Subhash K Jha (DNA; March 24, 2015)


It has become fashionable to pull down iconic figures for a few chuckles at popular awards functions and sadly, it was the Nightingale’s turn this time around.

Shockingly, self-proclaimed Lata bhakts like Javed Akhtar, Ila Arun, Usha Uthup and Shankar Mahadevan laughing in the audience while the comedienne picked at the Bharat Ratna winner.

Only singer Alka Yagnik looked disturbed and shocked. When contacted, she said, “I didn’t like it. It was not in good taste. And it went on and on. This is what the music industry has come to, disrespecting their very own Bharat Ratna. Kam se kam, Lataji ko toh baksh dena tha. Shame on them.”

Adds composer Lalit Pandit, “The whole music fraternity and the film industry loves Lataji to death. I was surprised by the act. I didn’t expect this and I frankly feel it was overdone. But when it was on, it didn’t look as objectionable as it did when it was telecast. Nothing about Lata Didi should be used for laughter.”

While the Nightingale refused to comment on the matter saying it’s a free country and that everyone is entitled to entertain oneself and others in the way they feel, a source very close to her said, “They wanted to invite her to honour her. When she couldn’t attend they decided to make fun of her. This is their way of honouring our most loved singer.” Adds this source, “Sugandha has made a career out of imitating Lataji. We wish her all the best.”

We tried getting in touch with the Lata bhakts.We also tried contacting the show’s host Aditya Narayan, whose father Udit literally worships the ground Lata stands on. They all chose to stay mum.

While 2014 was the year which saw new playback voices become stars, and young and multiple music composers replacing the old norm of one composer per film, it was heartening to see 18-year-old composers Shankar Ehsaan Loy win the award for the best composers for 2 States at the 7th Royal Stag Mirchi Music Awards. Excerpts from a conversation with the most simple, but extremely talented Shankar Mahadevan:

SEL won the award for the best album for 2 States as well as best composers of 2014.
In today's day and age, in most albums, only one or two songs become hits whereas the other songs go unnoticed. In 2 States, each and every song became a hit and that means a lot to me. While Galliyan was the most popular song last year, we knew that 2 States was the No. 1 selling album. And the Mirchi jury understands this. They awarded Best Song, Best Composer and Best Album separately to make this distinction, as you cannot award an album basis just one song.

This is the first time that you won an award with your son Siddharth Mahadevan.
I want to thank Mirchi for this as it is the first time that we both got an award together and that too, for the same album as we sung a song together in 2 States. What made it even more special was getting the award from a maestro like Zakir Hussain.

Javed Akhtar sahab has been awarded the lifetime achievement award. You have a long-term association with him.
He has been like a pillar of strength for us in the industry. Like us, he is not intimidated by the industry and does not shy away from calling a spade a spade. Over the last 18 years of us being composers, he has been a friend, philosopher and guide. He has never shied away from speaking the truth and has never been insecure. At a time when other writers came in and started charging Rs 50000 for writing dialogues for films, Salim-Javed would charge Rs 21 lakh. He doesn't get swayed by what other people are doing as he is aware of his talent. He is a class apart from others. His biggest quality as a writer is that he can capture a deep thought in the simplest of words.

Javed sahab is always in control of his emotions. Have you ever seen him emotional?
The first time I saw Javed sahab crying was on his 70th birthday, which the entire fraternity of singers, composers and people from the industry recently celebrated at his farmhouse in Lonavala. I gifted him a piano for his farmhouse. He inaugurated the piano and all of us sang Kal Ho Naa Ho in chorus for him. He was in tears and so were some of us (Shabana Azmi, Sonu Nigam, Ram Sampath, me and many of us). I had never seen him cry before. That day looking at Javed sahab crying, I knew that he felt satisfied in life.