Feb 28, 2006 02:35 PM
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(Updated Feb 28, 2006 02:36 PM)
“Chupke, Chupke raat din” has definitely gone down the history of Indian cinema as one of the most mesmerizing Indian film gazals and on the 25th Feb 2006, Ghulam Ali recreated history at Shanmukhanand Hall. After a km walk from the place where I found parking the program that was scheduled to begin at 7.00 pm started at 7.30 pm was actually a blessing in disguise for many. It was well advertised that the program would be graced by Ghulam Ali along with Suresh Wadkar but it was obvious that the crowd of more than 1000 were all hardcore Ghulam Ali fans. Suresh Wadkar starting the program singing gazals from the hindi films and at the same time was testing the patience of the crowd that was eagerly waiting for the Maestro Ghulam Ali. At the end of Suresh Wadkar’s 4th gazal few people started shouting for Ghulam Ali. Suresh Wadkar by no means is a small artist but got overshadowed by the legend.
At 8.15 pm when Suresh Wadkar was almost booed away (though not literally) we all thought that we would get to hear Ghulam Ali next. But then came the felicitation ceremony, that if kept at the end would only be attended by empty seats. All the sponsors SBI, Union Bank of India etc… along with Khayyam (Music Director of yester years) and our BJP Minister Pramod Mahajan felicitated each other & Ghulam Ali. Pramod Mahajan was actually a part of the audience but the organizers being Shiv Sena Activist(Ironically) could not make a mistake by ignoring him. As if that was not enough to go through we were bombarded with India – Pakistan bhai bhai bhashan by the minister and rest.
At 8.45 pm at last we could first hear the legend’s voice that washed away all that we went through earlier. He started with “Andaz who dekhte hai Aaine main” that had the crowd in cheers. He has a very different style of singing his gazals where he mixes it with classical ragas and sets a different mood to it. He likes to sing shayaris more that poetries. Even though he must have sung them at innumerable occasions earlier he sings them once again with all the freshness as if he is probably singing that particular shayari for the first time. “Roz kehte hain bool jau usse, aur roz yeh baat bhool jata hoon” had the audience spell bound. All his pick of shayaris/gazals were from poets who had penned them down probably 50 to 60 years ago. Since they were all in heavy urdu language he was very modest to translate them to the audience before he would sing it for us. Quiet a few of the gazals that he sang were not actually a part of his album releases. “Mehfil main baar baar phir udhar nazar gayi” was a request by Pramod Mahajan that was honoured by him and very well received by the audience. “Dil main ek leher is uthi hai abi” was one gazal that he probably sang with all his heart out. He must have repeated this line atleast 28 to 30 times denoting the different force of Leher (waves) that hit the shores in different moods. This is his specialty where he repeats the same sentence many times in different tones and variations and tries to sing it in the meaning of the sentence itself. For example in“Chupke Chupke” gazal he sings Chupke Chupke very softly so as to give you the feel of the word itself. After singing a fews gazals from his choice of collection then he obliged the audience with his old time favorites like “Chupke Chupke”, “Hungama hai kyun Barpaya” and “Hum ko kiske gum ne mara, “Kaise Chali Hawa” that set the hall on fire. The show went on till 11.15 pm and left us wanting for more…
He came after 20 years to perform in Mumbai and left us really asking more… Why do these artists make such a special appearance and leave us “Chupke Chupke”…
