For a man who sounds upbeat every single time he talks, Euphoria seems to be the right name for his band. Articulate, with a good sense of humour, a medical degree, an electrifying performer and most importantly, an enthusiastic singer — that’s Palash Sen for you.
After judging reality shows such as Fame X, Indian Pop Stars, RC Live, the doc who rocks, is back again to judge an episode of Kurkure Desi Beats Rock On , on MTV, along with the usual judges of the show — Kailash Kher, Ram Sampath and Nikhil Chinappa. “The talent on Rock On is unbelievable. They have to sing in tandem and maintain the Indian-ness,” says Palash.
With so many reality shows churning out talented singers, many of them end up singing just one song and then become nearly extinct from the music scene due to lack of opportunity and huge competition. Then what is the point of having more and more such shows. “I agree with you. It’s absolutely stupid and a way of making money for the channels,” he says. But he does appear quite impressed with Rock On as he feels this show focuses not only on singing but also on the participants ability to perform as a band. “For a band to stay together you must hear each other. That creates a balance. Humility is extremely important too,” are his words of wisdom for the participants.
Apart from evaluating the participants’ performances he also plays mentor. Who better to guide a group than the lead member of a band that’s been around for over a decade now. That’s right! Euphoria, India’s first Hindi rock band celebrates its happy eleventh birthday today.
And what are the birthday plans like? “We are having a concert in Japan. It’s called the ‘Diwali Matsuri’ (means festival in Japanese),” smiles the man who is popularly known as the ‘Godfather of Hindi Rock.’ “The title makes me feel very old,” he chuckles but on a serious note says that it’s a huge compliment and also a responsibility. He stresses on the need for more bands that play in Indian languages for the band culture to grow in our country.
How do you think Euphoria has fared? “Great! Even after all these years you still want to interview me,” he laughs.
The band’s calendar is full with concerts, a new album and music direction for films. Also awaited is the release of the movie Mumbai Cutting for which Euphoria has created a track and Palash has acted in the film. Will he don the greasepaint again? Grinning he says, “I would like to but nobody is asking me to.”
Catch up with Palash in the Rock On episode to be aired on October 11 at 7 p.m. on MTV.
