Swapnil promises a musical year ahead

(Following interview is published in The Hitavada on 26th December 2007.)

“MY music is for my audience’s delight. I will continue to work with complete dedication and honesty to please them in the upcoming year,” promised noted musician and singer, Swapnil Bandodkar.
Swapnil, famous for his song ‘Radha Hi Bawari,’ was in Nagpur to perform at the “Athawanitil Gani” concert. He shared his views on light music, importance of classical base and current craze for reality shows with ‘The Hitavada’.
“Learning classical music from maestros like Suresh Wadkar and Pt Vasantrao Kulkarni was the turning point in my life,” said the young face of Marathi music industry about his early days.
“A good voice and basic understanding of music is a God gift. However, formal training and study of classical music make a perfect singer. It is equally important to tap the talent right from the childhood.”
Swapnil gives all credit for this to his parents. “Aai-Baba realised the singer in me and admitted me in a music class. Later on, I realised the importance of music in my life,” said Swapnil, who started learning music at the age of four. “Gradually, it became my passion and finally my life.”
“Learning classical music is like learning theorems and laws of music. After studying the basics, we can improvise further as per our creativity. Young singers are avoiding classical music these days and more inclined towards western music. But such ‘baseless’ music does not last for long,” says Swapnil.
When asked about reality talent hunts, he said “You may win a contest by receiving SMSs, but to remain in the race, study of music is must. Otherwise such singer’s craze is short-lived.”
Expressing reservations about SMS voting, he said sometimes, good talent remains ignored because of this mode. According to Swapnil, very few people know the technicalities of music while masses can be attracted by a good presentation. As a result, one who performs well may get more votes than the one who is a better singer.
On the other hand, Swapnil does not deny the importance of performance. “In today’s audio-visual media, music delights not only the ears but also eyes. Therefore, a graceful performance is also important. But ‘sur’ is eternal and the most important.”
Swapnil’s album, ‘Radha Hi Bawari’ has made him a busy star in the Marathi music industry. Currently, he is doing stage performances, Marathi films, and title tracks for TV channels.
“As a playback singer, I have lent my voice to about 60 Marathi films this year. The present era marks the golden days of Marathi cinema. We are producing good quality films, hence getting good music. Upcoming days are promising and we can expect a lot from the Marathi film industry,” said the young man who has also acted in the film, ‘Sawali.’
“It was the role of musician, so I did it. Currently, I want to concentrate only on music. So, no films, TV serials for now,” said Swapnil, who often receives offers for the big and small screen.
It is the tradition of Marathi artists to try their luck in Hindi. Swapnil too has sung for a few films including ‘Hanuman’, the first animation film of India. “It was a nice experience, but I am not planning any Hindi album in near future. We welcome the music and singers from other languages with great enthusiasm, but others are not as generous as the Maharashtrian audience.”
Besides music, Swapnil loves to enjoy long drives, sports and adventure activities. He reads novels and listens to old-time classical music during his free hours. When asked about his New Year resolution, he said, “I will continue to please my audience with my work. In the coming year, we are planning to launch ‘Radha Hi Bawari-II.’ Besides that, there are many new films, albums and stage shows scheduled.”
When asked about Nagpur, Swapnil said he was excited to perform here. Being a big lover of non-vegetarian food, Swapnil said, “I will definitely try some Saoji fare this time.”

For Prof Ram Shewalkar life is like Paaniyavari Makari

The following interview was appeared in The Hitavada on 5th December 2007. Prof Ram Shewalkar's autobiography Paniyawari Makari will be published on Dec 11 by President of India Pratibha Patil. This exclusive interview was taken by me when Prof Shewalkar was about to fly for Delhi.

“Books are the messengers; we must learn from them and assimilate the message they convey. After all, mere words are there in books, real meaning lies in life,” said Prof Ram Shewalkar while speaking to The Hitavada on his upcoming autobiography ‘Paaniyavari Makari.’ The autobiography is scheduled to be released at the hands of President of India Pratibha Patil at Rashtrapati Bhawan on December 11.

“Gone by years and accumulation of experience are like birthmarks, we hardly feel their presence, but they remain with us forever. After seven and a half decades of experience in life, it is now time to share these with my readers,” Shewalkar explained his motivation behind writing the autobiography. The literary maestro has authored hundreds of books and edited several of them, and gave expression to his views through a series of lectures. Then what makes him write a special autobiography? “What we write in books is indirect. It is not vivid. It may be phony sometimes. It may be divorced from reality to bring out the beauty in literature. However, autobiography is direct. It is an anthology of the events that made me think in a different way,” said Shewalkar, adding that his autobiography is about the uncommon things done by the common person. “There was no necessity for me to write the autobiography because I do not consider myself such an authority. People write autobiographies to confess their deeds, some for explaining their stand but I do not have anything to confess, neither have any controversy to explain. However, what I did, apart from a routine life as a teacher, as a professor and as a Principal is quoted there in my book. It is a story of a life lived strictly following the great principles,” said Shewalkar who is one of the important members of Acharya Kul; an organization that brought revolution in the educational field. “Joining Acharya Kul, in 1959, was a turning point in my life. It gave me a new perspective to look at life. It made me believe that completing a syllabus and giving good result is not the real and only duty of a teacher. Teacher is an artisan, who shapes the future of the nation. Today, these values and principles are hard to notice. Through the book, they will reappear in thinking process which may bring some good to education field,” he said while explaining the thought process behind his upcoming book. Today, neither teachers nor students are loyal to their profession which resulted in to the degradation in the standard of education. When one sees that even a highly literate person is not averse to indulging in anti-social activities, it poorly reflects on the quality of formal education. It is an indicator of the failure of formal education to mould responsible human beings. When his attention was drawn to Langston Huge’s quote, “To write about yourself, you should first be outside of yourself,” Shewalkar said, “I am impartial while writing, but not impassive. I do not write diary. So, the incidents in my autobiography are simply my remembrances. The incidents that gave me different way of thinking may be the inspiration for all. The literature will not only please but also teach.” The former President of Vidarbha Sahitya Sangh handled many aspects of literature including prose, poetry, criticism, narrative, and editorial writing. While spearheading Vidarbha Sahitya Sangh, Shewalkar started 85 new branches of the literary organisation. During his tenure, literary meets were organised in tribal areas like Aheri, Gadchiroli and Mehkar. He thinks that literature must reach up to the last man on the social ladder, which will enrich the society. When his attention was drawn to critics’ viewpoint that his literature was limited to criticism and study which is not creative writing, he humbly accepted the critics’ views. “I accept that there are very few novels, stories, poetry collections to my credit. But that alone is not the creative writing. Criticism, analytical study on some epic lets you re-live the original work. That brings real delight and new perspective to reading books. This is very much a creative writing which helps you understand the epic.” Shewalkar’s study on Sant Gyaneshwar received high acclaim from all over the literary field. “Instead of being involved in self-made literature, it gives me more pleasure to convey other great litterateurs’ works to the readers, he said, adding that the books edited by him have been acclaimed more than his own creations. During his 75 years long journey of life, Shewalkar successfully played many roles, including a teacher, a Principal, a leader, and a social worker. During this long and cherished journey, many disappointing moments also came as obstacles, but his positive vision and strong faith in God always gave him spiritual strength. “I am satisfied. I never ask for anything from the Almighty. He gave me a lot. Lot more than I deserve” says the man with smile. When asked about the name ‘Paaniyavari Makari’ of his autobiography, he said “It is an expression from Dnyaneshwari. It says that when a makari (crocodile) swims on water, the lines drawn by it disappear within moments. Human life is like that.”

Laksha: for all time

‘He was not for an age, but for all time’ said Ben Johnson once about the great William Shakespeare. It is possible for very few artists to remain for all time. Laxmikant Berde was one of those immortal figures who will be alive forever through billions of minds and hearts.
The name Laxmikant Berde virtually ruled over Marathi film industry for about two decades. Gifted with the wonderful timing of comedy, this vibrant artist performed all kinds of roles with the same excellence. Regrettably, he hardly got the roles fitting to his ability and talent.
In fact, Laxmikant confirmed his distinction through several serious roles but his typecasting in comic roles shackled him as a comedian. Born and brought up in small village of Kokan, Laxmikant was passionate about stage since his childhood. This passion drew him miles away to Mumbai where he joined ‘Sahitya Sangh.’ Laxmikant’s struggle was full of untiring hard work. He got his first break on commercial stage through the play ‘Tour tour’ that became a milestone in Marathi drama and granted Laxmikant a celebrity status. His ‘Shantecha Karta Chalu Ahe’, ‘Bighadale Swargache dar’, ‘Karti Chalu Ahe’ and many other plays also turned out to be super duper hits. Laxmikant’s dream run began with the grand success on stage and glorified when he entered the silver screen where he portrayed a middle class Marathi young man struggling for a job and a rented house in crowded Mumbai. He portrayed an innocent youth from smallest village of Maharashtra with tiny dreams in eyes. His characters, his talent, and his attachment to the common people made him one among each Marathi family. Laxmikant become Laksha of every Marathi heart.
Laksha’s genuine rule on Marathi film industry began when he paired with Mahesh Kothare. Mahesh was so much fascinated with his talent that he wrote many scripts just keeping Laxmikant in mind. All films by this duo were not only the commercial super-hits but also responsible for keeping Marathi film industry alive in those diverse circumstances when comedy was clutched in Dada Kondke’s duel meaning films and tragedies were out of Marathi film world.
Mahesh and Laksha’s pair gave milestone films like ‘Dhumdhadaka’, ‘Dhadakebaz’, ‘Thartharat’, ‘Maza Chhakula’, ‘Zapatlela’ and Laksha’s very last appearance ‘Pachhadlela.’ With classic filmmaker Sachin, Laksha shared screen in ‘Banvabanwee’, ‘Aytya Gharat Gharoba’ and many all time hits.
Performing art was a god gift for Laxmikant. His sense and timing of comedy was just perfect. Through his long career in drama, he acquired a special quality to grab the public attention within minutes. At one point, his craze was so captivating that a film like ‘Chal Re Laksha Mumbaila’ was produced to cash his popularity. Besides this, many scripts were written genuinely for him.
Meanwhile, Laxmikant and Ashok Saraf created a treasured legacy in the history of Marathi films. These two artists had an incomparable tuning but very few directors made a quality use of it. The Ashok-Laksha pair performed through more than 300 films among which many were mere droops. Whatsoever, their films made billions laugh forgetting all worries and stress.
While on the top of the Marathi world, Laxmikant received the offers from much vaunted bollywood filmmakers like Rajashri Production. In ‘Maine Pyar Kiya’, Laxmikant portrayed main supporting character of Salman Khan’s friend with excellence. Soon, he became the inseparable part of Rajashri films. In ‘Hum Aap Ke Hai Kaun’, Laxmikant got only a single serious scene in which he literally made everyone cry. His forte was to stun the audience at once while laughing but he hardly found such roles in films.
In ‘Ek Hota Vidushak’ written by legendary P L Deshpande, Laxmikant proved his acumen and received acclaim from all over. He expected State award for this film but his dream remained away from reality. Later, he worked extremely hard for ‘Manus’ which was again a strong disappointment for him as the film failed to accomplish his expectations. He was very much keen to do serious kinds of roles but was not fortunate enough to get them. He even planned for an autobiography written in Charley Chaplin’s manner.
In recent times, Laxmikant returned on stage with ‘Lele Viruddha Lele’ and ‘Sir Ale Dhawoon’ but his return was momentary as the destiny was planning for the worst. One who used to bring smiles on weeping faces at once left all of us lamenting and passed away due to serious kidney failure. His demise was a shock not only for his fans but also for his industry as this herald of happiness never let anyone know about the gravity of his illness.
Laksha made his final exit on 16 December 2004, three years before but it is hard to believe even today that he is not with us. Even after three decades and three centuries, his remembrances would remain vivid as ‘Laksha was not for an age, but for all time.’

Advancing the Legacy...

(Following Article is actually an interview of Famous young Indian Classical Singer Rahul Deshpande. I done this interview on Saturday 24th of November 2007 when Rahul was in Nagpur for his live performance. The interview is pre-published in The Hitavada.)

HISTORY of Indian classical music is incomplete without mentioning the name of the Late Dr Vasantrao Deshpande, the legendary singer, who won the hearts of one and all, specially Maharashtrians.
Now, Vasantrao’s grandson, Rahul, is following his grandpa’s footsteps, in a bid to fill the vacuum created.
Talking to ‘The Hitavada’, Rahul spoke at length on his grandfather, the present music scene, talent hunt shows on television etc.
When asked how it feels to be a grandson of one of the most respected music maestro, “Proud”, pat came a reply from Rahul.
Many critics and those who matter in the music world vouch that Rahul is a gifted singer with pleasant voice and an intimate sense of ‘Sur’, just like his grandfather. How does he feel about it?
“It does always feel good to get acclaim but I am nowhere in front of the legend,” said Rahul with humility.
Speaking about his childhood dream, Rahul said, “I did not want to be a singer though I started learning music at the age of six.”
“When I was 13 years old, my father brought Kumar Gandharva’s audio cassette. I was so fascinated with Kumarji’s music, I at once started taking music learning seriously.” But this doesn’t made him choose music as a means of earning his livelihood.
“I wanted to be a Chartered Accountant. I even completed Master degree in Commerce for this. But when I visited legendary P L Deshpande, I was completely changed,” said 28-year-old Rahul, recalling the turning point in his life.
“I told Bhai (P L Deshpande) that I want to make a career in accountancy and commerce. He asked, how many boards of CAs I saw on way to his house. I said, “many.” “And how many of singers?” he put a poser and said, “I want you to put up a board of singer.”
“Since then, I am into music,” said Rahul.
Rahul got formal training from Gangadharbuwa Pimpalkhare and Dr Madhusudan Patwardhan. His interest in Kumar Gandharva’s music brought him to Mukul Shivpura (Kumarji’s son) who still guides him.
Rahul believes that any kind of music gives pleasure. But classical music is here to stay, he said.
Today, young generation is attracted towards instant publicity platforms. But Rahul finds no potential in such talent hunts.
“When they say that your ‘sur’ was wrong today and you will make improvement till next week, I laugh at them. If improvement in ‘sur’ is possible within a week, there is no need for great musicians to dedicate their lifetime in practicing one Bandish and raag,” said Rahul admitting that real talent never remains unnoticed for long.
The classical music too had many changes since his grandfather’s age. The old time overnight ‘maifils’ are out of date. When asked about the changes in classical music, he said, “We have to accustom ourselves with the changes. Overnight maifils are practically impossible in today’s fast age.”
The ‘Gharana’ and ‘Guru-shishya’ tradition in classical music is hard to find now. However, according to Rahul, the gharana tradition restricts you to a typical type of singing. Like his grandfather, he too is interested in handling all aspects of music. With classical Raagdari, he sings ghazals, bhakti sangeet and semi-classical songs. Through hundreds of stage performances all over the world and several audio cassettes and CDs to his credit, Rahul’s voice is catching attention of every music lover. Through his regular appearances on Marathi television channels like ETV, Me Marathi and Sahyandri, Rahul is reaching to every Marathi house. The talented artist received many honours including Rasikagrani Dattopant Deshpande Award in Sawai Gandharva Music Fest and Sudhir Phadke award for glorious achievement in young age. Besides music, Rahul is interested in adventurous activities like trekking and driving. He is a good player of tennis.
When asked about future plans, Rahul said that he is concentrating only on his classical performances. He received several proposals from Marathi films but he is not interested in acting. His grandfather performed through some Marathi films, “But I can’t do everything that grandpa has done. He was a legend,” says Rahul with a smile on his face. He is not even interested in performing through musical dramas like his
grandfather.
“In February, we will celebrate the 25th death anniversary of grandpa in a grand way by planning an international music festival. We will also organise a competition for budding singers and the winners will be imparted classical music training for free,” said the young man confidently.