Romance with Music

My romance with music dates back to pre-school days in the late fifties when , my father brought home an assembled radio receiver set, run on electricity . I took to it as fish to water and in no time was able to switch on and off, tune in the stations on various bands i.e. ‘medium wave ’ and ‘short wave’  to listen to songs being played or broadcast . Sri Lanka or Radio Ceylon , as it was called then was the favourite ; from 7-30  AM  to 8 AM  old film songs were played and last song always  was  a K.L.Sehgal  song, as a tribute to the legendary  singer. Binaca Geet Mala  presented by the inimitable  Amin Sayani  was the rage. By the time I went to school, I was able to tell  Mukesh from Rafi  and  Lata from Asha   and vice versa.

In initial years when from School we were taken to see a  movie  or a ‘picture’ it was called then, I kept wondering  how the same actor could sing in different voices in  different songs. It was much later that I came to know about the playback system or “kiraye ki awaaz”  as  it was called in common colloquial language. Apart from the Radio, there was the gramophone on which records or ‘discs’ were played by manually turning a handle and frequently replacing the magnetic needle.  However this luxury was available to the rich few.

Radio receiver sets gave way to  portable transistor sets, run on  battery cells  and remained in vogue for pretty long.  Gramophone also came in power operated version without hassles of turning handle and replacing needles.

Then came cassette players, first audio  and then also the video version , on which full length movies could also be seen  at home by connecting the device to TV set. Sooner than later came   the computer and the  internet that   brought about a revolution of sorts . It was made possible to  download and store  a limitless collection of songs  to play at will. The You Tube  made it possible to play video clips at will. Now a days people carry music in their pockets  as song are stored in  mobile  phone sets.

The journey has so far been long  and interesting ; many surprises are in store  in future yet !

Rajesh Khanna aka Kaka

No larger than life persona was he made to portray , no superhuman feats was he made to  perform; he was just made to play the role of the man next door , not invincible but vulnerable ,given to emotions and weaknesses like you and me ,  one could easily identify with.That was Rajesh Khanna. In fact this ordinariness made him  extraordinary ,  endeared him to all  and made him a superstar.

In late seventies, he along with other crew members had come to Shimla to shoot for film ‘Kudrat’- a Chetan Anand movie. On a holiday, probably a Sunday, I rushed to Chhota Shimla, to a place where  shooting was going on . It was a shoot for  a scene from  dance-chorus number- Sawan Nahin Bhadon Nahin- with Rajesh Khanna and Priya Rajwansh  in the lead . Priya wore a red dress with makeup to match and Rajesh Khanna, in a combination suit with spotted yellow tie was his usual smartest self . Aruna Irani in Kameez salwar looked like a typical Punjabi Bebe  Dimple Khanna , all graceful was also there.

Priya Rajwansh   bade adieu long back- and now  Rajesh Khanna is also gone !

R.I.P !