Musician duo Sachin and Jigar to enable skilfull Gujarati individuals hone their talent, promote them on their social media handles
Sonia Lulla (MID-DAY; March 2, 2020)

A mammoth six-track set-list in Street Dancer 3D behind them, and with their eyes set on the March release, Angrezi Medium, Sachin Sanghvi and Jigar Saraiya have been devoting time to a passion project. A bevy of aspirational messages from their fans in Gujarat enquiring about measures they must take to enhance their individual skills has encouraged the musician duo to take matters in their own hands. With Gujarat Cultural Movement, they aim to provide a platform for talented individuals to enhance their craft, and showcase their work.

"We often wonder how bizarre [our life would be] had we not met the right people," says Sachin, as Jigar adds, "It was about time we too stepped up and did stuff for other artistes, especially those from Gujarat. We're not trying to shape anyone's career, but we're hoping to inspire them to step up their game, reinvent themselves, or even find themselves."

Sachin reveals that with the movement, they will invite entries to an official email ID, and encourage artistes across platforms — dance, music, handicraft, and everything under Gujarati entertainment — to express themselves. "Our team will pick deserving artistes, and we will bring [suited professionals] to help them enhance their art. After it has [met a certain standard], we will send it to our social media team [to share it on our platform]. I won't stop at calling this just a mentoring program. It could well become a talent pool. We'll look at every possible collaboration and viable outlet [for them to grow]."

Just yet, the duo isn't exploring a mentoring format that is rather defined. "If someone doesn't need to travel here, [they won't]. For instance, we have a friend in Vadodara who is a stand-up comedian. So, should we receive a suitable application from comics from the city, she can help them from there. We are looking at learning methods that are feasible and contemporary. Art is discovered, and we'll wait for people to discover [artistes]."

On the work front, Irrfan's Angrezi Medium, comprising five songs, has them take charge of four. "One is a remix, and we've decided we won't do them," they say. The film, that explores the relationship between a father and daughter — played by Irrfan and Radhika Madan — will also include their "favourite" song, the Coke Studio number, Laadki, also devoted to daughters. "Another is a promotional number that will release soon."

Yet another track, Ek zindagi, is a throwback to the first edition of the series, Hindi Medium. "Each [instalment] is seen as a stand-alone piece, and we have to see where the script's heart lies. But, we also try to retain something from the past edition. With [the] ABCD [franchise], we keep Bezubaan as a constant. Here, it is Ek Zindagi. But [each edition] has its own demand."

Among the new breed of musicians who still choose to work as a set, the duo admits that the clashing of their distinct music sensibilities implies there's always scope for each of them to learn. "Musically, we are so different that we keep surprising each other and discovering one another," says Jigar, as Sachin adds, "You have to respect each other for a jodi to work. We've had our share of fights, but we've realised that together we can deal with stress, and [people's] expectations better."