Cheeni Kum***1/2

Cheeni Kum is no Nishabd, nor is it a typical Bollywood film. On the contrary, it is a lighthearted romantic comedy that works because of its sly, dry humour, sarcastic yet sweet romance and its star cast. Set in London, our introduction to the film begins with Buddhadev Gupta (Amitabh Bachchan), the chef and owner of the best Indian restaurant in the city. Buddha is an arrogant, egoist whose only passion in life is cooking. For him, cooking is the biggest, most prestigious art in the world. Anyone who makes a mistake should be thrown out of his business. Buddha lives with his 85-year-old mother (Zohra Sehgal) whose mission in life is to send her 64-year-old son to the gym. Buddha’s human side comes out only in front of an 8-year-old girl who he calls sexy (Swini Kara). She is dying of cancer and the two develop an incredible bond.
One fine day enters 34-year-old Nina Verma (Tabu) to his slick restaurant where no customer ever complains. Nina complains. An ego gets bruised, followed with a lecture, a beautiful smile and thus begins a friendship. Nina is an independent woman who can match the ego of Buddha and bring him down to earth. His brand of sarcastic humour isn’t lost on her either, in fact she matches it. Friendship turns to love and then enters Nina’s father, Omprakash Mehra (Paresh Rawal). He is six years younger to Buddha, a Gandhian to the max and someone who reminds everyone around him of their ‘old’ age. Herein lies the problem. Buddha and Nina fall in love but the age difference is too much for the Gandhi-lovin’ father to take. Thus begins the story. Older man-younger woman is not a novel concept. Just recently Amitabh Bachchan played an old man falling for a young girl in Nishabd. But the difference between two roles is as diverse as chalk and cheese. In Nishabd, Amitabh was visibly uncomfortable… at least in parts. But here it’s wit that sets the path for this film. And the 30-year difference is acceptable. It makes sense when one sees how this relationship develops. Cheeni Kum is a sign of the changing face of Bollywood. Slowly, this industry is breaking away from stereotypical stories. Films like Dhoom, Honeymoon Travels Pvt Limited, Khosla Ka Ghosla and Cheeni Kum are proof that Bollywood is setting up to conquer the art of storytelling. Cheeni Kum works not only because of its script and dialogues but it also works because of its actors. When it comes to acting, Tabu is one of the most talented of this generation. After her brilliant work in The Namesake, here it is a delight to see a young, laughing and strong willed Tabu. She is, as always, at the top of her game. Amitabh Bachchan on the other hand, is good but patchy. At some places, it seems as if he is a bit too serious for the role. After all, the posture that one carries when one is a cop and when one is a cook should be different. But other than some scenes, especially the beginning, Amitabh delivers a solid performance. As the mother of an arrogant cook, Zohra Sehgal is adorable. She is the character that one instantly falls in love with. And then there is child artist Swini Kara who plays Buddha’s neighbour. Her short role is darn effective. She’s cheeky and quite mature for her age, which is fun to watch. These days, kids grow up way too early and Swini plays this reality very well. The flaw in this film is its length. The first half of the film could have been tighter. It drags at some instances and here, the director R. Balakrishnan struggles slightly. Another flaw is the role of Paresh Rawal. He is brilliant but an actor of his calibre has been wasted in this flimsy role. The good news is one can get past these flaws because of the grabbing scenes between Amitabh and Tabu and the manner with which they deal with each other. It’s also shot very well. The camerawork that moves from Amitabh’s stunned glaze to Tabu’s passing, seductive smile makes one hell of an impact! For all its humour, Cheeni Kum is a delightful film. It is not a waste of time so watch it now! –Maheen Sabeeh *YUCK **WHATEVER ***GOOD ****SUPER *****AWESOME

Grooving to the beat of Jhoom Barabar Jhoom

Throw Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Sukhwinder Singh and KK together, singing the words of Gulzar to the rhythm of Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy and the result is outstanding!

By Maheen Sabeeh

The soundtrack of Jhoom Barabar Jhoom rocks, literally. With a desi dhol sound fused with synthesizers, guitars and North Indian drums – it is a mixture of fun, dance and melody, Bollywood style. It is hard to believe that anyone other than AR Rahman could have delivered such a power packed album but the trio of Shankar Mahadevan, Ehsaan Noorani and Loy Mendonsa have proven that wrong.Featuring hot and happening actors like Abhishek Bachchan, Preity Zinta, Lara Dutta and (still trying to be hot) Bobby Deol, this is one of the year’s hotly anticipated films. In such big budget films, songs are
almost always picturised well – be it the choreography or cinematography but the beauty of this album is that its music stands its own. It doesn’t work just because of its videos but is a consistent album that works irrespective of its cast.
From the very first song on the album, ‘Jhoom’ the element of fun enters and refuses to leave. Laced with a variety of instruments, ‘Jhoom’ is a playful, bouncy number. It is formula music but it works, because it is catchy melody, the kind that makes one want to groove to the beat. And this is where Shankar-Ehsan-Loy excel more than any other contemporary Indian film music director/duo (other than the mighty AR Rahman of course).’Jhoom’ stands tall not only because of its melody but also its vocals. Amidst the sweet soul of Sonu Nigam, the melodically thin vocals of Abhijeet and the nasal “Aap ki kashish/suroor” humming of Himmesh Reshammiya, Shankar Mahadevan belongs to masculine breed of male singers. With a touch of sharpness fused with classical tradition that is Shankar Mahadevan, it is this that makes him a fine singer. On ‘Jhoom’ Shankar is as energetic as the dhol beat and he runs with it. On a similar tune, one finds ‘Jhoom Barabar Jhoom’. Instead of making a remix of ‘Jhoom’, ‘Jhoom Barabar Jhoom’ is an extension of the song. It is filled with electronic nuances that build the song’s identity as a whole new number. This was a smart move on the part of the makers. And with Sukhwinder Singh KK, Mahalaxmi Iyer joining Shankar on vocals, ‘Jhoom Barabar Jhoom’ rocks hard and strong. Sukhwinder is harsh yet fun, KK is emotive, Mahalaxmi holds her ground and Shankar forms a fantastic chorus. It is such a foot-tapping number that one ends up ignoring the intriguing wordplay of Gulzar. The man writes mysteriously and here he does so again. “Aaja chandani kutain gay/Aasman ko lutain gay/chal dhuaa uray key… Jhoom Barabar Jhoom…” says Gulzar. And with the last few minutes of the song increasing pace, fast – it is a chart-topping number. Right now, it’s the catchiest tune on Indian telly, climbing charts quickly.
Speaking of telly, another number that is fast catching on is ‘Ticket to Hollywood.’ It is a song, which highlights the vocals of Neeraj Shridhar. This is his claim to fame song and he deserves all the glory. In terms of beat, it may be slower than ‘Jhoom’ but it continues the North Indian dhol tradition here. The only flaw is Alisha Chinoi. After ‘Kajra Re’, expectations from her are high. But unlike ‘It’s Rocking’ from Kya Love Story Hai where she delivered bang on point, here she sounds pale, especially when compared to Neeraj. More than the beat, it is him who makes an impact with flirtatious singing, desperate at times, cheeky at others.
Sunidhi Chauhan, continuing her wave of blithe singing in the grand tradition of ‘Beedi’ sings to the beat of ‘JBJ’. Filled with dhols-meet-synthesizers, ‘JBJ’ is another percussion heavy number. Even with touches of Western music, such as rap in the middle, there is a clear desi sound here. The point of this song is one: “Jhoomo Rey Jhoom…” The beat continues with ‘Kiss of Love’. As more music directors are tipping towards singing and vice versa, here one finds Vishal Dhadani of Vishal-Shekhar fame (Dus, Bluff Master) on vocals. But inspite of his frivolously fun singing, the track falls short. It’s meaty in sound but then so is the rest of the album. However, here the whole dhol element gets a bit too much. When a song attempts too much at the same time, it becomes chaotic. And that is the problem here. From hip-hop to bhangra, everything is present, leaving one confused and jaded by the end. That said, ‘Kiss of Love’ will catch on because of its fun picturisation with Bobby Deol and Preity Zinta dancing to full impact. It is an average number that you’ll probably end up fast forwarding. Amidst this ‘jhoom-ing’ that seems to be the whole point of the album, it is a relief to find Rahat Fateh Ali Khan on ‘Bol Na Halke Halke’. Unlike the rest of the album, this is a sweet, slow melodic number, with various drums, flute and orchestra that is synonymous with Bollywood music. Mahalaxmi Iyer not only stands tall in front of Rahat but fights hard. They are both equally good. For those who enjoyed Rahat in ‘Mann Ki Lagan’ and ‘Jiya Dhadak Dhadak Jaaye’, this is a must-listen. It may not possess the delicacy of the former numbers, but it is Rahat in Bollywood style. Rahat sings effortlessly but with that touch of classical power that makes him a singing guru like no other. In a nutshell, Jhoom Barabar Jhoom is a dance album by Bollywood. It is music that screams to be blasted. And that is exactly how it should be heard. Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy are on a winning streak. Bunti Aur Babli, Don, Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, Salaam-e-Ishq and now Jhoom Barabar Jhoom. They are formulaic musicians who work essentially because they know when to mould a formula and where it fits. Every album of theirs is consistent. And when they team up with a lyricist as powerful as Gulzar, it is a winning combination. The wordplay on this album is fun, dance and love. But it is not predictable. Gulzar writes in a style that is his alone. He writes in riddles and you end up guessing what the real meaning is, which makes it all the more fun. Right now, this is the hottest album from India. Grab a copy now. Bollywood in all its elements is often fun!

Shooting from the hip about the business of music

Starting off as a sound engineer, Faisal Rafi has come far. The co-producer of hit Rahat Fateh Ali Khan songs, ‘Jiya Dhadak Dhadak Jaaye’ and ‘Mann ki Lagan’, Faisal has worked with some of the most prolific musicians in the country including Junoon, Rohail Hyatt, Shahi Hasan, Gumby, Aamir Zaki… as well as the legendary Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan among various others. Instep speaks with Faisal Rafi about classical music versus pop, piracy, record labels, the India-Pakistan difference and why he decided to produce the debut album of the young musical group that is Kaavish…

By Maheen Sabeeh

Instep: Define good music. Faisal Rafi: I don’t function on chords; whatever sounds right is good music. If there are four people in a room and they agree that what they just recorded sounds good, it’s good. I feel mathematics has taken away from the art of music.Instep: You also managed to rope in Channel V for a major concert in the late nineties. How did that happen?FR: Back in 95-96, I was doing sound for shows for music acts like Junoon, Vital Signs and the others. I had a company Stone Sound. During those days I met this guy Richard through Nizar Lalani; he was the Channel V representative in Dubai. Through Richard I met the General Manager of Channel V. We became friends and we thought of doing something in Pakistan. It was the Nawaz Sharif era… bura scene tha…
Instep: No long hair, no jeans… FR: Exactly. That event was a success and a failure. It was a success because amidst that entire ban, finally something did happened. It was a failure because it was a financial loss. The loss didn’t matter and our sponsors were willing to bear it. It was the first time such a big event was done in Pakistan. Instep: This was the concert with Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and… FR: It was weird. It was Nusrat, Awaz, Najam and Aamir Zaki. Instep: That’s an interesting mix. FR: You think? It featured Aamir Zaki because I wanted to push him. He needed to get off his butt and do something. I guess it was an impulse action. Instep: So you started off with a sound company and then you did this one-off event. FR: Yes. I had been doing sound and lighting anyway so I thought why not just organize a concert? I used all possible contacts to put this show together. We got permission from everywhere. I begged the then DC of Police who was a religious guy. Instep: What happened to the sound company? FR: I was very tired of the company. Kabhi Karachi, kabhi Lahore – I was sick of it. I wanted to do something different. At that time, a friend of mine, Sajjad Panjwani – who is no longer alive – was running a company called Visible Changes. Everyone from Junoon to VS to Hadiqa – was signed up with him. When I decided to shut down my company, he asked me to work with him. I joined and incidentally the first album I worked on with Sajjad’s company was a compilation of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s live music. I had collected recordings of Nusrat’s last few shows in Pakistan. We got permission from Nusrat’s family and that was the first time that I worked with Shahi Hasan. Vital Signs had just disbanded and Shahi was setting up a studio. We decided to work with Rahat Fateh Ali Khan; he was young back then, 22 perhaps and he had a squeaky voice. Visible Changes financed the project and Shahi and I flew out to Lahore. We recorded some stuff at Shahi’s studio and some at Mekaal’s… Instep: Mekaal Hasan? FR: Yes. It was one of the earliest recordings at his studio, ‘Mann Ki Lagan’ as well as other numbers. Meanwhile, Sajjad was going through some financial difficulty so he decided to shutdown his company and moved to the US. Then Shahi wanted to work on some solo stuff. I needed security in my life. Rohail Hyatt was opening up Pyramid Productions. Rohail also needed security in the sense that he wanted a friend to come and work as head of his production department. I told him that I’ll work 2-3 years for you and he thought that was fine. So I worked there for two years… Instep: How was it working at Pyramid Productions? FR: It was a good experience. Rohail (Hyatt) is a good person to collaborate with. He’s got ideas. He follows them up. He keeps quiet and does the work as opposed to just talking. He’s a good friend also… Instep: After Pyramid, what happened? FR: After two full years, I quit. I went back into music because that is the only thing I know. Shahi and I decided to work together again. We reopened some of Rahat’s work and developed some new instrumentals and stuff. Rahat also got on my case and he wanted to do a full album. Instep: So began Rahat Fateh Ali’s Charkha… FR: Ahan! We had a list of about twenty songs that we had recorded earlier. We short-listed ten of them. Shahi had just gotten married; he was busy with some work. I had to get the Rahat album done so then came Rohail. It worked out fine. You guys will hopefully hear Charkha soon. Instep: Why did you guys go for an Indian record label for a release? Charkha was supposed to release six months ago but till now, it is not out. FR: We went with Sa Re Ga Ma (it was HMV back then) because they financed the whole thing. Yahan tau sab kuch karney key baad deal hoti hain. But now the album is releasing in Pakistan through Fire Records. The label is part of the biggest media group in Pakistan; it’s not a shady operation being carried out of a shop in Rainbow Centre. I guess both labels are waiting for the right time. Sa Re Ga Ma is going through some changes so I guess that maybe a reason. It will be out soon though. Instep: You don’t have any complaints with your local record label. In the industry, many are always complaining that record labels steal musical rights, they don’t pay. FR: The music industry should stop moaning and groaning. It is a developing industry so work and let it develop. Whatever we asked for, we were paid. So why should I complain? People need to look at the bigger picture. Instep: But what about young talent. Record labels don’t invest in them… FR: Yes, I agree. And if those young musicians end up using pirated software I would still say okay, they had no choice. But you can’t point fingers, key ji hamarey music key rights nahin hai. The software that is being used by our musical acts here is pirated. 90 per cent of software used for music production in Pakistan is illegal. Indian movies as well as films from around the world are pirated. Apne rights ho magar piracy karni hai. It is hypocritical. You can scan every single piece of equipment here and see for yourself. I bought all this equipment legally. Those who know the cost are stunned. I’ll buy one movie instead of 20 but I’ll buy it legally. So the point is, yes there are problems. But we are still developing as an industry. Let it develop then scream and shout. And hey, if that young talent walks through my door, I will produce their music too. Instep: Under what circumstances would you allow yourself to work with a young musical act? FR: I am working with Kaavish. I will work with others as well. It’s not just a question of singing in the right note. I would like to work with people who come in my studio and nail it. Those will be people who will think beyond being on the telly. Music is not part time. Let’s take the West as an example. People like Jimmy Page, Robert Plant – they have dedicated their entire lives to music. It’s not a hobby. Instep: Where do you stand on Association of Music Professionals of Pakistan (AMPP)? FR: AMPP is the need of the hour. Musicians as a whole need this form of representation. But it doesn’t just mean five of our senior pop musicians. It should also include musicians from our folk and classical side. They sell far more than our pop/rock acts. Everyone found out about AMPP. It was in the papers and it made a lot of noise. But here’s the thing. There are musicians who have been doing music long before any of our commercial pop/rock artists were even born and everyone has ripped them off over and over again. These classical greats are our seniors. Just because they are classical, it doesn’t mean they aren’t musicians. So, they should be a part of this too. If they have Ustad Fateh Ali from Patiala and Ustad Fateh Ali from Gwalior, it will benefit not just these Ustads but AMPP too. If Ustad Fateh Ali of Gawalior comes out and speaks about how necessary AMPP is, it will get noticed. People will be like, ‘achaa, yaar music ki association bangayi hai’. I don’t know why those people aren’t being involved or haven’t been approached! Innho ney approach kis ko kiya hai? Six people will gather and that’s it. It has to involve EVERYONE.

Look at the world. Anywhere in the world, America or Europe – they may hate each other but if the music industry is going through a problem, musicians will unite. I’m working on both sides – pop as well as classical. I’m at a unique position and I get to listen to both sides of the story. On the pop side, people do make money. In comparison to the classical musicians, they are better off. They have billboards and record deals and they do get money for their album. Have you seen any Ustad on a billboard? Those guys have far bigger problems than our pop musicians. Main kya boloon? Classical musicians are our treasure.

Instep: You’ve been to India. How does it work there?
FR: India is a successful entertainment industry. It’s second only to Hollywood. And by virtue of their film industry, there is a massive market in India. Even though music is a huge part of our history, we deny it. In India, music is a part of their religion and culture and they embrace it. It’s been like this for hundreds of years and they have produced exceptional singers, artists. Let’s not deny that. That said, there is a lot of respect for music and musicians. People look up to you. In Pakistan, by and large, people look down on you. So, India is a very attractive market.In terms of creativity, our music is definitely better. Because of the lack of a proper flourishing film industry, our music is not bastardised. 90 per cent of all music in India now is related to their film industry. The film industry dictates the kind of music that is being put out in the market. Here you can make anything you want. Everyone including their pop artists wants to make it in films. All our musicians who go to India also go through Bollywood. Who other than Junoon has been able to sell albums without going into films? Junoon was the only one.

I may be biased because I was a great Junoon fan but fact is that they sold in India without being in Bollywood. Even NFAK got major recognition after he teamed up with Javed Akhtar for ‘Afreen Afreen’. And I feel that that venture in India was nothing compared to what he has done before – his qawwalis. Whatever success I’ve had minus the event management activity has been because of films. Manish Makhija, a very old friend of mine is married to Pooja Bhatt. He had some recordings of some work Shahi Hasan and I had done years ago. Pooja heard it and Munna calls me in 2003 and says, ‘Yaar deal hogayi’ and I was like, ‘what deal?’ He asked me and Shahi to come to India. We got a small briefing, came back, did the song and the background score as well. The film (Paap) failed but the song made it. ‘Mann Ki Lagan’ was a huge hit. So, the point is no one other than Junoon has been able to make it to India just on the merit of their music. Rahat has made it in India now. He’s singing in quite a few films. Even after Charkha releases, he will always be associated to those two songs.

Instep: You agree that venturing in Bollywood is the way to sell in India?
FR: Yes. Now, their business side works. It is definitely steps ahead of us.

Instep: Their record label industry is supposedly miles ahead.
FR: Yea, they are. I have worked with a few of them such, as Sony, HMV, which is Sa Re Ga Ma now, and I have no complaints. To this day, I get royalties off music I did years ago. Musically, India is not ahead of us. Many times, it’s not that our music is bad that it doesn’t make it to Bollywood but…

Instep: It is too good?
FR: Yes! Look at us. Tell me if I’m wrong but Pakistan is a flourishing music market. It is an Islamic country that is just coming out of one Martial Law and perhaps going into another. It’s descending into chaos, and yet, music is doing extremely well here. It just goes to show how musical we are as a nation. We are in denial of our own musical heritage. This is the difference between India and us. We deny our musical heritage.

Instep: You are fan of Junoon, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Doors… How did you end up doing classical music?
FR: Whatever interaction I had with Nusrat Fateh Ali – doing sound for his shows – it was a start. Farid Ayaz introduced me to Ustad Naseeruddin Sami and a variety of classical music. My wife, Nini is a classical music enthusiast. She would listen to Pink Floyd but also to Ravi Shankar. She introduced me to a variety of classical music, instrumentals, sitar and tabla etc. She took me to APMC a couple of years ago and that is how it began. Then my interaction with Shahi – he has been into interesting music that general people aren’t – also was an influence. So that is the music I’m inclined to do. The commercial thing keeps happening on the side but classical music is my main focus.

Instep: When you say commercial work, you mean jingles?
FR: No man. Are you mad! (laughs) No no jingles.

Instep: Where does the finance come from to run this studio then?
FR: Shahi does sessions here. So that type of work keeps on going on here. That work comes my way, especially from Shahi so that this studio keeps running.

Instep: Other than Kaavish’s upcoming album and Charkha, which you co-produced, what projects are you working on?
FR: There is Drums of the Indus. It’s not drums alone. Its various elements taken from all the music that’s played along the Indus. It’s gathering music. Because drums are played were people gather. I’m the producer but various people are playing on it and helping out. Abbas Premjee, Gumby, Shahi Hasan among various others are involved. This album will have vocals as well. Some will be from the classical side and some from the pop/rock industry. There will be some instrumentals but it will be in song format. And not because its requirement but because the idea is to get it across a wide audience which includes the youth, there will be a house-dance version of this album along with the CD. It will take another six months to a year before it releases but a lot of work has been done.Then there is a compilation album with Shahi Hasan. It is being done with a company in America. It will be an archival project that will eventually come out in the market. We’ve been recorded since December with every Ustad from Fateh Ali Khan to Mubarak Ali Khan. It needs to be done because we may not hear many of these classical greats again. A year of research has gone into this project. I went to India and got hundreds of recordings from India. It will be good. I’m research fanatic but on the technical side, he put a lot of effort into this. This project is very important. It was in the ’70s that EMI did a compilation album of this sort. And after that, now it will be done.

Instep: At the APMC you were ticked off by the announcement that no recording of more than 5 minutes was allowed of Shubha Mudgal.
FR: Shubha’s a great artist, I meant no disrespect to her but she was junior compared to the others who performed that night. Un ke rights nahin hain? Shubha Mudgal ko record na karo kyunki woh India sey aayi hai but what about the rest of them?
There can’t be rights on culture. How can you copyrights kalams or raags that have been around for centuries? You can’t.

Instep: You recorded her?
FR: Yes. It’s been sent to APMC.

Instep: Is Shubha Mudgal on it?
FR: Yes, she’s on it whether she likes it or not! If she’s not on it, we’ll put it on the net. (Laughs).

7 reasons why the musicians should watch Music and Lyrics

Music and Lyrics is a film that takes an inside look on music, how has-been musicians survive and what it takes to sell in this era of competitiveness. It is a film that deserves a watch from all, especially anyone from the local music industry

By Maheen Sabeeh

1. Repeating success isn’t easy When a band breaks up, it is never, ever easy to repeat the same or even a similar level of success. In Music and Lyrics, one sees Hugh Grant as Alex Fitcher, the second-best known member of a hit eighties pop/funk music band PoP. A successful music entity, his careers spiral down after the lead vocalist of the band walks out. Two decades later, he is shown to be a struggling musician who makes money off random gigs and royalties.Why does he struggle despite being talented? Because he was not the face of the band. The vocalist in any band is its biggest representation, be it videos or more importantly, concerts. Here lies our first lesson: never kick out your vocalist unless you have a bigger game plan. Atif and Goher Mumtaz’s fallout may have given Pakistan two names in music. But Atif commands more success than Jal. Similar is the case with Ali Azmat and Salman Ahmed. Similar is the case between Farooq Ahmed and Nabeel Nihaal (ex-Aaroh). The last example is but of course, Fuzon. Shallum and Emu do have a new vocalist and perhaps he is even good. But will he match the level of success that came with Shafqat Amanat Ali Khan? Unlikely if not impossible.
2. Manager is crucial Struggling Alex Fitcher is shown to be a self-absorbed man. Musicians can be that way! But in his non-successful days, one sees his manager who is a saviour. He scores Alex gigs and keeps the moolah rolling in. He is also someone who knows what sells and how to keep his talented, slightly quirky boss alive in the limelight that is now a platform for teen sensations like Britney and Christina. Lesson number two: Always have a decent manager who is aware of music trends, globally and locally. Most of our local musicians have no managers. Most musicians do everything themselves. Even when music acts have managers, they don’t know how to keep a band alive in front of the media and sell him to organizers and sponsors.
3. Evolve with time Pop was in the eighties a great success with Alex Fitchers enjoying tremendous success. Two decades down the line and that music is simply old. It is the age of Cora Corman – a teen sensation who dances like Shakira and has build her image by singing about ‘Buddha Delight’ in the film. Lesson number three: What sold three years ago will not necessarily sell in this day and age. While the genre may remain the same, one has to keep on evolving with every album to be a success, critically and commercially.
4. Understand the connection Drew Barrymore plays Sophie Fisher, a born lyricist who is unaware of her own talent until Alex brings it out. When composing music and lyrics with him, she says, “A melody is like seeing someone for the first time. The physical attraction. But then, as you get to know the person, that’s the lyrics. Their story. Who they are underneath. It’s the combination of the two that makes it magic.”Lesson number four: Work equally hard on both aspects of songwriting. Many times, a beautiful melody gets beaten up because the word are too clichéd or simply don’t fit with the tune and vice versa.
5. Themes sell While our 40-something Alex Fitcher has a small niche audience (comprising of a slightly mature audience), it is a girl like Cora Corman who sells. From what one sees of her in the film, she really is a cut between Britney and Christina. But what is grabbing about her is the image she plays out to the max. She walks, talks and lives the karmic Buddha life that she sings about. Lesson number five: No matter what the genre maybe, a musician has a certain image that attracts the audience. It doesn’t always mean a stylist but some concentration on one’s look isn’t a bad idea. Strings are not stylized by style gurus often but they almost always look impeccable. It would be nice to see more local music acts make this effort.
6. Music is a business Alex and Sophie team-up to compose a song for hit teen sensation Cora Corman in hopes of resuscitating Alex’s career. Their version is a beautiful love ballad. But when Cora adds beats to it, it turns into a commercially acceptable but musically disoriented tune. Sophie asks Alex to talk to Cora and he emphasizes that music is also a business and teaming up with Cora is the way to go.Lesson number six: Music is more than an art. Musicians must learn to negotiate terms with record labels as well as organizers. That doesn’t mean sell-out but simply learning the tricks of this business. And when that happens, the music industry will ‘actually’ turn into a proper industry.
7. Music-oriented films are fun No matter how many times one may have seen Hugh Grant as a self-involved but loveable British dude, he never gets boring. Be it Notting Hill or Two Weeks Notice, he is always fun. Pair off with “the plant lady” as she is called in the film, Drew Barrymore and it’s hilarious. Lesson number seven: Go watch the film. It’s not slapstick humour but conversations laced with subtle insults, sarcastic comments, light moments that will put a smile to your face. And if any film manages to do that, it should be seen.