Sangeet Natak Akademi and admirers offer financial support
Alka Dhupkar (MUMBAI MIRROR; September 19, 2019)

Days after Mirror highlighted the plight of top music composer Vanraj Bhatia, who is penniless, isolated and bedridden in his Napean Sea Road apartment, citizens have begun to loosen their purse strings.

The Delhi-based Sangeet Natak Akademi (SNA), an autonomous body under the ministry of culture, has decided to offer a one-time financial assistance to the virtuoso composer, who had scored the music for Shyam Benegal classics like Ankur and Bhumika as well as TV series Yatra and Discovery of India. A group of friends is also raising funds through WhatsApp to provide him with an aid of Rs 25,000 every month.

On Wednesday, SNA chairperson Shekhar Sen, writer and executive member of SNA Atul Tiwari, and singer and executive member of SNA Chhaya Ganguly visited Bhatia at his rented flat in Rungta Housing Colony on Napean Sea Road.

Sen said he learned of Bhatia’s condition through Mirror’s front page report on September 15.

He said Bhatia’s association with the SNA—he was conferred with the Akademi’s Tagore Akademi Ratna award in 2012—prompted the three to make a personal visit to his house. “Atul Tiwari had worked with Vanraj ji in the past.”

He said the visit livened up the 92-year-old recluse and that they were struck by his sharp memory. “He shared stories of working on Discovery of India as well as with [late theatre doyen Ebrahim] Alkazi and [late playwright and actor] Girish Karnad.”

Sen said the SNA’s aid will be announced soon. “It should not be viewed as an aid. It is our duty to help him out for his contribution to the field of music,” he added.

He said the SNA will also soon document Bhatia’s life as part of its ‘Meet a Maestro’ series, which aims to help youngsters learn about those who shaped the music industry. “The way he combined Western and Indian music, as well as the combination of tribal and folk music in his scores will archived soon.”

Jaipur-based technocrat Pavan Jha and his friends from India and abroad are chipping in, too. They have created a WhatsApp group titled ‘Thank You Vanraj Sir’, through which they are raising funds and plan to contribute Rs 25,000 every month. “We want to pay Vanraj ji back for his contributions through the years.” Jha, too, insisted that the aid not be viewed as help. “We want the SNA to make put a system in place to support senior artists in their old age,” he said.

Jha claimed music industry veterans like Shubha Mudgal and Rekha Bhardwaj have also expressed willingness help Bhatia out.

Prakash Borgaonkar, state director of NGO HelpAge India, which works for the rights and welfare of elderly citizens, said he has reached out to Bhatia as well. “We have mobile medical vans and can offer assistance for medical checkups.”

BOMBAY TIMES (July 27, 2019)

IT IS SHOCKING THAT SO MUCH VIOLENCE SHOULD BE PERPETRATED IN THE NAME OF RELIGION! THESE ARE NOT THE MIDDLE AGES! THE NAME OF RAM IS SACRED TO MANY IN THE MAJORITY COMMUNITY OF INDIA. AS THE HIGHEST EXECUTIVE OF THIS COUNTRY, YOU MUST PUT A STOP TO THE NAME OF RAM BEING DEFILED IN THIS MANNER

Forty-nine celebrities from different fields including singer Shubha Mudgal, actor Konkona Sen Sharma and filmmakers Shyam Benegal, Anurag Kashyap and Mani Ratnam, among others, have written an open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over incidents of lynching in the country.

In the letter dated July 23, the celebrities have said that “exemplary punishment” should be meted out “swiftly and surely” in such cases.

“The lynching of Muslims, Dalits and other minorities must be stopped immediately. We were shocked to learn from the NCRB (National Crime Records Bureau) reports that there have been no less than 840 instances of atrocities against Dalits in the year 2016, and a definite decline in the percentage of convictions,” the letter read.

“Further, 254 religious identity-based hate crimes were reported between January 1, 2009, and October 29, 2018, where at least 91 persons were killed and 579 were injured (FactChecker.indatabase (October 30, 2018). The Citizen’s Religious Hate-Crime Watch recorded that Muslims, (14 per cent of India’s population) were the victims in 62 per cent of cases, and Christians (2 per cent of the July 23, 2019 population), in 14 per cent of cases. About 90 per cent of these attacks were reported after May 2014, when your government assumed power nationally.”

The celebrities went on to say that while Prime Minister Modi has criticised lynching cases in Parliament, merely that is “not enough.”

“What action has actually been taken against the perpetrators? We strongly feel that such offences should be declared non-bailable, and that exemplary punishment should be meted out swiftly and surely. If life imprisonment without parole can be the sentence in cases of murder, why not for lynching, which are even more heinous? No citizen should have to live in fear in his/her own country,” the letter further read. The celebrities have highlighted that ‘Jai Shri Ram’ has become a “provocative war-cry” in the present day that leads to law and order problems, and “many lynchings take place in its name.”

“It is shocking that so much violence should be perpetrated in the name of religion! These are not the Middle Ages! The name of Ram is sacred to many in the majority community of India. As the highest Executive of this country, you must put a stop to the name of Ram being defiled in this manner,” they said in the letter. The celebrities in the letter also said, “there is no democracy without dissent.”

“People should not be branded ‘anti-national’ or ‘urban Naxal’ and incarcerated because of dissent against the government. Article 19 of the Constitution of India protects freedom of speech and expression of which dissent is an integral part,” the letter read.

“Criticising the ruling party does not imply criticising the nation. No ruling party is synonymous with the country where it is in power. It is only one of the political parties of that country. Hence anti-government stands cannot be equated with anti-national sentiments. An open environment where dissent is not crushed only makes for a stronger nation,” it added.

The celebrities concluded the letter saying, “We hope our suggestions will be taken in the spirit that they are meant - as Indians genuinely concerned with, and anxious about, the fate of our nation.”

The list also includes names like filmmakers Ketan Mehta and Aparna Sen, actors Riddhi Sen and Soumitra Chatterjee and historian Ramachandra Guha.


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THE SELECTIVE OUTRAGE AND AMNESIA OF THIS GROUP MAKES US BELIEVE THAT THEY ARE WORKING TO A CERTAIN AGENDA AND ARE ONLY PLAYING INTO THE HANDS OF THOSE FORCES THAT ARE OUT BALKANISE INDIA AND TO DESTABILISE HER. THIS GROUP HAS ALSO REPEATEDLY EXPRESSED DISDAIN FOR THE FAITH OF THE MAJORITY

Sixty-two personalities, including actor Kangana Ranaut, CBFC chief Prasoon Joshi and filmmakers Madhur Bhandarkar, Vivek Agnihotri, have written an open letter against the “selective outrage and false narratives” of celebrities who had earlier penned an open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over lynching incidents in the country. Titled ‘Against Selective Outrage & False Narratives,’ the letter terms those who wrote about mob-killings as “selfstyled guardians and conscience keepers” and charges them of political bias.

“An open letter which has been published on July 23 2019, and addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi has astonished us. Forty nine selfstyled ‘guardians’ and ‘conscience keepers’ of the nation and of democratic values have once again expressed selective concern and demonstrated a clear political bias and motive,” the letter by 62 personalities reads. It terms the letter on lynching incidents a “document of selective outrage” that comes across as an attempt to “foist a FALSE NARRATIVE with the intention of denigrating the democratic ethos and norms of our collective functioning as a nation and people.”

“The signatories to the ‘open letter’ have, in the past, kept silent when tribals and the marginalised have become victims of Naxal terror, they have kept silent when separatists have issued dictates to burn schools in Kashmir, they have kept silent when the demand for dismembering India, for making pieces of her – Tukde Tukde – were made, they kept silent when slogans chanted by terrorists and terror groups were echoed in some leading university campuses in the country,” it added.

Altogether, they have said that for the 49 celebrities, who earlier wrote a letter to the Prime Minister, “it seems the freedom, unity and integrity of India can be bartered away in the name of freedom of speech and expression.”

“But for us, the unity and integrity of India, her freedom is sacrosanct and anyone who questions these, who works to dilute or destroy these, who conspires to disturb these need to be resisted. Some of the signatories to the ‘open letter’ have a record of acting as mouthpieces and ideologues for insurgents, separatists and terrorists in the past. Their concern, therefore, smacks of dishonesty and opportunism,” they said.

The letter added that, “The Constitution of India certainly gives the right to dissent but not the right to try and break India apart. To disguise the propensity for subversion by the name of dissent is a dangerous trait,” the letter reads, “We would urge everyone to give up being selective and condemn lynching, discrimination and desecration of religious places with equal vehemence when they occur. Instead of indulging in grand-standing, personalities with a social and public profile ought to generate greater awareness on the need to tackle and eliminate the mind-set that leads to lynching.”

They have further stated that the open letter by the 49 celebrities “comes across to us as an attempt to mock the mandate of the marginalised, to create a false sense of fear and siege and to try and derail India’s march towards collective empowerment of all sections of society. It is clearly an attempt to defame the nation. WE DO CONDEMN the conspiracy.” In the letter, the 62 celebrities have also stated that the 49 people, who wrote to the Prime Minister, “did not display the courage to stand beside women who were opposed to and are struggling against the regressive Triple Talaq tradition and did not speak out for the need of equality and empowerment in this case.”

“The selective outrage and amnesia of this particular group makes us believe that they are working to a certain agenda and are only playing into the hands of those forces that are out Balkanise India and to destabilise her,” they said.

“This group has also repeatedly expressed disdain for the faith of the majority in India. They have repeatedly heaped derision on those who believe in Lord Ram and who derive strength and solace by chanting his sacred name. This letter is a disguised attempt to pour disdain on the subalterns for whom faith and worship are defining dimensions,”the celebs added.

Nayandeep Rakshit and Hiren Kotwani (DNA; November 16, 2018)

Bollywood’s ‘it’ couple Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh solemnised their relationship amidst much fanfare at The CastaDiva Resort and Spa overlooking Lake Como in Italy.

THE NORTH-INDIAN WEDDING

RANVEER DANCED ALL ALONG
For the Anand Karaj yesterday morning, the Padukones reached the venue early to welcome the groom and baaraatis. True to a North Indian-style wedding, the ceremony was a lot of fun. Ranveer and his baaraatis arrived dancing to dhol and music.

The ladkewaale made a dashing entry, grooving to Anil Kapoor and Govinda’s chartbuster tracks. Ranveer was in his element, jiving to Meri Pant Bhi Sexy, Tamma Tamma and My Name Is Lakhan playing out loud in the background.

MATCHING OUTFITS FOR THE BRIDE AND GROOM
The lovebirds complemented each other and wore shades of the same colour. While DP picked a beautiful red Sabyasachi outfit for the occasion, hubby Ranveer matched her dress sporting a pinkish red Indian ensemble by the same designer. The two families were also dressed in shades of red and pink. The ladkewaale sported pink turbans. The Padmaavat actor’s friend and photographer Rohan Shrestha along with director Nitya Mehra (of Baar Baar Dekho fame) were among the 40 guests that were present at the occasion.

THE SINDHI PLATTER
The Bhavnanis planned a lavish buffet for the guests at the ceremony. The menu included popular Sindhi delicacies like dal pakwan, sindhi kadhi-chawal, sev barfi and others.

THE SOUTH-INDIAN WEDDING

KEEPING IT CLASSY
For the traditional Konkani-style wedding on November 14, which started at 8 am and concluded at 2 pm, Ranveer’s family wore white-and-ivory outfits while the groom was dressed in a mundu (a traditional outfit) in the same shades. Meanwhile, Dippy’s side sported the traditional red-and-gold combination. The actress looked resplendent in an ethnic red, white and gold sari.

As per tradition, the bride had to walk from her villa to the mandap where the rituals were being performed. “While Deepika was doing so, songstress Shubha Mudgal delivered a live performance. DP looked like a vision in her bridal attire and Shubha’s booming voice lent a surreal feel to the proceedings,” says our source.

COLOUR CODES FOR THE GUESTS
Reportedly, the couple gave their guests different colour codes for all the ceremonies. While the actress is known for her drop-dead gorgeous looks, the guests were heard saying that they hadn’t seen a more beautiful bride than Deepika. “Even though the atmosphere was of complete joy and happiness all around, there were several moments when Deepika got emotional,” adds our source.

FOR THE LOVE OF COFFEE
Like most Indian shaadis, the families took great care about what was being served on the menu. Our khabri mentions, “Deepika loves filter coffee, so she made sure packets of the same were taken from Bengaluru. The beverage was served for the guests daily during breakfast and all the ceremonies.” Even the food served at the wedding was a traditional Mangalorean affair and chefs were specially flown down from the town in Karnataka for the same. “The Padukones ensured that the guests got a taste of their culture. So, they were presented delicacies like Mangalorean gatti, jaggery payasam, and Deepika’s favourite rasam rice. It was a traditional affair comprising a sit-down lunch where the guests were served on banana leaves. Even local Italian waiters, who were hired to serve at the couple’s wedding ceremonies, were trained about the cuisines. For instance, while serving rasam or payasam, they would describe the dish to the invitees,” informs the source.

THE VENUE WAS A CLOSELY-GUARDED SECRET
Both DP and RS wanted their wedding to be an intimate affair. “The place where the mandap was built and the duo exchanged vows was in a different resort, which was a little away from the venue where the Bhavnanis and Padukones were staying. This place is a short distance away from George Clooney’s property. Even the guests weren’t aware about the actual venue. Early morning, they were transported to the resort via speed boats,” reveals our source. The Anand Karaj also took place at the same venue yesterday from 8 am onwards.

THE JODI WILL BE BACK IN THE BAY TOMORROW
Both the families stayed in a private resort that had been booked for four days. Says a source, “The CastaDiva Resort and Spa was completely booked for the wedding, from November 13 to November 17. After the wedding ceremonies, the families will celebrate and relax for the next two days, before flying back to India.”


(Clockwise): Ranveer’s family arrives at the venue for the Konkani wedding; Deepika’s father Prakash Padukone; The Padmaavat actor with his family during the ceremony; and The actress’ family

Soumya Vajpayee Tiwari (MID-DAY; October 23, 2017)

Shubha Mudgal was shocked to find her performance at the Bhakti Sangeet Utsav being aired on DD Bharati without her permission. Irked at the infringement of performers’ rights, Mudgal says, “I had performed at the Bhakti Sangeet Utsav in New Delhi on the invitation of Sahitya Kala Parishad on April 30. My clear understanding with Sahitya Kala Parishad was that I would be performing live at the festival, and no permissions were sought or granted for audio-video recording or telecasting on any channels.”

The singer has written to Information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani and the DG of Doordarshan. Mudgal, adds that despite the agreement, DD Bharati made an “unauthorised recording” and telecast it “on more than one occasion”. “I wrote to the Director General (DG) of Doordarshan and copied the message to the Minister of Information & Broadcasting [Smriti Irani] on Friday night. I’m awaiting a response from them.”

She was also dissatisfied with the quality of the telecast of the concert, where she was joined by husband Dr Aneesh Pradhan on the tabla, Sudhir Nayak on the harmonium and Pavithra Chari on the tanpura. “A telecast of such poor quality audio is detrimental to our reputations as musicians. DD Bharati misspelled Dr Aneesh Pradhan’s name. The tanpura player remained unidentified and unacknowledged in the telecast,” she says.

Pradhan is dismayed at how channels repeatedly air programmes without seeking permission from the concerned performers. “The channels feel that their direct understanding with the organisers is sufficient to record and disseminate these programmes, and that they do not have to seek permissions from the performers. Clearly, the law states otherwise and empowers performers in such matters.”

We tried contacting the channel, but the officials remained unavailable for comment.

Bharati Dubey (MID-DAY; June 7, 2014)

Vocalist Shubha Mudgal, who is currently touring in the USA, was apparently threatened by a board member of the Sunnyvale Hindu Temple.

While the audience was looking forward to Shubha Mudgal and Bombay Jayshree’s performance at the Sunnyvale Hindu Temple’s auditorium area, one board member insisted on meeting and talking to Shubha Mudgal.

A source says, “As soon as she stepped aside, the man began to intimidate Shubhaji, criticising her for her ‘anti-Modi, anti-Hindu and ant-inational’ stand. He told her that he will not ‘tolerate this’ and he went to threaten her with dire consequences if she continued to maintain her stand on the issue.’’ It seems that the organisers of the- show — members of the Kalalaya and Bay Area Telugu Association - stood quietly as the man continued his verbal attack.

“Tabla maestro Aneesh Pradhan, who is Shubhaji’s husband, came rushing to the scene only to find this man completely out of control. It was only after all the artistes protested that security was called in to ensure order,” says the source.

Ashima Yadav, a San Francisco-based photographer recounts the incident. “His objection to Shubha Mudgal performing at the temple, which he clearly treated as his fiefdom, are an indication of how bold these right-wing thugs have become since the recent elections. This is in no way representative of the Bay Area community which welcomes and honours artistes from India no matter what their political persuasions.’’

While Shubha’s in-laws in Mumbai said they were unaware of any such issue, the singer confirmed that a problem had occurred via email. She wrote, “I am safe but I did face a problem on June 1. I am currently in transit and about to board a flight. I feel it would be best if I shared the details of my experience with you on my return to India.” It may be pointed out that Mudgal, along with a host of other artistes, had signed an appeal to fellow Indians to choose secular candidates during the general elections that were held in April- May.

Krishnakumar Padmanabhan (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 16, 2014)

An election that has already split India right down the middle into those for and against Narendra Modi has managed to do something that’s never been seen before – provoke the usually non-committal Bollywood into taking a political stand.

A section of the industry – especially the young, liberal lot including filmmakers like Vishal Bhardwaj, Imtiaz Ali, Zoya Akhtar, Kabir Khan and Vijay Krishna Acharya – have come together and issued a collective appeal asking people to “vote strategically to protect our country’s secular character.” “As Indian citizens who love our motherland, we appeal to you to vote for the secular party that is most likely to win in your constituency,” the appeal says. While Hollywood stars have always been open about who they back in a presidential campaign, this is a first for Bollywood, whose galaxy of stars are not exactly known for their political stands apart from being so-called star campaigners for traditional netas. What makes the appeal even more significant is the kind of people who have signed up – from Kabir Khan to Shubha Mudgal, these are people who are not just immensely popular but also are commercially successful and have tremendous clout in the industry. Ali and Khan are not the only Rs 100 crore directors in the list. Dhoom 3 director Vijay Krishna Acharya is also one of the signatories.

“I was pleasantly surprised at the readiness of the younger lot, especially the filmmakers and writers,” said Anjum Rajabali, whose brainchild the appeal is. “I realised that not only are they politically aware, but also politically engaged. They seem to be pretty certain of what they don’t want. Initially I was apprehensive that they may be more obsessed with their careers. But I was glad to be proved wrong.”

The appeal says that while corruption and governance were indeed important issues and we have to work out ways of holding our government accountable, India’s secular character is not negotiable.

“For me, it was a no-brainer,” said Nandita Das, another signatory. “I may sound like I am making it personal but whatever I am today, I owe it to the secular, pluralist upbringing I have had. But I think the atmosphere in the country has made many more people realise that something we have always taken for granted is being threatened. That is why this timely appeal seems to have had a wider resonance in a tight-lipped industry.” Admittedly, the signatories are loaded with known left-liberal personalities, and there is an absence of A-listers and Big Business. While Rajabali said this was because he had given people only 24 hours to sign up for the campaign, another signatory Mahesh Bhatt said there was nothing wrong in it. He said it was indeed good that it has dawned on the industry that one cannot sit on the fence any more. “An artiste cannot be apolitical,” said Bhatt. “And people have their own ideologies and we have made this plea based on that. It doesn’t mean we are representative of the entire fraternity. The film industry is a diverse group and one of these days you may see another section come out with its own appeal. That is the beauty of the industry and that is one of the things we are fighting to preserve.”


Read the appeal with a full list of signatories here: http://bit.ly/Qa3FKZ