Vin Nair's Vin Sinners: Sinning and Vinning

I was on the road with the reverbnation.com-anointed #1 Hard Rock of Dubai, Vin Sinners, for their two-city India tour across Mumbai and Chennai. After the tour, I wrote a special story for India's Number One Indy music website and print magazine, The BIG M. A story they couldn't run in its entirety.

But here's the complete story, and more than what I sent The BIG M.  If you love  classic hard rock, check out Vin Sinners and their music. It's An Element of Surprise. And meanwhile, here's the portrait of the rocker and the corporate honcho as an ordinary man. Vin Nair, aka Vinesh Venugopal Nair. 

Frontman and lead singer of Vin Sinners.

FOUR MONTHS back, when I called him on his Dubai number in the afternoon Mumbai time, this towering fella who thrills while belting out super hard-n-heavy rock songs as frontman of a hard rock band, was “in the back of beyond”, as he put it. “Hey, Pavan, I’m crossing a path flanked by tall grass in some remote Indonesian village!” What was he doing there? “Distributing school bags to poor village school children!” he boomed back happily. No, his band Vin Sinners, recently voted Dubai’s #1 Hard Rock Band by reverbnation.com isn’t a rich outfit that does CSR thousands of miles from home base. It wasn’t Vin Sinner the band frontman at work; it was senior corporate executive Vinesh Nair, Global MarkComm Head of Xpress Money in over 140 countries out of Dubai, doing CSR and reveling in the happiness it gave him. 

For Vin Sinners’ CSR, Vin Nair reaches out to School children in Dubai and anywhere else he and the band are touring or performing, telling them about the importance of a substance-free life. “You don’t have to be smokin’ to be rockin’!” he tells them, giving them his own example – no reed, no weed, no smokes at all.

Another big recent achievement --  to him as big as Vin Sinners being anointed the #1 Hard Rock Band of Dubai by reverbnation.com, and one he takes beaming pride in -- is when his talented 12-year-old daughter gave him her verdict on the quality of his musical contribution to craft the ending of her debut original song composition for a school project. “Dad," she told him the morning after he'd sat up the entire night finishing the song for her,  "I loved it!”.

Recently, he spent over a week away from her, leading his talented band of five musicians into their first India Tour across Mumbai and Chennai. Vin Sinners’ An Element of Surprise tour saw the band play four gigs  -- two each on consecutive nights in Mumbai’s The Bandra Base and Chennai’s The B Bar in end Feb. It was a culmination of a 20-year-old dream with a 14-year hiatus. But more on that later. The India Tour of Vin Sinners first.

Mumbai. Two nights unplugged hard rock at The Bandra Base.

Loud, Heavy and Melodic, is how Vin Sinners describe their music. So when their Mumbai gig kicked off, the pre-event publicity took music lovers by surprise. How can a Hard Rock Band play acoustic and unplugged hard rock? Acoustic and unplugged has an inherent ‘softness’ implied. “We’ve re-engineered the sound,” Vin said, “and we’ve deliberately chosen a small venue, with a very warm and fuzzy lived-in feeling, where music lovers could sit together and enjoy our sound which we’ve consciously re-engineered to achieve a living room effect, and we couldn't have  found a better place than The Bandra Base, if we'd looked for a month of Sundays.”

Vin Sinners, ready  for Mumbai: Vin, JB (Jing Bongato on his right); Aldo Rock with the Superman T behind Vin from left, with Cmythonika aka Smithy, Naveen The Skinner and big bassist Joe D Mon

And true enough, on the night of their first performance at The Bandra Base, a room  that could pack in around 80 people standing, saw 35-40 music lovers sitting on dhurries and mats, lolling against the walls of the soft-red-and-yellow lit room, eyes shut, half smiling, swaying to excellent original hard rock tracks from their first album An Element of Surprise. And sure enough, they enjoyed the experience of lying inert, soaking acoutstic-soft hard rock that, as Vin said he'd re-engineered for a living-room-like experience. “It will sound a little softer, yes,” he had promised, “but the nature and the essence of the hard rock beast will rear its handsome head h once in a while!” 

And it did, throughout the 2-hour gig that six usually foot stomping, grimacing-smiling, wild-eyed musicians high only on hard rock but now actually sitting on chairs like genteel classical guitarists, keyboardists and druGrasshopper Greens, which opened for them in Chennai,  told me “we have all grown up on". 

"Vin  Sinners’ kind of music is very rare today," Sunil said. "There aren’t many hard rock bands that play classical hard rock music. They either dive into the morass of wild heavy metal, or traipse around in the soft-poppish-alternate wishy-washy kind of neither-here-nor-there sound.”  

That, really, describes the real USP of Vin Sinners:  the kind of music we grew up on.

...As they did that, it was like a culmination and a beginning for Vin Nair, full name Vinesh Venugopal Nair. Who learnt his music being a part of a church choir when he was just 9 years old and went on to form a covers band while in college. That band was Acanthus.

“I had Acanthus in 1991 with my friend and classmate Gerard. Acanthus played at college events in Bangalore, Pondichery and Coimbatore, focusing on cover tracks of the top bands like Iron Maiden, Bonjovi, Pearl Jam, Radio Head, Nirvana and Guns N Roses, among others”, says Vin. “We created just one original track then, but we did that because it was mandatory to qualify.

Then, Acanthus disbanded. And Vin’s music went into hibernation as he concentrated on building his career, but also kept writing lyrics with no specific intent. “See, I admire musicians who could persist and stick on, trying to make a career out of their underground music. Me? I had to put food on the table. I focused on my career, kept writing lyrics with no specific intent in mind.” Vin had begun to write lyrics for songs and created quite a large stash while he pursued a career in advertising.

Over the years, Vin climbed the corporate ladder but somewhere at the back of his heart, his music fire didn't die completely. Interestingly, during much of the early part of the new millennium, Vin found himself as one of the lead singers in a Satsang group in Chennai for the Art of Living Foundation while continuing to listen and thrive on rock and heavy metal.

By the time Vin met Atif Ali, his co-producer in 2010, he had already set up a fairly successful Internet consulting business in Dubai where he had been living for 5 years. Vin and Atif went about putting melody to the large stash of lyrics that Vin had written over the years. When the third song was done, Vin decided to upload it on a music social network called reverbnation.com,  and the song straight away topped to No.2 on the local UAE charts - that song, incidentally, was Something To Believe In. This was when Vin realized that this could be a lot bigger than just a production exercise.

'This train's here to roll!', says Vin

While the first few tracks involved mainly Atif and Tabraiz (Atif's colleague) on the instrumentation, Vin started to audition a band. By the time the album was done, Vin Sinners were a band and were ready to perform live.

While the launch was originally slated for Christmas Day, 2010, Vin had to postpone all plans owing to serious pressures on his work front. In March 2011, he eventually had to wrap up his consulting business and was immediately hired by a company called Xpress Money to head their Global Marketing & Communications portfolio. Over the next 7 months, Vin focused on recovering from his own business debacle and some members of the band exited.

Vin Sinners regrouped in October 2011 and Vin set a launch date of December 9, 2011. There would be no change this time. The new line up of musicians worked tirelessly towards making a 'show of it'.

Vin Sinners attracted partners such as Rock Radio UAE, Sify.com, UAE Exchange and in fact even Vin's employers Xpress Money joined in to support his initiative. The venue chosen was The Music Room, a popular 'local band' hide-out in Dubai. Fans sported exclusive Vin Sinners T shirts and bought copies of the album titled An Element of Surprise. As the lights dimmed, an intro video to the popular theme song from the movie Inception called The Dream is Collapsing  began to play, slowly bringing to the fore the line up of Vin Sinners. The stage filled with smoke but remained dark as the first song on the album called Hail Ya Sinners began, and with the vocals, the stage lit up to introduce a seven member line up on stage with Vin Sinner, dressed in black leather, wrap-around blue glares as frontman. The band put up an epic show that night.

The launch was followed up with another show on Dec 23rd, 2011, and over the months that followed, Vin Sinners played at the Wheels of Steel show Unzipped and even opened for Indus Creed and Motherjane.

While the line-up had some changes, Vin ensured the focus remained on the set size and quality of the 'experience'. Which is why the band calls its genre 'experiential rock'. And that, really, was the experience Vin and his boys were trying to give to fans and music lovers in their first gig in India...

...Cut back to The Bandra Base in Mumbai. 

The six Sinners are on the small stage. Aldo Rock, brilliant virtuoso lead guitarist – considered one of the best lead guitarists in the Middle East. A full time professional guitar teacher too.  ‘Smithy’, or Cmythonika,  diminutive, extremely talented keyboardist by night and facilities manager by day. Jing Bongato, or JB, as he's fondly known. A super-clean-playing, super talented lead guitarist who considers Aldo Rock his guru and guide, and whom Aldo treats like a protege. The talented JB is the   only non-Indian in Vin Sinners – he’s  a Filipino working with Vin at Xpress Money. Naveen (The Skinner), advertising executive by day and flamboyant drums gymnast by night. Joe D'Mon, a strapping big lad, the band's hopping-plucking bassist-by-night who heads an Interiors company by day. (Joe and Naveen have been  "bumchums" all their life, starting from school.) And then, of course, there’s Vin  -- frontman, lead singer, lyricist, composer and  big-brother to the five.

Playing a few covers too, the band essentially regaled The Bandra Base audiences with original tracks. Incidentally, An Element of Surprise, their first album, when digitally released in India by artistaloud.com, grabbed the top 3 spots on RadioAndMusic.com’s Indy charts. 

Vin and his boys played tracks like Hail Ya Sinners, the intro to An Element of Surprise Album; the classic rock tracks Something To Believe In; Return to Solace, a unique grunge-metal fusion satisfyingly equidistant from both, Industrial and Classical metal;  the classical rock ballad The Wise Man -  Vin's dedication to his father, and also the first song the band recorded and released on the Metal Asylum 2010 Greatest Hits of the Middle East. This track had guitaring dervish Aldo Rock play some killer melodies. Then there was Barack Hussein Obama, the song that Vin wrote as a tribute to current American President, and styled on the lines of classic metal; a track with a head-banging mood, but, surprise, played softly enough. And some medlied covers from GNR, The Doors, Police, and more. And closing with the title track, An Element of Surprise, which Vin describes as a song that tracks down the various sentiments in your life, the phases that make them and the understanding that it is all a surprise. A slow track that builds, and grows on your mind.

Vin says, “We created an experience for our fans at The Bandra Base. The formula has worked over here and can work anywhere. It’s the difference between listening to a CD at home and remembering an experience.”

The second night at The Bandra Base was even more languid. Both days, Feb 20 and 21, were the national bandh days, and even though the bandhs had been called off, most people in Bombay seemed to have decided to take it easy. The roads were empty, people didn’t stir out, but the real rock lovers did, and The Bandra Base had a laid back, languid air middle-of-a-working-week.

Dee Wood

(BTW, the  Bandra Base is a little hidden gem of  place that really deserves a separate introduction along with one to the extremely talented, genial and supportive man who is like a manager-custodian of the place, Dee Wood. The man, as any musician in Mumbai would know, is an American who fell in love with India and one of its most well known advertising women, and today has been in India for, if one isn't incorrect, around three decades. That's one long love affair! I'll introduce you to Dee and the great work he does. Oh, he's also an excellent bass guitarist and  the English On Air Promos voice on STAR's Movies. But more on Dee in a separate post, to give the man the least his good work deserves... a separate post :)

Chennai. Two nights of searing, deeply-plugged super-amplified hard rock at The B Bar.

From the languid moods of soft acoustic unplugged hard rock – yes, a contradiction in terms, much like Groucho Marx’s ‘military intelligence’ jibe – very early in the morning, Vin Sinners and I made our way to the Airport and to take an unearthly-hour morning flight to Chennai for two nights of full-blast, deeply plugged super-amplified hard rock music that had the eardrums ringing and hard rock fans’ hearts singing… even singe-ing.

Blues Conscience  opening for Vin Sinners

On Night One at Indy bands' favourite hangout and showcasing stage, the genial Vipin Sachdev's The B Bar, the melodic music of the beautifully tight and soft blues band, Blues Conscience, led by another advertising-exec-by-day, Aum, opened for Vin Sinners. Blues Conscience excelled with their lively syncopating jazz-blues-with-a-hint-of-rock blend replete with heart-stepping rhythms and the excellent guitaring that ranged from the meanderingly languid o virtuoso-dextrous; ever crisply clean and melodic. Blues Conscience is made up of Aum Janakiram - Guitars/Vocals (by day Founding Partner of MMU Communications, a digital servicing agency), Anek Ahuja - Bass/Vocals (by day Founding Partner of Whoa Mama Design, a design agency), Neil Smith - Drums (by day a  manager at Amazon.com) and Sid Kumar - Keys (by day a content writer for an international firm). 

And when Vin and his five Sinners struck their first hard-rock power chord -- coming as they did after Aum and his Blues Conscience boys -- the sheer breadth and diversity of the variety of musical genres being dished out to the packed house at The B Bar was as starkly obvious  as Vin Sinners' performance was brilliant.

The camaraderie between bands, with musicians helping other bands iron out unforeseen little production and sound glitches, was sweetly evident when Aum, who's been close to Vin for several years now, swiftly stepped in to help out with some similar unforeseen tangle. Not only did he unravel it during the day, but that night, provided a melodic and tasteful curtain-raiser to the Sinners' powerful music.

Aum of Blues Conscience

"Vinesh and I go back long way," Aum told me. "He (Vinesh) was the one who introduced me to his friends Vijay and Sanjay from who I learnt a lot about guitar and composition. We even did an MRF jingle together for Zapper tyres. Vinesh was always writing tunes and dreamt of the day he'd get on stage with his heavy metal band and rock the world. When I received my copy of the album (An Element of Surprise) I was absolutely blown away. And watching Vin Sinners was a real treat which took me back to my headbanging metal days with long hair. Good to see he's living the dream, and I wish the guys all the very best! 


Hindustan Times, Chennai Times, DNA, The Hindu, India Today, The New Indian Express, Times City, Outlook Business, Asian Age, Afternoon… most mainline and other important media covered Vin Sinners on their First India Tour. That augurs well for the future of Indy Music being kept alive by bands that seldom, if at all, receive Radio playout support, purely because at least 90% -- if not more -- of private FM Radio networks are sticking to Bollywood. 

Prem Kumar of Chennai Live

Happily, Prem Kumar of Chennai Live, Chennai's only English music playing station, agreed to help the cause of independent music and the Chennai leg of Vin Sinners' first India Tour by becoming its official Radio Partner. Extensive interviews, album track playouts, SMS-based contests for Gold couple passes to the live gigs and signed album CDs as prizes, a meeting with their active Radio Book Club listeners replete with budding authors and voracious readers... the station actually gave Vin Nair and Vin Sinners the opportunity to interact with all their listeners and lovers of international music emerging from India. Take a bow, Prem, Pooja, everyone else at Chennai Live! 

On air in Chennai: With popular RJ Rohan in the studios of Chennai Live, the city's only English music-playing radio station

Vin with the Chennai Live Book Club listener-readers at The Burgundy Restaurant which hosts club meetings each Saturday afternoon. Giving out autographed CDs of An Element of Surprise and receiving books from   Book Club host Jane Ram. Chennai Live RJ Rohan (in checked shirt) is beside Jane (dark top). Effervescent Burgundy Restaurant and The B Bar comm head Neha Agarwal can be seen  behind and between Rohan and Jane. 

Vin and the Chennai Live Book Club host Jane (extreme left), with book club listeners and music lovers

Parag Kamani, partially  hidden by the lovely lady in pink, enjoying the gig at The Bandra Base 

Nirmika Singh of HT Mumbai

Another young journalist, who is also a lead singer in her own band, Nirmika Singh, too met up with Vin, and happily for us,  decided that editorially, a story on Vin Sinners would make interesting reading for the lakhs who read Hindustan Times in Mumbai every day. DNA's Sarita Tanwar and Shreya Badola, and RadioAndMusic.com's Anil Wanvari and Poonam Ahuja and Afternoon's Carol Andrade too ran excellent stories that would not only have interested their readers but also helped the cause of Indy music from private bands.

Popular Indy music-supporting website thebigm.co.in and its sister print publication, The BIG M, too supported Vin and his boys with a 3-page story in their March 2013 issue. Editor Mihir Malani wrote: "Across the borders, Vin Nair of Vin Sinners has been belting out some heavy and 'melodic'  rock that has caught our attention. We speak to the man behind one of Dubai's top bands as he promotes hs latest album through performances across the country". If you like what the Indy bands  are doing, and want to support the mission of publications like The BIG M that in turn support Indy music, go out and pick up a copy of  their March issue. Available at all the Landmark book stores at 50  bucks apiece -- half what you'd pay for a good cup of coffee today.

And now, cutting back to Vin Sinners. They're back in Dubai, and Vin Nair and his boys  are working on their second album. Vin swells up even more, if it were possible for this 6-foot-two heavy-set giant to do so, when he speaks about it. “It’s an 'epic' project that will showcase the diversity and dynamics of this band.” It’ll be a double-CD album that he claims will “blow your mind... I have a huge slate to clean with lyrics for more than 50 songs in the bag. That assures us of at least a few more albums. "This train's here to roll!”

He’s confident it will roll. Because, he believes, “God delivers to those who have intent.”

'THIS TRAIN'S HERE TO ROLL!' Vin Sinners: ‘Smithy’, or Cmythonika; Joe D Mon; Vin Nair; Naveen (The Skinner); Aldo Rock; Jing Bongato, aka JB

Bappi Da ke 'L Lag Gaye': Should 'catchy' rule over 'crappy'?

Poor Bappi Da! All his life the joke, in Bangla tone, was, "Saara duniya Bappi Da ke GAAN ka deewana hai!". And now, in his 40th year in Bollywood, the man's singing, 'Mere 'L' Lag Gaye!'. Finally, fruition for that popular GAAN? Ouch! That is a crass joke, but then what else does a cheap movie marketing stunt like this deserve?
Here's a press release that landed in my inbox with the subject line: '40 years in the music industry and Bappi Ke 'L Lag Gaye'!'
And here's the complete press release: (even in the context of this view, I can visualise a PR person telling the producer, wink-wink, "Sir, publicity mili na? PIcture hit hogi!")
The news channels will play the videos adnauseum. Some will even have a round table discussing whether such ashleelta (vulgarity) is eroding social norms and should be permitted, but will intersperse the discussion with all past instances of vulgarity, ranging form Bhaag DK Bose Dk Bose DK to Andheri Raat Mein Diya Tere Haat Mein, to double entendre dialogue from that forgettable Kader Khan film, like, "Main teri loonga... photo!" to so  many others.
And the youth will swing to it. The film's marketing team might even issue a Law Graduates statistic saying, "To date, itne laakh logon ke 'L lag Gaye Hain', referring to their obtaining LLB Degrees."  "Talking point, Producer Sahab! Publicity milegi. Let us appropriate this expression, so that the next time at a Law College convocation, all the graduates, with their parents, family and friends, can toss their into the air and shriek with delight, " Mere L Lag Gaye!". The YouTube channel will be abuzz!  Indian graduates from the Harvard and other international Law schools will say, "Mere International L Lag gaye!" And so the communication and business strategist will continue, prodding the miasma with the vulgar stick of crassness so the fumes will help cut the clutter. 
Even Amir Khan, whom I admire as an actor and a human being, went ahead with 'Bhag DK Bose DK Bose DK' on the lines of, perhaps, funky creative freedom. What next from the Bollywood Poet's Society that's given us poetry even in situational songs? Just because some Jolly gets an LLB degree, he goes around singing Mere L Lag Gaye? How clever is that? And how crass, when promoted out of context. Doubtless this latest example of crassness too will get assigned to the dustbin of eminently forgettable -- and roundly forgotton -- songs that are used only to make you sit up an notice them like you would a dirty-mud splash were it to crash into your consciousness. The Fox Star MD has reportedly said in a press release, no less, that "he anthem",  L Lag Gaye will be used yust to drive the footfalls and have RJs of othe 'Bhabhi' shows ilk blabber mischievously about it, giving it airplay and push the footfalls to the movie halls.

Mehdi Hassan’s 15 best film songs – my favourites

The Voice of God didn’t sing just the most beautiful ghazals; it excelled at commercial film songs too. Here, listen to 15 of my favourite songs that Mehdi Hassan sang for Pakistani films. Hope you like them – Pavan R Chawla

Back in 2004, I think it was, when I met the great Lata Mangeshkar to discuss PR for MAX for the India v/s Sri Lanka benefit match for the Dinanath Mangeshkar Memorial Hospital she was keen on setting up in Pune, when she told me, in response to a question about her favourite singers:  “If I can, I always make it a point to listen to two singers every night before going to bed, and every morning after I wake up.” One, she said, was Barbara Streisand. The other was Mehdi Hassan. I loved her even more then, if that is possible, because Mehdi Hassan has always been my favourite too.

Thank God for recordings – Mehdi Hassan’s golden voice, with the breathtakingly handsome balance of smoothness and gravelly texture that surely was the result of a divine fluke, will live on for ever. (My heart goes out to a dear friend from Pakistan, Goher Iqbal Punn, who, years ago, had sent me an assortment of excellent Pakistani songs. We grieve.)

I remember, some of the first Mehdi Hassan songs I heard were from an LP of his old Pakistani Film songs – each a gem. Rafta Rafta Woh Meri Hasti Ka Saamaan Ho Gaye, Ranjish Hi Sahi, Kaise Kaise Log Hamare Dil Ko Jalaane Aa Jaate Hain, Tanha Thi Aur Hamesha Se Tanha Hai Zindagi… It was 1974-75, I think, and I was in Chandigarh. Thankfully, Radio Pakistan’s Lahore station tuned loud and clear on Medium Wave on my cherished possession, the six-band HMV Peacock radio with a glowing rich wooden body the grains of which gleamed brighter with each dusting. It had a golden grill, two speakers, and a lovely green-glowing valve, the tuning indicator light in which you tried to reduce as close to a hair-thin sliver as possible – for that indicated the finest tuning. The door to the room shut, Volume nicely up, Bass and Treble levels set, I would sit back and pray that the next song my favourite announcer on Radio Pakistan Lahore, Hassan Shahid Mirza,  announced,  would be one sung by Mehdi Hassan, and for a film.

Mehdi Hassan was the undisputed Ghazal King, and also excelled at film songs. I reveled in those songs, and such was my love for Mehdi Hassan’s voice, that even though eight out of ten Pakistani film songs -- especially the ones by Noor Jahan and Nahid Akhtar -- sounded more like nasal noise with loosely arranged, loud music with rough sounding strings arrangements, the remaining two gems that crept in, as if embarrassed, truly glittered – as lilting as the best melodies from India. A common factor, throughout, would be Mehdi Hassan’s voice.

The man with a truly gentlemanly voice sang dulcet romantic songs for some of the top Pakistani heroes, like Nadeem. Composed by the great Robin Ghosh (the music director from Bangladesh, who, while composing brilliantly written romantic songs picturized on the beautiful heroine Shabnam, fell in love with her and married her, to move ultimately to Bangladesh after a hugely successful musical career) and M Ashraf, perhaps Pakistan films’ most successful music director, and Kamal Ahmed and Tafu, along with others, these are some of the best songs Mehdi Hassan has sung.

Many of these Pakistani songs were copied by not only regular copycat Nadeem-Shravan, but Rajesh Roshan too. But this is about some great film songs by Mehdi Hasan, and I’m putting up 15 of my favourites.

Duniya Se Tujh Ko Chura Loon.  The best comes first. This is a brilliantly composed, written, arranged and sung – of course – romantic ballad, composed by Robin Ghosh. A perfect example of perfect balance in a song. Melody, lyrics, musical performance, and that golden, smooth and gravelly voice of Mehdi Hasan. Perfection! Here it is: LISTEN TO 'DUNIYA SE TUJH KO CHURA LOON'
Jhuke Jhuke Nainon Waale, (Chain Mera Le Gaye, Dard Anokha Mere Manwa Ko De Gaye. Savour these pure Hindi lyrics by Riyaz-ur-Rehman Sagar, composed by M Ashraf. Mehdi Hasan sparkles in a song which, in its interludes, is musically arranged unlike anything you would have expected the Ghazal King to have sung! And the tabla and dholak that Mehdi Hasan’s vocals ride are sweetly simple. And while you are at it, also savour these shuddh Hindi lyrics of the first antaraa: Palkon Hi Palkon Mein, Bas Ik Pal Ko, Chup ke se kuchch aise dekha…  And, the next antara goes: Janam Janam Ke Ye Ghaav Lagaa Dein, Nain-an Baan Ki Maar Na Poochho…. Dil Bhi Zakhmi, Rooh Bhi Ghaayal, Iss Kajre Ki Dhaar Na Poochho…! Amazing Hindi lyrics in a delightful commercial Pakistani film song. With sweet smooth murkis from the Maestro. Enjoy! http://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F50086799&show_artwork=true
Here are two great romantic ballads tuned by Robin Ghosh, sung by Mehdi Hasan: Tere Bheege Badan Ki Khushbu Se, a brilliant, intensely romantic song. Music director Robin Ghosh composed this for Nadeem and Shabnam. Brilliant lyrics by Masroor Anwar (if memory serves me right). Here it is. Enjoy this truly beautiful composition! It’s also got Runa Laila humming beautifully. What a brilliant amalgam of tune, lyrics, orchetration, and that great voice. Mehdi Hasan’s voice will never die.  http://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F50086804&show_artwork=true
And this one’s Pyar Bhare Do Sharmeele Nain (this is the filmy version, not the live ghazal version). Another brilliant piece of work by composer Robin Ghosh. LISTEN TO PYAR BHARE DO SHARMILE NAIN
And here’s Mehdi Hasan singing a really stylishly composed romantic filmy song: Bheegi Bheegi Raaton Mein, Yun-hi Baaton Baaton Mein, Jheel Jaisi Aankhon Waali Ladki Se… Muaqaat Ho Gai. The lyrics ride a solid bass guitar, heavy but softly closed congas, brilliant piano accordion, with the antara flowing on an off-tabla beat. And Mehdi Hasan ruling the track. This is one avataar of Mehdi Hasan you mightn’t have heard. http://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F50086791&show_artwork=true
Bahut Khoobsurat Hai Mera Sanam – This is the song that brazen copycats Nadeem-Shravan copied for one of their biggest hits in their heydays. Mehdi Hasan excels, again, singing the excellent lyrics by Khwaja Parvez in this beautiful, tuneful composition by Kamal Ahmed. No wonder Nadeem-Shravan’s photocopy of this song, Bahut Pyar Karte Hain Tumko Sanam, was a big hit. Enjoy the original! http://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F50086790&show_artwork=true
Main Hoon Wafa Tu Hai Jaane Wafa, Kar Na Sakegi Ye Duniya Judaa. Mehdi Hassan, a brutally nasal Noor Jahan, a stunning, slow duet based on just the bass guitar, congas and a brilliant accordion – never heard such instrumental arrangements for a slowly meandering romantic ballad. Music by Tafu, and I believe his teenage son played the congas. Amazing stuff. Here it is. Don't mind the nasal Noor Jehan.  Mehdi Hasan and the composition, and, as I said, the very different musical treatment plus arrangements, and the lyrics, are all excellent. Here it is. http://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F50086802&show_artwork=true
Here are some other -- really, only a few -- of my favourite Mehdi Hasan film songs. I've actually reduced the file sizes so they can load quickly, and you can still enjoy the rich, gravelly voice.
Bheegi Hui Aankhon  Ka Kajal – Mehdi Hasan sings M Ashraf’s brilliant Tabla-Strings-Accordion-based composition.  LISTEN TO 'BHEEGI HUI AANKOHN KA KAJAL'
Dil Ko Kisi Dil Se Jab Pyar Ho Jata Hai – Mehdi Hasan and Mehnaz sing Robin Ghosh’s composition for Shabnam. Lovely romantic duet, very stylishly tuned; great lyrics, real instruments -- not synthetic sampling. Love the guitar, congas, strings, flute, keyboards… amazing stuff. http://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F50086794&show_artwork=true
Do Pyase Dil Ek Huay Hain Aise – Composer Robin Ghosh sparkles again, with Mehdi Hasan and Mehnaz singing a brilliantly composed tune. Check the chorus too in this  brilliantly orchestrated, ever-so-tightly arranged composition. Love the heavy muted congas, the crisp bongos, the acoustic Spanish guitar, and Mehdi Hasan’s and Mehnaaz’s voices. Check it out here: http://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F50086795&show_artwork=true
Do Saathi Jeevan Ke – Sweetly simple melody, simple lyrics. Brilliantly arranged track. Mehdi Hassan and Mehnaaz again. Another beautifully composed, tightly arranged, well orchestrated track. Don’t miss the exquisitely crisp dholak, especially where the antaraas begin.  And the strings, plus the bass this lovely tune rides.
http://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F50086796&show_artwork=true Jis Din Se Dekha Hai Tumko Sanam. Another romantic gem from composer Robin Ghosh, in which Mehdi Hasan lends his voice to actor Nadeem singing his heart out for Shabnam, from the film Amber.  The lyrics by, if I remember correctly were by Masroor Anwar, though a YoutTube video credits Taslim Fazli (another popular and successful Pakistani film lyricist). Whatever. Enjoy this song, right here:
http://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F50086800&show_artwork=true Kabhi Main Sochta Hoon. A typical hero-singing-at-a-party kind of song. Another of Mehdi Hasan’s popular film songs from Pakistan.
http://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F50086801&show_artwork=true Tere Siwa Duniya Mein. This song, from the film Shabana, composed by M Ashraf and written by Taslim Fazli, has got to be, in terms of the style and arrangements the song, the farthest from the great Ghazal King’s pristine live ghazal-singing avataar. Very filmy, this song, with fabulous congas (especially in the interludes and antaraas, especially in the antaraas, excellent acoustic guitar, keyboards, and strings. Here’s Mehdi Hasan sahab singing: ‘I Love You… Pyar Mera O Jaane Jaana, Bhool Na Jaana!’LISTEN TO 'TERE SIWA DUNIYA MEIN'
Yeh Tera Aana: Another  very popular song Mehdi Hasan sang for Pakistani films, this one is from the film Shama, composed by M Ashraf, with lyrics by – if memory serves me right -- Taslim Fazli. This intensely romantic song lilts along on an exquisite, crisp tabla and dholak. And don’t miss the beautiful syncopation amongst the accordion, strings, flute and saxohpone in the interludes. Truly delightful. Here it is:
http://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F50086805&show_artwork=true There are many more songs, beautiful ones, that Mehdi Hasan has sung for films. Love the voice! He’s given us so many soulful, peace-inducing ghazals, songs… may he rest in peace. Music, and especially the ghazal, is bereaved. As we know, the great Lata Mangeshkar described his voice as the Voice of God.
Understatement.
……………………………………….
I hope someone lifts these tunes!

Years ago, I had met Anand Milind, and given them a tape of Pakistani songs I had liked. That tape contained a Robin Ghosh-composed melody, Sona Na Chandi Na Koi Mahal Jaane Man, Tujh Ko Main De Sakoonga, sung by Akhlaq Ahmed for the film Bandish.  LISTEN TO 'SONA NA CHANDI NA KOI MAHAL' HERE
Sure enough, some time after I had handed over the tape, I heard the song Chhoti Si Duniya, a carbon copy of the melody, and not half as beautifully arranged. The film was Ek Ladka Ek Ladki, and the ‘composers’? Anand Milind. LISTEN TO 'CHHOTI SI DUNIYA' HERE 
I’m just hoping some inspired Indian music director lifts a few melodies from the Mehdi Hassan songs above, and gives us something better than the wailing local-train-beggar voices singing strings-less synthetic ‘tunes’ made on a single copy-paster-of-atomatic-samples keyboard! OK, I’m exaggerating to make a point. But someone lift these tunes!

Technorati Tags: Mehdi Hassan,M Ashraf,Taslim Fazli,Robin Ghosh,Pakistani Film Songs,actress Shabnam,actor Nadeem,Masroor Anwar,Nadeem Shravan,Hasan Shaid Mirza announcer,Radio Pakistan,Anand Milind,Goher Iqbal Punn

Random thoughts from the India Radio Forum 2012 in Mumbai

The India Radio Forum 2012, Mumbai. Much déjà vu, some interesting insights, very poor – actually, dismal – turnout, particularly for a Radio event.

But fortunately, there were some pretty good Radio- and other leaders in attendance, who gave time for the sessions, presentations, panel discussions.

The runaway winner of the day, for me, was Jason Brownlee’s brilliant presentation of The RadioGUAGE Hall of Fame. Four excellent Radio ad campaigns, handpicked from more than 600 that RadioGUAGE has tested since 2007 across the UK, South Africa, Ireland and Canada.  Brownlee, International Development Director for RadioGAUGE, showcased four of the most successful and inspiring radio commercials that generated fantastic results for brands and advertisers. Don’t get too optimistic, but I plan to try and get the spots from him, along with his entire PPT on them. A great lesson for everyone trying to crack the creative brilliance roadblock in radio advertising.

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One is fed up of the fact that media buyers keep referring to Radio as just the multiplier, frequency medium, even when RAM and TAM have proven that Radio, at least in the mornings and all the way till noon and even afternoon, is actually a reach medium giving bigger a bigger audience than TV does.  I had suggested to the excellent panel discussing Maximising Radio's Assets: How To Gain Share Of Market Spend, moderated by a personal favourite Radio leader, Apurva Purohit, that the Radio Operators should actually get together and advertise and profile the strengths of FM Radio as a medium in the media marketplace. I guess I should have asked  the question only if there were several Radio heads at the same table, because even though she’s been an active Radio evangelist  for several years, all Apurva said -- with a smile -- was: “As a moderator, I only have to ask questions; I can choose not to answer them.”

* * *

Another session I attended was on the use of Social Media by Radio. Colors-Viacom 18 CEO Raj Nayak led a solid panel that also included Satbir Singh, Managing Partner & Chief Creative Officer - Euro RSCG, Tushar Vyas, Managing Partner - GroupM South Asia, and Premjeet Sodhi, COO - Lintas Media Group.

While the views, suggestions, hopes and the food for thought the panelists gave on the topic were interesting, two things stood out in this discussion.

The first was the observation Red FM RJ Rohini -- who had also anchored the first half of the day – made on the use of Social Media by FM Radio. Now Rohini is extremely active -- and popular – on Social Media, across Twitter and FB, and she said, to the effect, “The audiences that listen to FM are different from the ones active on Social Media. Radio should remember that those on Social Media are largely a different section of people. They are not regular listeners of FM, so Radio should use its presence on Social Media platforms, especially Twitter,  to inform and excite their users to listen to what’s on air.” In other words, put up audio excerpts of RJ-talk, other conversation and interesting content including special campaigns and especially sparklers.  Assume, therefore, that you won’t find too many current FM Radio listeners on Social Media, but a large majority of potential new listeners. So tweak the content you aim at Social Media users, and you will most likely see your actual listenership grow.

RJ Ankit of BIG FM is as much a livewire in person as he is on air, where he’s impressive with the timbre of his voice, his pleasant conversational style, and his brilliant fluency with Hindi, Marathi and, of course, English. And he too, like a Rohini and Malishka, is extremely popular on Social Media – apparently, has some 70000 (that figure from memory; may be inaccurate) or more likes on his FB page and thousands on followers on Twitter too. What Ankit said pointed to the exact opposite direction: he wants to leave the choice of the song playlist entirely to votes from his FB and Twitter fans and followers, so obviously, there not only exists a large chunk of FM listeners on Social Media, but it will also drive greater listenership due to the interactive process of choosing a song to be played out.

Interesting views, both.

The second thing that stood out in The Use of Social Media by Radio panel discussion was the manner in which my friend Suman Srivastava, Founder & Innovation Artist, Marketing Unplugged, lived up to the second half of his title at Marketing Unplugged: instead of sitting staidly like all the other moderators at panel discussions I have attended, Suman, one mike lapelled and another in his hand, decided to moderate the panel walking amongst the audience, and inviting and interjecting points of view from people in the audience who chose to share them even as the panel discussion was underway. Very interesting, far more interactive, and of course, innovative. I wouldn’t be surprised if  Suman and particularly his presentation – or moderating -- style soon become the norm in such panel presentations; they’d surely become far more interesting.

* * *

One more suggestion to every panel discussion in the future. While there is a topic that is interesting, and there are excellent professionals to examine each issue, I believe that there must be an agenda to the panel discussions too: Some tangible takeaways for each discussion.

Remember, these B2B events are attended by professionals across levels, all seeking knowledge to help them do their jobs better and grow. But digression tends to rule, and if one were to actually sit and list out the bullet points on the lines of What-did-the-upcoming-professional-learn-today,  there’d be only unconnected bits and pieces. The event organizer should actually detail out the main and sub-themes of the discussion, and request each panelist  to list some important actionable suggestions  pertaining to the subject of discussion.  Much like the pointed question Apurva posed to the panel that included marketing heads and media planners and buyers: “What should the Radio Industry do to increase its share of the market spends?”

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Winners of the Indian Excellence in Radio Awards 2012

The leaders: Radio Mirchi with 13 and Red FM with 7 wins

INDIAN EXCELLENCE IN RADIO AWARDS 2012
Best Breakfast Programme/Show (Hindi)	Digital Radio (Mumbai) Broadcasting Ltd.	Morning No. 1
Best Breakfast Programme/Show (Tamil)	Music Broadcast Pvt Ltd	Vanakkam Chennai
Best Breakfast Programme/Show (Telugu)	Reliance Broadcast Network Limited	Happy Mornings With RJ Sheker
Best Programme Broadcast After 11am (Hindi)	Reliance Broadcast Network Limited	Yaadon Ka Idiot Box
Best Programme Broadcast After 11am (Tamil)	Reliance Broadcast Network Limited	Take It Easy With Balaji
Best Programme Broadcast After 11am (Telugu)	Music Broadcast Pvt Ltd	RadioCity Bollywood Top 40
Best Radio Programme (Bengali)	Radio Mirchi 98.3 FM	Sunday Suspense
Best Radio Programme (Gujarati)	Radio Mirchi 98.3 FM	Hello Amdavad
Best Radio Programme (Kannada)	Radio Mirchi 98.3 FM	Mirchi Highway 983 (MH 983)
Best Radio Programme (Malayalam)	Radio Mango	Vellarikapattanam
Best Radio Programme (Marathi)	Radio Mirchi 98.3 FM	Maharashtra Cha Maha Music
Best Radio Programme  (Hindi – For Non-Metro Stations)	Radio Mirchi 98.3 FM	Morning Show Hello Bhopal-Janmashtami Special
Best Radio Sparkler (Hindi)	Reliance Broadcast Network Limited	Aktor Calling Aktor
RJ of the Year (Hindi)	Digital Radio (Mumbai) Broadcasting Ltd	RJ Malishka
RJ of the Year (Tamil)</

Shankar Mahadevan: Loving his country, his music

Today, after numerous spectacularly memorable songs as a superstar singer, and a multitude of super hit film music scores as part of the top music director troika Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, Shankar Mahadevan is not only going to greater professional and artistic strengths, but is also giving back to society. Through his very own music academy, and through participating in socially uniting, relevant and powerful initiatives like participating in -- and leading -- close to one 100000 patriotic Aurangabadkars on Republic Day-eve  to set up a Guinness World Record for the maximum number of people singing the National Anthem in unison.  Shankar -- as he is fondly called by film fans as though they have known him all their lives -- is constantly breaking new ground, but in a modest, self-effacing manner.

Soon after he appeared at the Aurangabad event,  we caught up with Shankar Mahadevan, who spoke about 'the most beautiful and emotional piece of music' he has grown up to, his musicality, his favourite singers, his past and new projects, his music academy, and participating in Lokmat Media's unforgettable Aurangabad world record initiative.

Excerpts from the conversation:

What was the feeling like, singing with and inspiring such a massive crowd for the world record for India?

It's unbelievable! Even in cricket matches one hasn't seen such massive audiences. There must have been  around a lakh of people in the stadium. It was a stadium with a 45000 seating capacity, and it was jam-packed with people standing on every square-foot of the ground, in the stands... and you know what? Even though I came pretty early and -- as I thought very much in time for the 8 am start -- I was delayed by more than an hour, just trying to get to the stadium from the airport! The roads were packed with people, students, families, youngsters, elderly people, walking, cycling, on two-wheelers, in overcrowded public transport buses -- it was awesome! I saw a really strong physical manifestation of patriotism today, and I am really glad I was there to be part of the historic day.

What was it like, singing for a non-commercial event in the service of the Nation, in front of a lakh of people?

As I just said, it was unbelievable! And there must have been at least 40-50 thousand people outside the stadium, because the gates were locked as there was no space inside. Lokmat has such a strong connect with the people and the city, and the local Radio Mirchi station was going full on to, urging people to be part of the historic day, airing special jingles, RJs doing a great job of promoting the event. I heard a lot of the radio while I was in the car, just waiting to reach the stadium! But it was truly worth it.

It was great to sing the National Anthem with other entertainers and celebrities -- there was Roop Kumar Rathod with Sonali, Mahatma Gandhi’s grandson Tushar Gandhi,  Prashant Damle, Vaishali Samant, Swapnil Bandodkar, and many other singers too. Amazing experience! I still have the goose bumps just remembering it. It was a never-before experience, a really, really massive crowd! And to think that I might have ended up missing it!

How's that?

Oh, I had an event the same day at Nasik too, but I really didn't want to miss being in Aurangabad for the National Anthem, so I flew in on a chartered flight. Just had to be there!



You helped lead a hundred thousand people in Aurangabad in singing the National Anthem on 25th Jan. What does the National Anthem mean to you?

(Is overcome with emotion, takes a deep breath) Our National Anthem is the most beautiful and emotional piece of music I have grown up to. It is the greatest song that rules the Indian psyche! Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore's Jana Gana Mana is an amazing poem, and so brilliantly composed! It is very difficult for any composition to be both, emotionally stirring and rousing, and to also induce peace. It defines our unity, it evokes fierce patriotism. Every time I hear Jana Gana Man, my mind, body and soul are enraptured! Every Indian feels the same way!  You know what? I am proud to have been at the Lokmat event in Aurangabad. And every time I go abroad, I am always fiercely proud to represent my country, sing for my country.

Wow! Now, can you tell us about your forthcoming films? What are the projects you have at hand?

Our forthcoming films are Bhag Milkha  Bhag, directed by Rakesh Mehra, and in which Farhan Akhtar is playing the young Milkha Singh. Then there's Kamal Sir's (Kamal Hassan's) Vishwaroopam, Nikhil Advani's Meherunisa and Abhishek Kapoor's Rock On-2.

Your music for Don-2 was a great example of a well-integrated score that actually enhances and takes the story forward...

I give a lot of credit for that to Farhan, who everyone knows is both, technically and creatively, a brilliant and very focussed director,  excellent in his craft.  I think he picks a storyline and defines the creative concept, the total personality, really brilliantly, and then every technical aspect of executing the film -- the musical score, the background, the videography and the film's overall styling -- works really seamlessly to turn the film into a truly 'pure breed'  being! And Don-2 turned out to be a super-slick, really world class film in look, feel and grip. And of course, what a cast!

That's the reason the music of the film was a slick and stylish album overall. And very different from the aural feel of your compositions for Farhan Akhtar's early super hit Dil Chahata Hai...

Yes, they were different concepts and creative entities, remember? Again, Farhan really know what he wants. When Ehsaan, Loy and I were compositing the songs for Dil Chahata Hai, we had no interference from Farhan, but he was with us every step of the way, sharing comments and ever detailing what he wanted for each song. He loved the different sound to our music, which, let me tell you, some music company heads thought was very jingles-like! And they said that in a, well, disparaging sort of way. But we were convinced, and happily, Farhan too liked the new sound.

Ultimately, of course, a good song or composition is a mix first of tune, and then of the way you express that melody, how you dress it up, how you, to use an industry term, arrange it. So yes, like you said, the score for Don 2 was more today's hip, stylish club music, and I am told it complemented the uber cool panache of Shah Rukh Khan's character too.

One also hears you are working on another album of your own. Tell us a little about it.

All I can say is, it is work in progress. Let me not spoil the fun by giving out the personality and style we are using for the tracks. You should listen to them when the album arrives. But yes, the compositions, their expression and treatment, the style we are using, is definitely a coming together of all the influences and experiences we have had over the years as singers and composers, so hopefully, it will be as different as Koi Kahe as a song celebrating friendship was different from the great Yeh Dosti. Hopefully, this album will be as memorable as my first, Breathless was. Hopefully!

You yourself are an excellent singer, of course, but apart from you, who are the male and female singers you like for singing your compositions?

There are  many good singers, and we have worked with most of them. Sukhwinder Singh. Shaan too is a very good playback voice. I am also particularly fond of Sonu Nigam - he has sung some of our best compositions. He emotes the songs beautifully.

You get Sonu's best work because you inspire the singer in him to sort of restrain the actor in him so he emotes your compositions in a controlled sort of way... is that a correct assessment?

Actually, I would put it this way: Sonu is an excellent singer and actor too, and he also has impeccable musical sense and instinct. He's also a very good improviser because he is so natural. So all that, in my view, adds up to a phenomenal musicality that he has. That's what helps Sonu immediately assimilate our brief about a song and its personality, and render it so flawlessly, so beautifully! And if we have multiple takes, more often than not, there's an argument amongst ourselves on which take to keep -- they're all so good.

And what about the female singers?

Amongst the females,  Shreya Ghoshal... Sunidhi.  And for today's songs, Alyssa too. Mahalakshmi Iyer too is a big favourite -- she's sung so many lovely songs for us -- that lilting duet Chupke Se Chupke Se with Sonu for Bunty Aur Babli, Aaj Ki Raat from Don, Laung Da Lashkara for Patiala House... in fact, she has been in nearly every one of our films. So there is great talent all around, and we enjoy working with them all.

Your sons too seem to have inherited your formidable talent in and sense of music. How does that make you feel?

I feel great about it. You know, talent is fine; it is inborn, and if you are blessed with natural musical aptitude, the talent can be honed by a combination of practice, effort, education and the resultant experience. But what is really special, what leaves me absolutely awed, and pleasantly shocked, actually, is the musicality they have. The sense of music, the immensely mature appreciation of it, being sensitive to all its fine nuances... this  musicality is something that came to us after  many years of work. But in my sons' case, even while they were in their early teens, they seem to have been blessed with a deep and rich  musicality that you wouldn't believe would exist in such youngsters if you didn't experience it yourself. Now this has to be God's own way... it's how DNA works.

Your son Siddharth is only 18, and with your 21-year-old nephew Soumil, has turned music director, and as Soumil-Siddharth, they have composed the music for Marathi film Swapna Tujhe Ni Majhe.  And you sang  a song for their film too...

Yes. They invited me as a professional playback singer, gave me the lyrics, explained the tune, its personality and context, and just made me sing it. They took no creative inputs from me to help them make the tune -- it was entirely theirs. They had assembled their own group of musicians, arranged the song themselves, went through the professional studio routine with all the confidence that sound knowledge and the musicality that I spoke of, can bring. I  was really proud that day.  They also got singers like Shreya Ghoshal and Rahul Vaidya to sing for the same film.  If I'm not mistaken, they must be the youngest music director duo for films in the country. Ehsaan (Noorani) and Loy (Mendonsa) too were there to bless them. It was wonderful.

How much time does your online music academy take?

A lot, but I believe that if something interests you and is good to do, then surely you must do it really well. I just make time for the things that are close to my heart, and believe me, anything to do with music is important to me. I set up the Shankar Mahadevan Academy because there are thousands of people who love music -- Hindustani, Carnatic, Devotional, Film music -- and want to learn it, but don't know where to go. Many fans and well wishers internationally had been asking me to help them learn music.

So I thought, why not make world class music education available to people online, in the comfort of their own personal spaces? That's why I set up the academy (www.shankarmahadevanacademy.com).  I am personally and very closely involved with the process of creating material and monitoring the entire training chain.

What does your online music academy offer students?

My online music academy is a small but sincere effort to help aspiring people learn music and revel in their talent. There is a structured classical music curriculum, we have self-study Hindi Movie and Devotional songs sections, then there's our OM  book or online music book which is central to learning. There's also an integrated practice tool, Riyaaz, plus, of course, collaborative online virtual classes.

Today, the best thing one can gift a talented family member, relative or friend is an opportunity to learn music. And since my music academy is online, it has the potential to really grow and take our music across borders and boundaries.

One last question: Speaking on online, how active are you on the online medium. On social sites like Facebook?

You know what? Even though my friends kept telling me to get on to Facebook much before I actually did, I have no regrets. In spite of being a very late entrant, I do have around 5 lakh fans, and I love them all - they are a precious group of friends, and I enjoy being in touch with them.

My Facebook page is at www.facebook.com/shankarlive