians and lyricists are given rights, why not in India? Also, according to the Indian copyright act, the rights of a soundtrack rest with the composer, lyricist too unless specified otherwise in a contract!

There are many right holders in a musical sound recording. For example, the lyricist who wrote the lyrics, the composer who set the music, the singer who sang the song, the musician (s) who performed the background music, and the person or company who produced the sound recording.

Source: A HAND BOOK OF COPYRIGHT LAW, Government of India, Ministry of Human Resource Development & Ministry of Secondary Education and Higher Education.

Having studied Indian Copyright Laws and having done a project on Music Copyrights as a part of my course, my understanding of the practices in the industry is this: The music companies like T-Series make the composer and lyricist sign a contract which transfers all ownership to the music companies!

A.R.Rahman has started the fight to change the way the music industry is functioning in India. ARR is not asking for not exclusive rights (some singers abroad do that!), but only a share! And, T-series and other music companies don't want to give even that!!!

"Chaiyya Chaiyya" is now creating waves not because of the audio company which owns the rights! Bombay Theme is famous world over, not because of the audio company. A.R.Rahman has taken Indian music worldwide, and the music companies are reaping the benefits. It is only fair that ARR receives the financial gains for these usages of his works in foreign films and serials. But, the highest paid composer in India is not fighting for monetary gains, but beyond that! He wants to change the practices in the industry, which seem to be unfair to the creators!

A.R.Rahman has tasted some success in his protest, as he has got the share of copyrights for his forthcoming film Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na, produced by Aamir Khan. Will the others follow suit in sharing the rights?

*Source of Rahman's Interview: Mumbai Mirror

The popularity of Chaiyya Chaiyya abroad keeps rising!! It is really old news that the song was used in the Spike Lee movie "Inside Man". What's new is, the song was used in the TV Series Smith (Season 1, Episode 1) in CBS TV in the US.

Catch the video clip of that episode with Chaiyya, here

Two very unconventional movies released this year - RDB & LRMB. Both are very different - the plot, the way of storytelling, the theme everything is different... but, hey.... there are some interesting co-incidences between these two movies!

• Both of these movies talk about philosophies of freedom fighters (Gandhigiri in LRMB and the Bhagat Singh's strategy of sacrificing himself so that the world gets to know their views, in RDB).
• To reach out to the masses, the protagonists in both films use Radio as the medium!
• Both are unconventional and fresh themes - unlike the usual family drama stuff or skin flicks that are churned out these days
  
• Both are hugely successful
• Both are going to Oscars!

Interesting, isn't it?

It was just a coincidence that I watched Lage Raho Munnabhai on the eve of Gandhi Jayanti for I did not know that the movie was even related to Mahatma Gandhi.

The gorgeous Vidya Balan plays the role of Jhaanvi, a bubbly Worldspace RJ. There is not much screentime for her in this movie, but she has done her bit perfectly! Her "Good Morniiinnnnnnnnng Mumbaaaaai" has become famous and is already being commonly used by youth when they meet thier friends and also in Yahoo Chats!
Check out Jhanvi's Good Morniiiinnnnng Mumbai clip here
Dialogues were good in many places, especially the ones carrying Gandhiji's messages. Some of my favourites:

"chaata maarna aasaan hai, maafi maangne ke liye himmat chahiye, beta.. yeh kaarayon ka kaam nahin hai" (It is easy to slap someone, but to apologise, one needs courage. It is not something for cowards.)
"Bhai, mujhe to barso pehle maar diya tha.. Par mere vichaaar teen goliyon se nahin marne wale hain." (I was assassinated years back, but my thoughts are not the ones which die because of 3 bullets!)

"Bachpan mein jab tu jhooth bolti thi, to tera baap taxi pakad ke bhaag jaata tha kya?"

Films like Rang De Basanti and Lage Raho Munnabhai are the only hopes of saving Bollywood from the Karan Johars of the world! Kudos to Vidhu Vinod Chopra & Rajkumar Hirani for this brilliant effort.

Positives: Sanjay Dutt, Vidya Balan, Arshad Warsi, Boman Irani and of course, the theme of "Gandhigiri".
Negatives: Gets a bit preachy, but it is inevitable.

Kya jhakaas movie hai! Aise picture bahut kam ich dekhne ko milte hain aajkal... Apun bolta hai, miss nahin karne ka, maamoo!