The actor, who turned 80 on December 14, is bringing back his evergreen melodies
Labonita Ghosh (MUMBAI MIRROR; December 16, 2019)

“In the beginning, they called me a ‘suspense hero’, because of my first Hindi film, Bees Saal Baad. Later, when I started doing romantic roles, I became a ‘musical hero’,” says actor Biswajeet Chatterjee, best known only by his first name. The only thing the industry hasn’t labelled him as—even though that’s what he actually is—is a ‘singing hero’. Few know that the actor, who turned 80 on December 14, is actually a good singer as well, and has released several singles in his home state of West Bengal, including collaborations with music directors like Salil Chowdhury and Amol Mukherjee, singer Hemant Kumar’s younger brother.

Interestingly, the actor admits he’s never had any formal training in music. But, after he made it big in Bollywood, he was often invited to go on concerts with established singers. “I’ve toured all over the world,” Biswajeet informs, with understandable pride. “I’ve performed with Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, Ghulam Ali and many others. In the ’70s, when these tours were organised abroad, stars like Shammi Kapoor would also join in, but they would get on stage to just say a few words, perhaps introduce a song. Only Biswajeet would actually sing.” He was so good that during one concert in Singapore Shashi Kapoor, who, was in the audience, turned to his wife Ira and asked in surprise: “Is that really Biswajeet singing?”

Despite his proven singing chops, the actor wasn’t keen on singing in Hindi films even though directors and producers constantly requested him to and that’s why he would never agree to concerts in the Maximum City. “Once Manmohan Desai, who was being quite persistent, asked me, ‘Why won’t you do it, Dada? You sing so well.’ That got me thinking,” Biswajeet reminisces. The actor, it seems, had a well-thought-out career plan. “I didn’t come to Mumbai to become a playback singer,” he says. “I came here to be a Bollywood hero. That had always been my ambition, and I didn’t want to get distracted. Besides, I realised that if singers like Mohd. Rafi or Hemant Kumar lent their voice to me, they would do an infinitely better job, and there was a good chance the songs would become superhits. Who do you think would benefit the most from that?” he asks, with a smile. Luckily for him, that’s actually what happened.

The only playback Biswajeet has done is a song from his film with Rekha, titled Do Shikaari. “The crew of Mehmaan had organised a birthday party for me,” he recalls. “By popular demand, I was asked to sing. Everyone was in high spirits, as was I, when producer Kuljit Pal — who later made Do Shikaari — extracted a promise from me that I would give playback for his next film. He insisted it was my birthday gift to him, so I couldn’t refuse.” The song, “Ae Dil Meri Jaan”, plays in the background all through the film.

Thanks to his love for music, R D Burman was a good friend, as was actor Mehmood. “He may have been a comedian, but Mehmood had an excellent ear for music and rhythm. It was he who gave Pancham his first break in a film called Chhote Nawab,” the actor points out.

The octogenarian, today, has become a singer too, and has a concert coming up on Thursday, December 19, in Mumbai, as part of his birthday celebrations. “Besides chartbusters from my films, I also sing songs from the films of others. I usually include six or seven songs in every concert,” says Biswajeet, who, last month had a successful concert in Rajkot which went on till 1 am, and in the audience was Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani’s wife, Anjali. Among the songs he likes to sing on stage today are some of his greatest hits like “Pukarta Chala Hoon Main” (from Mere Sanam), “Yeh Nayan Dare Dare” Kohraa), “Bequarar Karke Hamen” (Bees Saal Baad) and “Oh My Love, Nazar Na Lag Jaye” (Night in London). “If I had to sing only the hits from my films, we would need two or three backto-back concerts,” he says with a chuckle.

MID-DAY (January 12, 2019)

Poet, lyricist and screenwriter Javed Akhtar says that restricting art in the name of culture damage is wrong and should not happen in Pakistan or india.

During a media interaction, Akhtar took issue with the recent controversy sparked by the Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib nisar stating that the Supreme Court will not allow indian content to be shown on Pakistani Tv channels as it “damages their culture”. Akhtar said, “This is all wrong, there shouldn’t be any such talks coming from here, neither there. There are so many good serials made in Pakistan and should be allowed to telecast in India, but they don’t, and our good programmes should be telecast there as well. Why should shows not be aired there and which culture is getting damaged? No culture could get damaged.”

Akhtar said that statements like these are wrong and the path of art should not be restricted. “These are just talks and people keep jabbering about something or the other. Someone does not want Ghulam Ali to come to India, and people from Pakistan keep restricting artistes from going there. Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle haven’t been able to go to Pakistan. This is wrong. As far as art and culture is concerned, whether people from Pakistan or from India, every avenue and path should be open for it.”

Singer Tulsi Kumar has started an academy with Shaan, Sonu Nigam, Dino Morea, Sharman Joshi and Ahmed Khan on board
Kasmin Fernandes (MID-DAY; September 26, 2016)

It is proving to be an eventful year for Tulsi Kumar. It started with Airlift’s Soch Na Sake, a recreation of Hardy Sandhu’s Punjabi hit Soch. Bollywood father-daughter team Anil and Sonam Kapoor launched her special tribute Mere Papa, which she rendered with sister Khushali for her dad, late Gulshan Kumar. More recently, she dueted with Arijit Singh on Salamat (Sarbjit) and Neeraj Shridhar on Nachange Saari Raat (Junooniyat). Apart from her songs in upcoming Tum Bin 2, Wajah Tum Ho and Noor, the Delhi-based singer is making her father’s dream come true with a new venture for new talent.

You have a song coming up this week.
I’ve sung romantic duet, Dekh Lena, composed by Ankit Tiwari in Tum Bin 2. The first film is close to me. It’s my mom’s favourite film. Everyone will be transported into the melodious era of the past with the songs from the sequel of Tum Bin.

Your vocals feature on three tracks in next year’s Wajah Tum Ho.
Yes, the title track is composed by Mithoon. I have sung another by Meet Brothers; the third is a recreation by Abhijit Vaghani. The songs will roll out next month.

What’s keeping you busy?
I will be traveling to Muzaffarnagar for a gig soon. Then, of course, there are more concerts lined up in November and December. Like I mentioned, I am rendering three tracks for Wajah Tum Ho and Noor next year. Noor is a multiple composer soundtrack with a song by Amaal Mallik which I gave vocals for. My husband and I have started T-Series Stageworks Academy of Film, Music and Performing Arts in Film City, Noida. It offers certification courses in music, singing, acting, modeling and dance. Eventually, we will venture into direction and editing courses. It’s a continuation of my father’s dream; he encouraged a lot of new talent in Bollywood. It has certification courses in different streams. The academy has Shaan and Sonu Nigam (singing), Sharman Joshi (acting), Dino Morea (modeling) and choreographer Ahmed Khan (dance) on board for the courses. We’ve already had a visit from Akshay Kumar and Pakistani singer Ghulam Ali Khan saab to guide the students.

Pakistani singer shot in Delhi on Sunday; rights to 60 songs bought for the film
Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 25, 2016)

Debarati Sen (BOMBAY TIMES; April 8, 2016)

The Bolo Ta Ra Ra Daler Mehndi singer, in an exclusive chat with Follo, spoke about music and more
Deepak Singh (BOMBAY TIMES; March 25, 2016)

Paresh Rawal, who is preparing to play the PM in his next production, clears the air on arguments of sycophancy and the much-hyped intolerance debate
Aastha Atray Banan (MID-DAY; December 27, 2015)

On December 18, actor and Member of Parliament, Paresh Rawal tweeted, “If one has problem (sic) with Shahrukh don’t see the film but don’t STOP OTHERS. That’s UNDEMOCRATIC!” The statement was in response to news of some sections of viewers boycotting Shah Rukh Khan’s just released film Dilwale; a reaction to a comment he made during a television interview in November about India being intolerant.

Although he stood up for the fellow actor, the BJP MP, who won the Ahmedabad East seat in May last year, believes that the “intolerance debate” sweeping the country is unwarranted and unnecessary. “It’s as if before 2014, there was some sort of Ram Rajya. As though, nothing like this happened before,” says the 61-year-old, famous for his roles in the Hera Pheri franchise and Welcome, on the phone from Delhi. “You can’t generalise. For instance, take the case of Rodney King, the American taxi driver who was killed by cops in California. Now you can’t say that all of America is racist. So, because of a few stray incidents of intolerance, you can’t say India is intolerant. And, when people like Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan say these things, people take notice. It spoils our image in the world.”

We point out that even Congress President Sonia Gandhi recently marched against intolerance and told all Congress members that she wouldn’t tolerate those who didn’t march with her. Rawal’s voice takes a serious tone. “Listen carefully. During Emergency, offices of the vernacular press in Gujarat, like the Gujarat Samachar, were burnt down. Who was in government then? And these people talk about tolerance. They have no moral right to talk about it.”

The actor, loved for his comic roles, which he plays with deadpan precision, has always been appreciated for his bluntness and honesty. For instance, in November, during a party worker’s meet in Ahmedabad, he said Hindu religious places were among the dirtiest, and once said in an interview that Pakistani TV shows were superior to Indian films. He is still as honest, “What is wrong in saying that? It’s not about being outspoken, it’s about telling the truth. We pray at these places, but don’t keep them clean. It was an extension of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, asking people to keep places clean. And their TV shows are better, ya! We should learn from them. If something is good, I will praise it.”

He doesn’t shy away from criticising his own party and its allies, either. For instance, when Shiv Sena called for a ban on the performance of Pakistani singer Ghulam Ali in Mumbai. “Even at that time, I had tweeted that singers/cricketers/artists are not throwing bombs at us. They are coming to spread goodwill. That was a government decision. This is my personal view,” says Rawal.

The actor, who is busy with his Parliamentarian duties and shooting for Hera Pheri 3, is also working on the script of a movie where he will play a man he looks up to, Prime Minister Narendra Modi. But, the scripting is taking time, as Rawal says, “It’s hard to write a script based on a person who has just started the main part of his career.” For now, it’s all about observing the PM and his characteristics. “We had told him we are doing this, and he said, ‘Fine, do it’.”

This “observation” includes listening to and watching Modi’s speeches and doing some photo reading. But, Rawal has also said that he doesn’t want to mimic Modi, and instead capture his “spirit”, as he knows he can never really look like the Prime Minister. The film will be the second movie to be produced by the actor after OMG. But, some people may think he is trying to ingratiate himself to the PM. He scoffs, “You think Modi needs me? He doesn’t need any of us. He doesn’t need buttering, because he can do it all on his own. I joined politics because I felt there was a possibility to change things in India under Mr Modi’s leadership,” he says, admitting that he is taken in by the PM’s straightforwardness and visionary stance. He adds that Modi’s biggest plus point is that he is “not corrupt”. “You will never see a single relative of his anywhere around him or the office. He doesn’t believe in all this.”

Talk of the criticism the PM receives about his many foreign tours and Rawal is quick to come to the defence. “There is a design and special thought behind the travel. We live in a very volatile neighbourhood, and need to be on good terms with different countries. It’s a matter of foreign policy.” He has an interesting explanation for why the media is intent on painting the PM in bad light. “It’s because earlier, free liquor and gifts were given if you travelled with the Prime Minister. Under Modiji, all that has stopped. So, people like making up stories.” But what about the grouse most Modi critics have — about him remaining silent on issues like the Dadri lynching? “He spoke when he had to, and he doesn’t need to speak every time. As for Dadri, when the government spokesperson spoke, he was Mr Modi’s representative as well.”

Ask him about his parody Twitter account — run by @Babu_bhaiyaa, whose tweet about Kirti Azad’s suspension from the BJP on Wednesday, read: Now shri Shatrughan Sinha ji waiting for his Christmas Gift. #kirti” — and Rawal laughs. “I don’t know who is behind it. But this guy is not uncouth or obnoxious. He is witty and decent. I quite like it.”

The irony that attacking Aamir Khan for his comments only reinforces what he had to say seems to be lost on bhakts
Lindsay Pereira (MID-DAY; November 25, 2015)

Aamir Khan doesn’t have a new movie coming up. That is what surprised people almost as much as his statement about intolerance in India. After all, it is a truth universally acknowledged that Mr Khan doesn’t say or do anything without the prospect of it affecting a new movie’s release.

Yet, he did speak out. Without it being part of a marketing campaign. The horror! To be fair, all Khan expressed was a certain amount of concern over an increase in incidents of intolerance in recent months, which had supposedly prompted his wife to consider leaving the country. It’s a thought that has cropped up in a lot of sane minds recently; and by sane, I mean minds that aren’t completely in thrall to Narendra Modi’s sustained PR campaigns.

Naturally, because Khan is more important that thousands of regular folk, a lot of people decided to get hot and bothered by his comments. One aggrieved gentleman from Delhi reportedly filed a police complaint against the actor, saying he “as a citizen of this country feels that the celebrities should think before speaking.” Unfortunately for the resident of Delhi — a state known for its residents who often pause to think before abusing someone — the kind of role models we place on pedestals here don’t exactly do a lot of thinking. Here’s a cursory look at the kind of people we look up to: movie stars who haven’t been to school, movie stars who have been to school, cricketers who may or may not have been to school, politicians who certainly haven’t been to school and businessmen, because it’s all about ill- gotten money in this land of spiritualism, honey.

Given this scenario, expecting celebrities to “think before speaking” doesn’t make much of a difference. It would only if our celebrities were writers, philosophers, artists or teachers.

And they’re not. Khan’s comments also attracted hostility from members of his own industry. Like Anupam Kher, for instance, who asked the actor why he didn’t tell his wife that this country “made Aamir Khan.” It was an inane response, but then again, Kher has never found his name on any list of intelligent people. It’s also hard to take the man seriously when he spends half his life playing a misogynistic buffoon on the big screen.



Also attacking Khan was Abhijeet Bhattacharya, a singer who has, in recent years, taken upon himself the need to protect India’s dignity, one grammatically incorrect tweet at a time. He is also the man who famously blamed the poor people sleeping on the street, after Salman Khan’s conviction in a 2002 hit-and-run case. And also the man who referred to Pakistani ghazal singer Ghulam Ali as a ‘dengue artist’ ( whatever that means) from a ‘terrorist country’. And, yes, also the man recently accused of molesting a 34-year old woman at a Durga puja pandal.

When people like these start defining how patriotic we all ought to be, you know India has a problem. Maybe Aamir Khan should not have said a word. Maybe, he should have concentrated on marketing his movies quietly, like actors in this country are supposed to do. Maybe we don’t deserve people with opinions unless their opinions reflect our own.

I don’t agree or disagree with what Aamir Khan had to say. I simply believe he has a right to his opinion because, like most of us, he pays his taxes, isn’t a criminal and hasn’t made awful movies like Ram Gopal Varma does constantly. He should have the right to say what he feels, because we can all agree to disagree. The many rabid attacks on him simply reinforce what he had to say about intolerance. And that kind of irony has always been lost on BJP supporters.

Twitterati react

Raveena Tandon @TandonRaveena
debate hs bcm fully politicised,Njoy d madness ppl,while I go to wish a babyborn of Muslim father Hindu mother,lives in no fear #trueindia

Ram Gopal Varma @RGVzoomin
Isn’t Aamir,Sharuk,Salman,3 Muslims becoming biggest stars of a Hindu country proof enough that india is tolerant?

Anupam Kher @AnupamPkher
Dear @aamir_khan. #SatyamevaJayate u talked about evil practices but gave Hope. So even in ‘Intolerant’ times u need 2 spread Hope not Fear.

Dear @aamir_khan. When did ‘Incredible India’ become ‘Intolerant India’ for you? Only in the last 7-8 months? #AtithiDevoBhavah

After effect
As word spread about Aamir Khan speaking out on growing intolerance in the country at an event in Delhi, his filmmaker-wife Kiran Rao had to face backlash back home in Mumbai. Early morning, she found a group of people demonstrating outside her house. The 20-odd protestors, who claimed to belong to a right-wing outfit called Hindu Sena, were demanding an apology from Aamir for his statements, failing which they threatened to hold protests in other parts of the country.

The Khar police arrested all of them soon after. Two police vans were promptly stationed outside the star’s residence.
Sources close to the family said that Kiran is obviously disturbed by the goings on and apparently felt more threatened because Aamir was also not in town.

She decided to stay put in the house through the day, heeding to the advice of friends and family, says an insider. 

Industry Voices

Filmmaker Anubhav Sinha has come out in support of Aamir Khan’s comments and said his opinion should be respected and heard. “Aamir shared what his wife felt, and what he actually said was ‘what a disastrous thing it was to say’. But everybody is discussing what Kiran said. When such eminent people, who are respected and socially responsible people are saying something then that means there is something wrong. People like Aamir and Shah Rukh (Khan) will never make sensational statements. They don’t need headlines. They (the government) need to pay attention and not ridicule him,” he said. Sinha also condemned people, who have trashed Aamir on social media platforms, calling them “a bunch of nobodies”.

Music composer A R Rahman says he finds the protests against intolerance “poetic” as it is non-violent in nature. “Everything should be done classily and any kind of revolt should be classy. I think it is very poetic what people are doing rather than hitting each other,” he said in an interview on the sidelines of NFDC Film Bazaar. When asked about Aamir’s comments, Rahman said, “Don’t pull me into trouble.”

MUMBAI MIRROR (October 9, 2015)

Actress Shabana Azmi and music composers Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani have criticised the cancellation of Pakistani singer Ghulam Ali's concert here, following Shiv Sena's threat to disrupt it.

Ali, 74, was scheduled to perform in Mumbai and Pune this week as part of the fourth death anniversary tribute to late singer Jagjit Singh. But the performance was called off on Wednesday after the threats.

The organisers announced the cancellation yesterday after a meeting with Shiv Sena president, Uddhav Thackeray at 'Matoshree', the Thackeray residence in suburban Bandra.

"Are we at war with Pakistan? Have we severed diplomatic relations? Have we closed down our Embassies? Then what justification is there to ban Ghulam Ali? Ghulam Ali was 2 perform in commemoration of Indias beloved Jasjit Singh in gesture of goodwill. Ok to talk tough with Pak Govt not its artists (sic)," Azmi wrote on her Twitter page.

Vishal posted, "Ghulam Ali saab and his music are above and beyond politics. If he can't perform it will be our loss, not his. #Shame (sic)." His composing partner Shekhar wrote, "Ghulam Ali Saab is our guest. Honour his presence. Music knows no boundaries."

"It's a familiar nightmare that keeps on recurring in this part of our country and one has seen irrespective of the government in the seat of power, the peace activists of the civil society aiming for keeping cultural ties intact with Pakistan have to face roadblocks like this," Bhatt told IANS.

"But even if level talks are not taking place, let the civil society be given rights to keep their cultural ties intact through the performing arts," he added.

The filmmaker has given a sample of his work to the neighbouring country with a play based on his 1989 film Daddy, which was staged in Pakistan earlier this year.

"During the Congress regime, we had to go through a similar scenario where Pakistani actors and performers were obstructed from performing," he said. "Then came this new government and in the beginning there were signals given by Narendra Modi, who sent an invitation to Nawaz Sharif, saying that they wish to bridge the distances that exist between the two countries and nothing much happened on that front," he added.

Ali, who made an entry in Indian cinema with his popular song "Chupke Chupke Raat Din" for B R Chopra's Nikaah, also said that he is hurt and sad.

Delhi Tourism Minister Kapil Mishra, on Thursday, extended an invite to Ali to perform in the capital.

INDIA TODAY (October 7, 2015)

Renowned Pakistani singer Ghulam Ali's concert in Mumbai was cancelled on Wednesday after Shiv Sena's film wing put out a threat saying there will be a "Sena style protest" if the singer came to perform in Mumbai. The organisers of the event had a meeting with Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, and not with the chief minister of Maharashtra who had said that the state will provide security for the concert. India Today's Managing Editor Rahul Kanwal spoke exclusively to Ghulam Ali. Here's the English translation of the interview with the singer.

It is matter of regret that your concert in Mumbai has been cancelled. What's your reaction?
No worries. The programme needed a conducive environment. I am sure it's the will of Allah that it will not happen. It is a matter of love and leisure, and God forbid some incident may happen. The programme can only be enjoyed in a peaceful environment.

Do you think that music should be placed above diplomacy, politics and hatred?
Music is work of love. I go to India because people love music. And this is not just the case of Pakistan or India, but I have been performing all over the world. People call me with love.

You have performed in India so many times in the past. People love your music here.
Yes, that's the case even now. There are so many people in India who will be saddened with this decision.

Were you looking forward to this concert?
Certainly.

The concert was in the tribute of your friend and ghazal singer Jagjit Singh?
Yes, in his remembrance, on the occasion of his death anniversary. I was supposed to give my tribute to him. It was a matter of honour for me, because he was my brother, and we had tremendous love and respect for each other.

Any message from you to your well wishers, and also the people who spread hatred
My only request to them is to choose peace over hatred. Tension has no role to play in this work of peace. I am always at the service of my listeners wherever they are.

And to the people who spread hatred?
They have their own opinion, but that cannot suppress the love of my listeners. All I can say that I am hungry for love.