Hindi film music directors’ choice of singers and instruments are a reflection of their ingenuity and creativity. The melodies gained from the instruments chosen for playback. From traditional Indian instruments dating back to the Vedic Ages to orchestral brighteners from Europe and rare instruments from Brazil and Africa, Hindi film music has had them all.
It is to highlight the creative use of such instruments and the people responsible for it, that Vasudha Theertharam of VT Entertainers Charitable Trust curated Offbeat, a Hindi film music programme. The fifth edition, Offbeat-2019, will highlight the use of instruments in Hindi film music. The proceeds of the show will go to Vishwashanti Niketan and Swaavalanbana.
Talking about the journey Vasudha says, “The tagline for the programme is ‘celebrating the less-celebrated.’ My husband and I focussed on Bollywood music. I wanted to help society and the lesser-privileged through this celebration of music. My idea was to showcase local talent.” Vasudha gave innumberable examples of the innovations by music directors down the ages. Naushad was the first composer to bring the Western notation culture to India, and he pioneered a 100-musician orchestra in the 1950s. In ‘Mohabbat Zindabad’ from Mughal-e-Azam, 100 people sang the chorus. When it came to instruments, banjo, cello, guitar, mandolin, santoor, sarangi, sarod, sitar, tanpura, violin, flute and shehnai among others were part of Hindi film music.
Pradeep Patkar’s orchestra will perform at Offbeat-2019. There will be 27 musicians with nine singers. “We will have shehnai, sarangi, santoor and saxophone, sitar, violin, keyboard and flute. Rajan will be on tabla, while Patrick Rosario, a visually challenged artist, who has been part of orchestras that also had AR Rehman decades ago will be on the accordian,” says Vasudha.
There will be 24 songs, one medley and three jugalbandis. “Apart from classical, foot-tapping, romantic numbers from old Hindi films, there would be music from new films as well.”
Singers such as Sinchan Dixit, Samanvitha Sharma, Manoj Vashishta, Govind Kurnool, Aniket Prabhu, Shruthi Bhide and Narssimhan Kannan will be joined by guest singers Arundhati Vasishta and Harsha Ranjini. Anjali Shanbhogue, the young saxophonist from Udupi and flautist Ashwini Koushik will be part of the performing team.
Offbeat-2019 is on March 3 at 6 pm at Chowdiah Memorial Hall. Call 23445810/23443956
