Showing posts with label West Indies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label West Indies. Show all posts
Talat Mahmood's 100th birth anniversary: When Trinidad, Tanzania were gripped by Talat mania
8:28 AM
Sahar Zaman (THE TIMES OF INDIA; February 24, 2024)
The train came to a screeching halt at the Mwanza station, a beautiful port city at Lake Victoria. It was around 12 noon and 30 to 40 people entered Talat Mahmood’s compartment. He was surprised and a bit worried too. Why was he being stopped from reaching Dar es Salaam for his next show?
“All that they wanted was a show to happen in their town as well. They were such huge fans of Talat but were very upset as to why our itinerary didn’t include Mwanza,” explains an excited 92-year old Nandi Duggal. He was Talat’s first concert manager for his debut world tour in 1956.
The charming star obliged and gave an impromptu performance for Mwanza at their local cinema, which was packed beyond 400 seats, and people had carried their own chairs from home to accommodate the entire crowd. Talat was the first playback singer from India to start world concerts and his three-nation tour to East Africa in 1956 was a resounding success that inspired his colleagues to start touring as well. It was alleged that he started touring only because of a reduction in film offers. On the contrary, he was the biggest singing star when he kick-started world concerts.
In 1968, when the world was engulfed by Beatlemania, the West Indies experienced Talat-mania. He was given a thunderous reception in Trinidad. As the door of his aircraft opened, there was an open limousine waiting for him at the red-carpeted tarmac. People lined up from the airport to his hotel, waving flags, throwing flowers and wearing badges of his name.
What happened on the day of his concert at Skinner Park in San Fernando was unprecedented. It was an open-air location with a capacity of about 7,000. Talat found it difficult to enter backstage. Police on foot just couldn’t manage the rush. Mounted police had to be called in. Helicopters above had to guide the police below. The immediate impact of his West Indies tour was that it boosted record sales at music stores across the region and kick-started a new reality TV show in Trinidad. This was called ‘Talat Mahmood Singing Competition’ in which young singers would compete in singing Hindi film songs. The same year, Talat received a letter from the heart of Times Square at 1481 Broadway Studio. He had been invited to the popular talk show called the ‘Joe Franklin Show’. He was introduced as the ‘Frank Sinatra of India’.
This comparison was re visited when both crooning legends passed away barely five days apart in 1998. It was an amazing moment at the TV studio when an all-American audience watched Joe speak to a suave singer from India, while his songs in Urdu played in between their conversation.
When the state of Minnesota invited him in 1973, they officially founded the India Club in his honour. It was the same year that India was facing an acute drought. So, Talat performed and raised funds in Minnesota to help people back in India. His tours to the United Kingdom were a landmark. The highlight was performing at the esteemed Royal Albert Hall (RAH) in London in 1979. As Talat stepped on stage, being one of the first three Indians to perform at RAH, he reminisced about the audience he had met in East Africa in 1956 and how the next generation of those same families were now part of this audience in the UK.
He started the show with one of his favourites, ‘Hain sabse madhur woh geet jinhe’ from the film Patita (1953). For the next song, Talat said, “This Ghazal was released in 1944 but it still sells like hot cake.” The ghazal was ‘Tasveer teri dil mera behla na sakegi’. The audience at the RAH wanted an encore but Talat apologised. The persuasive audience eventually got their way. Amidst the whistles and claps, Talat repeated the last stanza from his song , ‘Zindagi dene wale sun’ from the film Dil-e-Nadan (1953).
Looking at the huge footfall of his shows in the 1980s, he was given special state honours. The mayors of two cities in the US – Cleveland and Euclid – conferred on him a special citation for bringing their Asian American communities together. By this time, Talat also added the Middle East countries to his tours. The absolute humility of this living legend at the age of 60 was on display when he apologized to his audience in Dubai for his concert starting late. “It’s late but I promise you that I will make sure you hear the best from me and you will feel no loss of time.” This show was at the newly launched Al-Nasr Leisureland in 1984 which was sold to capacity with about 12,000 people.
Award-winning singer fondly recalls her experience of working with him in his troupe. “I used to wonder what made him so great. Even if he missed a note, every word had so much emotion and truth.” Despite slowing down with age, he gave in to the undying demands of his global audiences and performed till at least 1994.
The writer is Talat Mahmood’s grand-niece
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IN 1962 WAR, HE PERFORMED FOR JAWANS IN LADAKH
In 1962, when the war with China broke out, there was little or no comfort for Army jawans, with thin air and cold wind cutting through the bones.
The feeling of warmth and love was far away. But for a while, they had the comfort of a caressing voice. Talat Mahmood sang for the soldiers, in person, in Ladakh. The soldiers were touched. Their hearts were filled with emotions as Talat sang one soul-stirring hit after another. “Singing was an ordeal there. The air was too thin for breathing but in a gasping manner, I managed. I had to perform with such thick gloves that playing the harmonium was a new experience”, recalled Talat.
His voice was an immediate balm for the troops. “They loved us for we sang of their sorrows, hopes and fear. But they also wondered as to how these ‘softies’ of the film world could climb up the Himalayas simply to entertain them. But they didn’t know that we also loved them for their bravery and marvelled at their courage. They had left their home, friends and family to go up the treacherous terrains of our frontiers simply so that we could live in peace,” expressed a grateful Talat.
For '83, we used music that was popular in the ’80s for sections like actors’ introductions-Julius Packiam
3:40 PM
Cricket aficionado Julius Packiam discusses how accompanying the actors to the field as they prepped for 83 helped him analyse their off-screen relationship, and thereby enhance his score
Sonia Lulla (MID-DAY; December 6, 2021)
Over the several months that the cast of '83 learnt the sport of cricket to emulate the Indian players they were set to portray on the big screen, Julius Packiam would accompany them on the field. A devout fan of the sport since a young age, Packiam merely intended to soak in the knowledge that was being imparted by none other than the legendary cricketers who had earned India the World Cup in 1983, with Test player Balwinder Singh Sandhu at the helm of the coaching sessions.
However, it was during these sessions that the film’s score composer Packiam found an opportunity to develop his work. “I fed off the actors’ energies and got a sense of the vibe they shared on the field. I asked them about the kind of music they enjoy, and noticed how they interact with each other. I also asked Mr Sandhu about his memories, all of which helped me enhance my work on the score,” says the musician.
Following his initial discussion with director and college friend Kabir Khan, Packiam had deciphered that the score needed to have the kind of reverence that matched the narrative. But the challenges that he faced here were different. Via his score, Packiam was expected to showcase the patriotism of not just Team India, but also all those cricketing teams that had participated in the games from across the globe. “When replicating the India vs West Indies match, [we used] distinctive sound with influences of reggae and Jamaican [music]. In West Indies, people use [steel] drums and would often carry them to the stadium, especially in those days. In India, we had our Punjabi dhol. So when the matches were played, camps were created. When they would win, their sounds [reverberated] through the stadium, and when we’d perform well, our music would fill the air. Creating the interesting dynamics and jugal bandi was enjoyable.”
Despite the film being set in the ’80s, Packiam chose against creating a score that was, in its entirety, reminiscent of the era. While he used a few musical highlights of the decade, he knew that the film’s emotional palette would be abused if they relied on synthetic sounds alone. “For such a narrative, we needed organic and orchestral sounds. We used music that was popular in the ’80s for sections like [actors’] introductions, especially that of the West Indies [quartet] of fast bowlers. But it wasn’t a blanket approach.”
With tales pertaining to India’s win being available in public domain, Khan, Packiam says, was eager to train attention to the players’ personal stories that unfolded off the field. “It will be such an eye opener; a feast for the knowledge-seeking audiences,” he promises, making a special mention for Kapil Dev’s daughter Amiya, who “worked tirelessly as an assistant director, through the pandemic” to see this film come through.
West Indies' fast bowler Malcolm Marshall’s son Mali Marshall joins Ranveer Singh-starrer '83
7:59 AM
Mali Marshall is gearing up to play the role of his late father in Kabir Khan’s upcoming directorial
Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 15, 2019)
Kabir Khan’s upcoming directorial, ’83, on India’s first cricketing World Cup win, has another son stepping into the shoes of his father. After Chirag Patil who will be stepping in for father Sandeep Patil (Mirror, February 4), the son of the late West Indies fast bowler Malcolm Marshall, Mali will be playing him on screen.A source from the sets told us that Kabir wants to keep the film as realistic as possible and has been in talks with Mali for a long time. “Mali is a fast bowler and a middle order batsman like his father and suited the part perfectly,” added the source.
Kabir has also approached the sons of other famous West Indian players and talks with them are on, including fast bowler Carl Greenidge, son of Gordon Greenidge. The team is also looking for players who will represent Team England who played India in the semifinals.
Kabir Khan, when contacted, confirmed, “Yes we are thrilled to have Mali Marshall, son of the legend Malcolm Marshall play the role of his father. Not only does he look like his father but his bowling action is also exactly like him. As we all know, Malcolm Marshall was part of the fearsome West Indies quartet of pace bowlers—Marshall, Michael Holding, Joel Garner and Andy Roberts”
Kabir’s team was in Dharamshala recently for a 10-day training and bonding session. Former cricketers from the ’83 team like Kapil Dev, Mohinder Amarnath and Yashpal Sharma dropped by with tips and joined some training sessions helmed by coach Balvinder Singh Sandhu. The actors are also being trained by Under-19 cricketer Rajiv Mehra. Now, they will resume their training in Mumbai. The film, produced by Madhu Mantena, Vishnu Induri, Shibasish Sarkar and Kabir, goes on the floors on May 15 in London and Scotland. It will be shot in a 100-day schedule.
I don’t think anything compares to India’s first cricket World Cup victory-Kabir Khan
8:52 AM
Commemorating the 35th anniversary of our first cricket World Cup win, the filmmaker speaks to BT about his prep for the film that retells Team India’s journey
Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; June 27, 2018)
It has been a few months since the film revolving around India’s first cricket World Cup win in 1983 was announced. Yesterday was the 35th anniversary of the win, which probably no cricket fan back in the day had expected — India beat West Indies at the Lords cricket ground in England.
Director Kabir Khan, who is working on the script of the film, says that he has been approaching the project like a journalist, tracking down people from all over the world who have stories or anecdotes to share. “People have narrated some very interesting behind-the scenes episodes and incidents. I have even been to Lord’s and discovered many old manuscripts. I’ve seen original handwritten score cards of the World Cup. I’ve also traced a bhangra group that used to attend all the matches that India played. They are all about 60 years old now and brimming with stories. They told me about the clashes they hand with the English fans when India defeated England in the semi-finals,” says Kabir.While Kabir prepares to retell the story of 1983, India’s consequent World Cup win in 2011 was touched upon in MS Dhoni’s biopic two years ago. Bring this up and Kabir, a known sports enthusiast, says, “I don’t think anything compares to the first victory. In 2011, we were hot favourites. What is really fascinating about 1983 is that we went in as the lowest-rated ODI side in the world. There were newspaper articles in London, questioning why India was even part of the tournament. So, India winning the cricket World Cup in 1983 was unexpected. The feeling would be similar if Afghanistan were to win it in 2019. They were a bunch of young men, travelling with a man who was the coach, manager and butler rolled into one. They were given 15 pounds a day to eat and make calls at home. This will be new for the young generation, because today, when we say cricketers, they imagine men driving fancy cars. We pretty much know what happened on the field, the real story lies off it.”
On Tuesday, Ranveer Singh, who plays Kapil Dev in the film, took to social media, reminding the world about the 1983 win. When asked about how involved he is with the film at this point, Kabir admits that he keeps his hero abreast with everything he gets to know about the 1983 tournament so that he is ready to face the camera towards the end of the year. “It’s the kind of project that needs a long prep. Initially, we will shoot portions in India, which don’t need Ranveer or the other actors,” says the director, adding that he is still working out details of whether the asli khiladis of the 1983 squad can be a part of the film’s cast. “As of now, they are involved with the scripting, because the film is based on their anecdotes. Some of them will also be involved in coaching the actors who will play cricketers, because these are living legends whose mannerisms and body language are still vivid in public memory,” Kabir sums up.
Anushka Sharma joined Virat Kohli as India faced off with West Indies in Saint Lucia?
8:11 AM
The actress cheered her beau on as India faced off with the Windies
Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 10, 2016)
After a widely-publicised
break-up and subsequent reconciliation, Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli
are playing their current relationship status card close to the chest. Mirror has learnt that the 28-year-old actress quietly joined her
cricketer beau in the Caribbean island country of Saint Lucia after
wrapping up the Ae Dil Hai Mushkil shoot last week. Skipper Virat and
his Men in Blue are currently touring West Indies for a Test series.
A friend reveals, “Anushka was present for the third match which started yesterday. Dressed casually in a t-shirt and denims, she cheered the team on from the stands at the Darren Sammy Stadium. She's keeping a low profile as she mingles with the team and their families and has been spending quality time with Virat.“
While the couple had been vocal about their courtship initially, Anushka now refuses to talk about her personal life. Reports of a break-up first emerged in February this year, but the star couple reconciled soon after.
Virat even accompanied his ladylove to the screening of her latest release last month. Her spokesperson, when contacted, chose not to comment.
A friend reveals, “Anushka was present for the third match which started yesterday. Dressed casually in a t-shirt and denims, she cheered the team on from the stands at the Darren Sammy Stadium. She's keeping a low profile as she mingles with the team and their families and has been spending quality time with Virat.“
While the couple had been vocal about their courtship initially, Anushka now refuses to talk about her personal life. Reports of a break-up first emerged in February this year, but the star couple reconciled soon after.
Virat even accompanied his ladylove to the screening of her latest release last month. Her spokesperson, when contacted, chose not to comment.
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