Dada Did's big fight

There is a new show on ETV- Dada Didi's big fight. It's a show where men are pitted against women. They are mostly modern bengali singers which translated means most of them sing off key or their own creations which can make you feel like smashing the TV. So watch at your own risk. The jury consists of Indrani haldar- a chirpy bengali tv actress and Derek o brien- a jolly quizmaster (and the best among three) and a bengali grey haired journo who is an oldtimer. The audience look like they've been paid ten rupees to sit there and promised that they will be on TBhee. They look like a mass of double digit iq species. WEll, Nochi- my erstwhile favourite (i cringe now when i see him) is the anchor and the show is a total no show. There is no fight- or no big fight atleast. There is a whimper sometimes when one group is losing. Why should there be duets in a competition? The men try anything to flirt with the women- the cute ones which are a rarity! Well...go and see it!

Celebrity part 2- Fame can be self destructive

To continue where I left of- not everyone can handle being a celebrity. Many talented singers and actors actually disintegrate once they have achieved fame. It could be the criticism that gets to them. It could be just the pressure of living up to unreal standards. Take for example this Bengali singer Nachiketa. For those of you who are not familiar with modern Bengali music, Nachiketa is one of the first people to revolutionise the music scene which was dominated for decades by traditional songs such as those of Tagore and Nazrul. He came at the same time as Sumon Chattopadhyay (now Kabir Sumon) during the early nineties and launched the 'jibon-mukhi bangla gaan'. I call him the bard of Bengal. His songs didnt talk of flowers and beauty and love but mirrored the joys and sorrows of the common man on the street. They had themes as diverse as corruption, prostitution, disrespect of women and the loneliness of old age and were worded beautifully (he writes his own songs). But most importantly, it was Nachi's magical, deep throated and perfect pitched voice that touched your soul. It was a potent combination- hard hitting lyrics sung in a sonorous voice. Nachiketa became an instant hit with the masses. He was everywhere- on television, road shows, music stores, puja pandals.
With the accolades came the brickbats. Critics said he lifted music from others. He did set a few of his songs to famous tunes and made his own 'versions' initially. Some said his songs were too 'light' which meant they were not classical enough, etc. Well, once you are in the spotlight people will say a million things about you. If Nachi was smart he wouldnt have let these things get to him and continued to do what he did best. But, like I said, for someone who came from a very humble background, he could not handle his celebrity status. He began to try to prove his critics wrong. That wasnt so bad. But he tried too hard. He started singing pure classical numbers, he focussed his talents more on the technique than the words and the style he became popular for. He tried to gain approval of the very traditionalists he trashed. The result?
Nachiketa's new albums dont make news anymore. If you isten to his latest numbers you will wonder if he is the same chap who sang the likes of 'kalo meye', 'ambition', 'ek din jhor theme jabe' and 'bish, shudhu bish deo'. Today, when you see him on tv- he is trying to impress you with a 'srabono ghonaye'. But Nachi- dont forget- you are poet, a singer with a pulse on the man on the street. We dont want a khayal or thumri from you. We'd go to Ghulam Ali and Girija Devi for that. We want what you can give us in your inimitable voice!
I interviewed Nachiketa a couple of years back and was irritated to find this gang of 'chamchas' he surrounds himself with. They praise him to the skies, pamper his every whim and keep him far removed from reality. I guess he got them to go with his celebrity status. Nachi's got the money and fame he never had when he started out. But he's definitely lost the soul of his music.