the brew magazine march issue

Cinema, musiC & art with the Brew | marCh 2011 | 1

THE BREW CATCHES UP WITH LORD

JEFFREY ARCHER

THE STATE Of ART In CURREnT TImES

S. NANdAgopAl

RNI NO.: TNENG/2010/05353

MARCH 2011VOL 01 ISSUE 06

40

Cinema, musiC & art with the

www.thebrewmagazine.com

TribuTe To

Bhimsen joshi

BY VEEJAY SAI

2 | marCh 2011 | Cinema, musiC & art with the Brew

Mallika Sarabhai,Artist & Activisteducated as an economist and a business manager, mallika sarabhai is one of india’s best known Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi dancers. she has taken her work and her company Darpana to not only over 90 countries around the world, but also to the farthest parts of india.

Neeru Nanda

a graduate from Delhi university. Passionate about writing, she freelanced as a feature writer for ten years before switching to publishing. author of a collection of short stories titled “iF” (rupa & Co), neeru is now working on two novels and a series of books for children.

Pravin Mani

Originally from Chennai, Pravin shuttles between toronto, London and Chennai on his musical adventure. he has worked with a number of record companies in australia including Virgin, e.m.i, sony music and secured a worldwide publishing contract with warner Chappell, australia. he has a number of album, film and session production credits with a wide range of music directors including a.r.rahman

Veejay Sai an award-winning writer, editor and a culture critic. he has written and published extensively on indian classical music, fashion, theatre, food and art, and loves traveling, researching literary and cultural history. he is an editorial consultant with over 40 brands and designers in and outside india and is on the jury for several prestigious awards in the arts across the country.

CONTRIBUTORS

EDITOR’S NOTE

ADVISORY BOARD

Dear Readers,

Welcome to this month’s edition of The Brew. And I am back to the editor’s job after a short hiatus.

As promised earlier, we are building The Brew as a brand, beyond just a magazine. Our online portal will be soon out. This will be one of the key platforms in the country for online community interested in cinema, music and art.

We have also started our “What’s Brewing?” series with Odyssey. Thanks to my good friend T.S. Ashwin, MD of Odyssey India for supporting this initiative. There’s lot of action in the pipeline.

This month, Chennai will see a first of its kind of modern and contemporary art summit, which is all set to open from 20th of March till the 26th of March across 20 venues including Taj Group of Hotels and other independent art galleries. This is an initiative by Industrialist Sanjay Tulsyan. The Brew is happy to collaborate on the same.

We were fortunate to be associated with Lord Jeffrey Archer’s recent book launch in Chennai along with Odyssey which saw record crowds and sales.

I, also had a great opportunity to meet Lord Archer over tea for a conversation. I am sure you would enjoy reading it.

We dedicate this month’s cover to one of India’s greatest musicians who passed away recently, Pandit Bhimsen Joshi. It may be mere coincidence that he passed away on Thyagaraja Aradhana but anyone who listened to him will have little doubt that he was divinely gifted. And will always miss him.

Enjoy The Brew.

Until next time.

Sameer Bharat ram Editor


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Creative DirectorMihir ranganathan

Art DirectorSibiraj Bastin

Sr. Graphic DesignerNamitha Thomas

A. M . Suhail

Sub-editorManoj Sreekumar

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ProductionSrinivasan

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RNI NO.: TNENG/2010/05353

edited and Published by Sameer Bharat Ram, and owned by SM BrandMuni Consulting Pvt. Ltd,Published from no.609, Lakshmi Bhavan, anna salai, mount road, Chennai - 600 002. tel.: +91 44 4208 9392.

Printed by K. srinivasan at srikals Graphics pvt. Ltd, no.5, Balaji nagar, 1st street, ekkattuthangal, Chennai - 600 032.editor: Sameer Bharat Ram


Cinema, musiC & art with the

CONTENTS

27

38

08

1634


InTERVIEWS

12THIS IS HOW WE

BuRlESquE

34THE STATE Of

ARt iN CuRRENt timES - RATHy

38THE GREATEST

STORy TELLER Of ALL

timES tAlkS to ouR EditoR

fEATURES

20GARy mOORE:

tHE BlACk RoSE - mAnOJ SREEKUmAR

COVER STORy

27 TRIBUTE TO

BHimSEN JoSHi - VEEJAy SAI

REVIEW

8HOmInG In On THE HORnET

gREEN HoRNEt - RHEmA mUKTI BAxTER

16 EL CRImEn PERfECTO

diAl m FoR mYStERY!- ARUL ROSS

30 A TRIP BACK TO

tHE SummER oF 69- RITU CHAWLA & VASUnDHARA

SAmPATH

20

VOL 01 ISSUE 06


Summary: a clever satire which has more of a sting than you might think.Question of the day: Define a brilliant movie. Proverbial answer: - One which has all the essential elements to ensure a houseful. Truckloads of comic one-liners, an attractive love interest, a moustache twirling villain with nefarious plans that involve killing lots and lots of people despite all common sense, the mandatory falling out and reconciliation between the two protagonists – check, check and check! The cliché checklist for The Green Hornet received a healthy workout. So while there are good moments to this film, there really aren’t any original ones. But in theory, that is fine. You know what to expect in these types of movies, and The Green Hornet delivers. There are laughs and there are some neat explosions! A sure shot fun night out at the movies.

Directed by Michel Gondry, of The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind fame, The Green Hornet had been in gestation for a really long time. It had gone through development hell. A film version of the character had been in contemplation since the 1990s. From Universal Pictures to Miramax, and from there to Sony Pictures and then on to Columbia Pictures; the production rights for this movie have been all over the town. Though the Frenchman was a late recruit to the project, a precious few glimpses of his trademark surrealism are detected. It may be far from Gondry’s best, but he takes every chance to inject some coherent visual flair into the proceedings, not least - a terrific flashback kind scene. So what exactly is The Green Hornet? It is definitely not your typical Super hero movie. It is a clever satire which has more of a sting than you might think. Sporadically entertaining, it is based on the classic pulp, TV and radio hero, The Green Hornet, who is ironically, not really recognised as the good guy. The protagonist is no super powered freak, rather an unlikely human being who, through assorted circumstances, ends up fighting crime. Albeit backed by a large budget. A short history lesson here - The movie is based on The Green Hornet TV show which will forever feature the asterisk that it

Homing in onthe hornetDirector: Michel GondryStarring: Seth rogen, Jay Chou, Cameron Diaz, Christoph Waltz, tom Wilkinsonrelease Date: Jan 14, 2011

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was Bruce Lee’s first American vehicle. The 2011 film even includes a cameo of Bruce Lee’s picture and 1 inch punch. The role of Kato was the first large role for Bruce Lee in Hollywood and subsequently built the foundation of his later career, since his Kung Fu stunts shown in the series found him his first group of fans and followers. Furthermore, it was Bruce Lee’s astonishing stunts in the series that caused the Kung Fu hype during the sixties. Apart from that, there was a very important social aspect to Lee’s starring in the series. In the 1960s of the 20th century, The Green Hornet was the first American TV show ever to have an Asian star as one of the main characters as well as impersonating a hero. In fact, Bruce Lee, although intended as sidekick, soon became the viewers’ favourite character and overshadowed his original boss, The Green Hornet.

In the 2011 silver screen adaptation, Seth Rogen plays the title role of dissolute media heir Britt Reid, who finds his true calling after his stern father, Daily Sentinel publisher, James Reid (Tom Wilkinson), dies. Partnering with a former employee of his family’s estate, the enigmatic and multi-talented Kato (pop star Jay Chou), the duo don masks to fight crime. The two form an unlikely bond, fueled by the fact that neither has even begun to crack their potential. While Britt is intelligent but unmotivated, Kato is a gifted engineer and martial artist who does nothing with either ability. Rather than fighting evil out of altruistic motives, revenge, or a feeling of responsibility, Britt and Kato decide to fight crime because they are bored and think it is fun. So they team up as The Green Hornet and, well, Kato. Kato’s lack of a superhero sobriquet is a running joke in the movie.

The picture’s real interest lies in the burgeoning bromance between Britt and Kato. Rogen and Chou have strong on-screen chemistry, but it mostly falls to Kato to be the straight man while Reid goes completely off-the-wall with his excitement. Rogen brings a childlike enthusiasm to the character who honestly believes he’s the hero even though his contributions to The Green Hornet plan are mostly superficial. He doesn’t even come up with the name “The Green Hornet”; his original idea is “The Green Bee”, which everyone at the newspaper hates and it is Kato who comes

Reviewed by RHEmA mUKTI BAxTER


up with “Hornet”. But because you can see Rogen having so much fun with the character, that enthusiasm carries the film through its slower moments. While some superhero properties are trying to go dark and gritty, The Green Hornet wants to goof off and have a good time. That light-heartedness and Rogen’s charisma keeps you rooting for Reid even though he’s not particularly good at anything.

Chou makes his American film debut with The Green Hornet, and to many in the West, he is an unknown – which is insane when you contrast his fame in Taiwan, where he is one of the most popular singers on the planet. Chou has released an album roughly every year since 2000, and each one has sold into the millions. Hence, Chou has the daunting challenge ahead of him of breaking into Hollywood, and despite how his current role might appear, he does so without the mandatory skill set that is sadly required of most Asian actors looking for success in America – that of being a trained martial artist. Chou manages to be charismatic despite some awkwardness which likely stems from the language barrier. (When he began work on the film he did not speak a word of English.) He definitely has the potential for stardom though. Compared to the Green Hornet, as Kato, he makes for a far more interesting, and yet far less explored character.

Christoph Waltz, as the conventional megalomaniac, Chudnofsky, adds absolutely nothing to the character. Waltz

is good, but forgettable in the cliché wrapped motivations and dialogue of the character. He is cruel when required; funny, even when not so. Waltz certainly does the sinister side of the character justice, but the comedic elements really fall a little flat.

Cameron Diaz’s mettle as an actor, in her role of the omniscient secretary, is barely utilised. Her character of Lenore “Casey” Case is painfully underdeveloped, and Diaz is, without a doubt, wasted in the role. The character is there, almost entirely, as a plot device, to unwittingly help the Green Hornet and Kato along, then to act as a sort of bizarre love interest. There are hints that Casey has a much deeper back story, but they never bother to discuss it. But the guess is that the scriptwriters intended it to be this way. Any other actor, of lesser star value, would have vanished into the black hole.

Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg did a fairly credible job crafting this script, which could have been truly horrible, into a fun ride. It is also heavily touting its 3D. While it was not filmed with 3D cameras, but rather converted in post production, Gondry planned ahead and shot the movie with depth in mind. As a result, it is a decent movie to watch in 3D even though it really doesn’t benefit much from it. The 3D is only truly effective in the Kato Vision scenes and the end credits. Kato Vision is a mix of time-distortion and reality-distortion. For example, one car can become five


cars, which allows Kato to pick up speed and deliver a flying kick to a thug’s face. But if you see it only in 2D, then you really won’t be missing out on much.

I somehow felt like the screenplay should have been deeper with the character’s personalities explored a bit more, like it was with Christopher Nolan’s Batman. Nevertheless, the movie is one of the most unique antithesis’ to Batman. The take on the deconstruction of the superhero is a fun idea. The Green Hornet plays with convention – rather than the hero losing his beloved parent at a young age, Reid is a grown man who doesn’t care much for his father, and thus the loss of a parent has a different resonance here than it does in most superhero origins. The movie also explores and pokes fun at the conventions of the superhero-sidekick dynamic of the Green Hornet and Kato which is interesting - if not all that surprising or original. The best thing this film has going for it is the potential that it could have in the future - an installment. Now that the obligatory origin story and bonding between Reid and Kato has been accomplished, a sequel could actually be fairly good.

The movie is not perfect. It is hard to have strong feelings about it one way or the other. Neither is there much to love, nor is there anything to really hate. Overall, an admirable attempt at something a little different. The movie doesn’t take itself too seriously, which in the general order of Seth Rogen flicks, has turned out to be marvelous. The film is

a comedy that happens to feature action moments, rather than an action film with comic elements. Walk in with zero expectations and you could walk out with your sides in splits. The film has some truly funny moments. For example, a wildly over the top, but entertaining final battle. Honestly, the whole movie would have been hard to pull off if they didn’t add that extra comedy. So, if you’re looking for a pure escapist fun ride, then look no further than The Green Hornet.

Terrific sequences in Gondry’s upbeat direction style along with Rogen and Chou, making a solid double ace duo, make the movie feel like a perfectly entertaining summer blockbuster; just one that happened to land in the middle of January.


THIS ISHOW WE

Christina Aguilera’s personal life has been in

the news for all the wrong reasons. But one thing that

seems to be going right for her is her film career.

She bagged her first ever lead role in Burlesque

where she has an opportunity to showcase

both singing and acting talents, which later went on to get nominated for a Golden Globe for Best

Picture – Musical and also for two Original Songs

including one performed by Christina. Here she

talks about her newfound career.

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Q. why did you pick Burlesque for your film debut?A. I have been offered other roles and read many scripts, but I was drawn to Burlesque because I liked this character and felt I could sink my teeth into her; especially after they did some re-writing and gave her a bit more bite, drive and passion. Then I was sucked into the magical and beautiful world of burlesque performances, and I was also very inspired from my first meeting with writer and director Steve Antin because I felt he understood the beauty of women and knew how to light them and bring the best out of them. I just couldn’t say “No” to it! And I didn’t know exactly what to expect, so I went into the film being open-minded and vulnerable to the experience, trying to absorb it all and learn as much as possible.

Q. How did you get into shape for the movie?A. I got in shape with dance rehearsals that started a few months before shooting the movie. And I feel like I’ve never danced before in my life before this film, even though I’ve been performing since I was 6.

Q. was it tough?A. Yes, because I had to balance the singing and dancing with the acting. And for that I had to step outside of myself and tap into what Ali, my character, is all about.

Q. How was that experience?A. I am used to writing my own music and lyrics and expressing who I am and digging deep into myself, but doing a film is about becoming a different person. And it was hard for me at first to do that, but I adapted and realized that it was all about opening myself and getting in touch even with past

pains of mine to get motivated and inspired for the emotional moments my character goes through. The whole journey is unbelievable from start to finish and I had so much fun exploring her and the world of Burlesque.

Q. who is Ali in your eyes?A. Ali Rose comes from Iowa and works in a bar as a waitress, but has the dream to be a singer one day. Once her grandmother passes away –who was her only link to Iowa- she decides to go to Los Angeles and pursue her dreams. She is an open-minded free spirit that’s also a little tough and vulnerable like myself. And then she steps into the burlesque environment…

Q. How does that new environment affect her?A. Well, she has never seen anything like it, but at the same time is completely drawn into it.

Q. what would you say you have in common with Ali?A. I relate to Ali having many different things come her way and also being an old soul at heart who has good instincts. And she has my voice!

Q. Is she a good girl?A. Yes, essentially, though every good girl has many different sides…

Q. How would you describe her relationship with Tess, played by Cher?A. Ali constantly wants to prove herself to Tess, and they have this sort of ongoing banter throughout the whole movie. She wants Cher’s character to see her for the performer that she really is, but Tess shuns her away until they finally come together –which is an incredibly emotional moment.

Q. How was your relationship with Cher?A. Cher was great and she embraced me from day 1 with open arms. Reading her emails of encouragement and support was like unwrapping

little pieces of candy to get the best sensation from them. She has been like a mentor to me, and when we get together in a room it feels like we are old girlfriends because we just talk and talk for hours.

Q. what do you like about her?A. I like strong women -they inspire me. So, I couldn’t have asked for a better person to learn from in my first experience in film. I adore Cher and can’t say enough good things about her. I just find her the most fascinating person I may have ever met!

Q. And you also got to work with Stanley Tucci.


A. Stanley is amazing and brings such a calm and professional energy to the set that makes you feel safe and want to step up your game to meet him at his level. It’s hard to go toe-to-toe with people like Stanley Tucci and Cher, that have been there and done it before, but they were always very supportive. They gave me great encouragement and advice, and it’s nice to hear you are doing a good job from professionals like them.

Q. Did that great relationship and chemistry with them surprise you?A. I try not to have expectations of things going into them, because you don’t know how your dynamics are going to interact, so then whatever happens, happens; but, in the end, our relationship has exceeded any and all my expectations.

Q. How would you describe the look of Burlesque?A. Bojan Bazelli has shot and lit this movie beautifully. I love theatricals and visuals, and it’s been great to see Burlesque come to life in such an amazing way.

Q. what can you say of the dance

sequences?A. There is a lot of grace in burlesque, and we have taken that and modernized it in a way I haven’t seen or experienced before. I have learned so much.

Q. And you have even composed several songs!A. I did! I wrote several songs for the movie that include Bound to You –for the finale- and Express, which is played when I start modernizing the club. It has all been a juggling and balancing act for me, but at the same time one that I embraced and am proud of.

Q. You also sing some etta James.A. Etta is my favorite singer, and getting to perform songs like Living in that Moment and I’m a Good Girl and reinvent them in my own way was great.

Q. Steven Antin has said that you are going to be the next Barbara Streisand.A. This is my first film and, even though I have truly stepped into it and done my best, I still have so much to prove. But I’m up for the challenge!

Q. Do you enjoy challenges?A. Of course! There is that fire in me that makes me want to face challenges because I know I am a born performer, though I also have to admit that it has been easier to do it in an environment like this.

Q. Is Burlesque going to mark the beginning of a film career for you then?A. I hope so! I would love to do another movie; but maybe not a musical, as I don’t normally like to go down the same path twice.


while his uncanny music managed to tingle the last left wits of the Hitchcock fans, the brutal glint

in his villain’s vicious eyes petrified the audience sitting in front of that very screen. No, he couldn’t possibly have been called a component of the film fraternity. He was a film culture in himself! The kind that has set a benchmark, never attained by anyone, even 30 years after his death.

“Even my failures make money and become classics a year after I make them.” He knew that his failed envisions would also land up stocked in the ‘classics’ section of every DVD store! From indisputable masterpieces to trivial classics- his chic way of delineating a fictional account was unbeatable. Guilty women, dexterously blended sex, suspense and humour- Hitchcock was an era.

Murder calling in 3D- Dial M for Murder was originally shot in a 3D format in 1954. The movie was made at a time when television and Hollywood were battling for market shares. Hollywood needed to pull out the television plugs and get the audience rushing to the big screen. That’s when

El crimen perfecto - Dial M for mystery!

El crimen perfecto - Dial M for mystery!

this technologically elevated thrilling drama made its way to the theatres.

So we thought a mystery is where the audience travels with the screenplay as it moves to unveil the crime. Welcome to Hitchcock’s world, where cinematic maxims needn’t be followed. The identity of the criminal and his motive is revealed in the first 20 minutes. Yet, the movie pulls you to the edge of your seat as you chip nails between your teeth.

The movie begins with Margot Wenice (Grace Kelly) and her husband Tony (Ray Milland) kissing over the breakfast table. A minute later though, and Margot is in the arms of Mark Halliday (Robert Cummings). Then on begins an exhibit of diverse unprecedented characters that endorse lies and deception.

Retired tennis player, Tony, realises his wife’s love affair with Mark, a New York based television crime writer. Filled with resentment, Tony decides to murder his wife. Greed-filled Tony plots a vicious plan to have her murdered and inherit her property.

A delusive game sets off when Tony sends Margot and Mark for a play while he invites over his old college

Tony will telephone from the party, Margot will go to the phone, Swann is to kill her from behind, open the French doors and leave signs suggesting a burglary gone wrong.... If only the Perfect murder had remained as perfect as its plan.

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acquaintance and a petty criminal, CA Swann (Anthony Dawson). He reveals to Swann that he has been following him close enough to conveniently put him behind bars for all the illegal activities Swann had been conducting for the past two years.

He then reveals how he saw Margot and Mark together and decided to kill them. He also stole a letter sent by Mark and blackmailed Margot with anonymous mails demanding money, so as to make the theft real. He moves to explain his plan- Margot will be alone at home the next day and Tony will hide her latchkeys under the carpet of a staircase outside. Swann would enter, hide behind the curtains and wait for Margot to step out as he’d strangle her to death and then create a mess in the room to impersonate a petty theft.

With the plot set in place, Tony and Mark leave for a stag party with Margot alone at home. However in a traditional ‘sorry to burst you bubble’ way, Tony realises that his plans turns into a nightmare with Margot killing the criminal while defending herself.

Tony immediately contrives a fresh plan. He takes out the keys from

ARUL ROSS

Cinema, musiC & art with the Brew | marCh 2011 | 17 Cinema, musiC & art with the Brew | marCh 2011 | 17

Swann’s pocket and places them back into Margot’s handbag while he calls the police. He turns the tables on Margot as the criminal who kills Swann, a blackmailer who blackmailed her for a letter. He successfully circles the case to corner Margot and she is sentenced to death.

A day before her execution, Mark tries to convince Tony to try and save Margot for the last time. He draws out a plot for Tony to tell the police about how he hired Swann to kill his wife in

a fit of rage. Ironically, he enumerates events in the exact way planned by Mark. But he’s unable to persuade Tony.

Meanwhile, Chief Inspector Hubbard, doubtful of Tony’s unusual bank transactions investigates further and finds the truth. Hubbard tricks Tony into realising his mistake after he finds out that that Margot’s latch key, all this while, was lying under the staircase carpet. And the one he placed in the handbag, were Swann’s own keys!

The script was originally written by Frederick Knott. Hitchcock stuck to the original script and standing true to the screenplay, a major chunk of the film was shot in the Wendice living room. Yet, it overcomes the claustrophobic environment that creeps into such cases. This is a technical conquest that Hitchcock reveals— the tensing of nerves, the goose bumps and excitement with just one location and smattering people.

The cinematography would have been a challenge for Robert Burks to shoot a realistically staged movie. Yet, he does it with complete expertise. The camera smartly places you in the centre of every situation making you a part of the tension that exists. The court scene carries off without any props and with just the light changing in the background when Grace Kelly is being tried for the case.

Crisp dialogues and a brisk narrative keep the audience biting their nails. As the plot progresses, you start to sympathise with Tony and start willing a witty idea to come out of his brain to cover the crime.

The original print of the movie was in a 3D technique which highlighted every feature in the living room. The scene where Margot picks the scissors to kill Swann scares you with an experience of the scissors coming at you.

The DVD presents the film in only two dimensions, but the transfer is stupendous. Bold colours and indoor scenes just add to the print while your screen thrills you with this tale of love, hate and pretence.

Dial M for Murder is not a jaw-dropping thriller, yet it entices your brain to stimulate your heart beat in this fast paced spine-tingling drama!


Gary Moore:

muSiC

20 | marCh 2011 | Cinema, musiC & art with the Brew20 | marCh 2011 | Cinema, musiC & art with the Brew

The death of Northern Irish Guitar Legend GARY MOORE has once again plunged the Music World into sorrow. He died in his sleep in the early

hours of 6 Feb 2011, while on holiday in Spain. The cause of death has been reasoned to be a heart attack. He was 58.

Paying tribute to Gary Moore was the Godfather of Heavy Metal himself: OZZY OSBOURNE- “I knew Gary Moore for what seemed like forever. We’d run into each other many times over the years and we were always able to pick up right where we left off. I had the honour of recording with Gary on his AFTER THE WAR album on the track LED CLONES which was great fun. To say that his death is a tragic loss doesn’t seem to give it the justice it deserves. We’ve lost a phenomenal musician and a great friend. Rest in Peace, Gary.”

Ever since his death, the internet has been flooded with various reactions and tributes from fans all over the world. Here are a few:

“When Gary played, you could tell every note poured from his soul. He was really special.” “A very sad loss. Not even mentioned on the BBC News…Disgusting.”“Rock…Blues…Jazz…what a mind-bogglingly versatile player.”

Though widely regarded as a Blues Rock Guitarist and singer, Gary Moore experimented with many musical

The Black rose

genres including Rock, Jazz, Blues, Country, Hard Rock and Heavy Metal. He collaborated with George Harrison, Trilok Gurtu, Colosseum II, Albert Collins, Mo Foster, Ginger Baker, Jack Bruce, Jim Capaldi, Cozy Powell, The Beach Boys, Ozzy Osbourne and Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Born as ROBERT WILLIAM GARY MOORE on 4 April 1952 in Belfast as one of 5 children to Bobby and Winnie, Gary Moore did not have a happy childhood- something that forced him to leave his city as a teenager. His parents parted a year later.

He started performing at a very young age with an acoustic guitar at the age of 8. An interesting fact was that he played the guitar the standard way despite being left handed. His early influences included Albert King, The Beatles, Elvis Presley, Peter Green of Fleetwood Mac. Gary Moore inspired many Guitarists including Vivian Campbell( Dio, Whitesnake, Def Leppard), John Norum(Europe), Adrian Smith(Iron Maiden), Zakk Wylde( Ozzy Osbourne, Black Label Society), Randy Rhoads(Ozzy Osbourne, Quiet Riot), John Sykes( Whitesnake, Thin Lizzy), Kirk Hammett( Metallica).

He was only 16 when in 1969, he joined SKID ROW (not to be confused with the American Glam Rock Band), which featured Noel Bridgeman, Brendan ‘Brush’ Shiels and PHIL LYNOTT as lead vocalist. This was his first association with Phil Lynott which continued into the next decade

mAnOJ SREEKUmAR


and a half. Later on, when guitarist Eric Bell quit the band THIN LIZZY which was fronted by Phil Lynott on vocals and bass, Gary Moore joined Lizzy twice- first in 1973 and again in 1977. During the days with Thin Lizzy, the world got to see the incredible chemistry between Phil Lynotts’ and Gary Moores’ playing which resulted in sold out concerts and also the album BLACK ROSE: A ROCK LEGEND which reached #2 in the UK Charts.

In 1973, Gary Moore released his first solo album called GRINDING STONE. After enjoying initial success and after releasing a few more solo albums, in 1978, his solo career continued with the help of Phil Lynott. The incredible combination of Gary’s Blues-based Guitar and Lynott’s voice produced

the marvelous “ PARISIENNE WALKWAYS”- which reached Top Ten in the UK singles chart in 1979. This was THE song that most of Gary’s fans waited to see during his live performances as it features Gary really erupting on the Guitar during the solos. The most important “moment” in this song was when Gary would begin the Guitar solo with a single note played and pulled and held as long as was possible…a feat that even today many guitarists are unable to replicate. Gary’s guitar playing style was truly unique. He used minimum effects and processors, the sounds and melodies he produced were always from sheer guitar playing.

The Moore/ Lynott combination had its culmination with the song OUT IN THE

FIELDS, arguably the biggest hit and the anthem of Gary Moore’s career. The hit single went to #5 in 1985 from the album RUN FOR COVER. Even after Phil Lynott’s untimely tragic death in 1986, Gary continued his solo career and went from strength to strength.

Some of the famous songs include OVER THE HILLS AND FAR AWAY- which was a big hit and was mostly his concert opener. The song was beautifully composed with layered vocals, guitars, drum rolls, keyboards and bagpipes. This song was recently covered by the Goth Rock group NIGHTWISH. While their version is definitely more powerful, it fails to capture the real essence of Gary’s song. An incredible aspect of Gary’s music was his ability to capture feelings and emotions so perfectly through his songs. The songs which best highlight this are EMPTY ROOMS and the marvelous instrumental THE LONER. While Empty Rooms so brutally presents the loneliness that one feels when one has loved and lost…THE LONER is the track which has made many fans actually cry when listening to it. Such was the honesty and impact of Gary’s music. A recurring theme in most of Gary’s songs across all his albums was his hatred and disgust towards War, which resulted in the songs Out in the Fields, Military Man, After the War, Wild Frontier and Wishing Well. In fact the lines-“I know what you’re wishing for. Love in a peaceful World” from the song Wishing Well speaks volumes about Gary’s longing for love and peace in a war ravaged world.

After a series of rock records, Gary returned to Blues music with STILL GOT THE BLUES, with contributions from Albert King, Albert Collins and George Harrison. For many fans and Blues aficionados , the track Still Got the Blues remains a staple even today. In fact many argue that this is the quintessential Gary Moore track which captures all that he was and stood for. He stayed with the Blues format till 1997 when he experimented with modern dance beats on DARK


DAYS IN PARADISE: which was a huge disappointment and left fans and the music press confused. But Gary bounced back with BACK TO THE BLUES in 2001 and continued till BAD FOR YOU BABY in 2008. Altogether, 20 albums were released in total. A beginner to Gary Moore’s music should begin with GARY MOORE: OUT IN THE FIELDS- THE VERY BEST OF, a must buy.

Throughout his career, Gary played the GIBSON GARY MOORE LES PAUL Signature Series Guitar as well as the FENDER STRATOCASTER Guitar- although he would occasionally play a GIBSON EXPLORER Guitar as can be seen in the Monsters of Rock concert.

In 2011, Gary was planning to record a new album and he was also very excited about the new Guitars he had procured for the same. Sadly, the world will never get to hear this last effort of Gary’s. One really wonders what ideas Gary might have had in mind for the creation of this record. Considering the sad state of music released nowadays, and with the death of greats like Michael Jackson, Ronnie James Dio and now Gary Moore, one really considers where is the world headed today in terms of real music?

The tribute by ROGER TAYLOR, drummer of legendary band QUEEN says it all-“It’s terrible: 58 is just too early. In Phil Lynott’s case it was tragic, and in Gary’s case there should have been a lot more years. I have great memories of Gary on tour in Thin Lizzy with Queen: always smiling, very cheerful and …too young to die. He’d recently joined Lizzy and he fitted in great: a blindingly fast player, and his thing was these staccato runs, with a bit of jazz in there. Totally different to Brian May’s- who very much enjoyed his playing. It’s very sad. But I think his music will live on. Virtuosity is something we really don’t have now: there are lots of great bands, but the emphasis just isn’t on that anymore. In those days, it was all about how GREAT you were; there were so many virtuosos and he was definitely one of them. He was a star player.”


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24 | marCh 2011 | Cinema, musiC & art with the Brew24 | marCh 20

When the government of India announced the Bharat Ratna award to Pandit Bhimsen Joshi in December

2009, there were more celebrations across Karnataka than anywhere else in india. For the real son of the soil had made his land proud and added yet another jewel to his already glittering crown. The last of the doyens of the dharwad school of music, Bhimsen out-lived all his contemporaries and spread the true dharwad style far and wide to global audiences. Like every carnatic musician who flaunts a lineage, he claims to be a direct descendant of the poet saint Tyagaraja, true or not, Bhimsen has a cult following of students, disciples and Hindustani vocalists who claim to be the inheritors of his legacy. There are very few musicians who can have such a reputation as magnificient as

Bhimsenji’s.

eArLY YeArS

Bhimsen was born into a noble family on 4th February 1922 in Gadag district in north Karnataka.He has very few to compete with him as equals in his field, either fame-wise or box office wise. Panditji’s father Gururaj Joshi was a conservative educationist and an expert academic whose Kannada-English dictionary is probably one of the best available even today and his mother Godavaribai Katti was a well known bhajan singer amongst the local bhajan mandali, at a time when women were not encouraged to sing in public. Bhimsenji’s grandfather, Bhimasenacharya was a noted musician of his time. Thought music was very much in the family, and like any other father, his wanted him to be a doctor, lawyer or pursue academics. Bhimsenji’s love towards music posed

TribuTe To

Bhimsen joshi

BY VeeJAY SAI


quite a lot of problems to his parents. For example, he would quietly slip away into any of the passing Bhajan mandalis only to be restored to his worried and anxious parents by some Good Samaritan or a family member. He loved reciting kannada hymns from Kumaravyasa’s ‘Mahabharata’ as much as he loved taking his first music lessons from Agasara Chennappa and the great Panchakshari Gavai.

This interest and passion for music took a completely different turn and turned into a raging passion when he heard Abdul Karim Khan’s thumri ‘Piya bin nahi awat chain’. ‘This was the turning point in my quest and I decided to run away from home’, he said years later, reflecting on his childhood. On the surface it seemed like a minor everyday occurrence that could happen in any home. But it troubled the sensitive boy enough to make him want to escape from that rigmarole. It only took a small instance in a family meal for him to get irked and run away when his mother had served all the others extra proportions

Padma Vibhushan Pandit Birju Maharaj – Kathak exponent

‘I have known Panditji from 1955. He is like my older brother. That is

the relationship we share. I have often breezed into his house without prior warnings with the liberty of a younger brother.I have performed at his festival in Pune innumerable times. He is literally the king of swaras and ragas. His winning the Bharat Ratna is a benediction to the entire music fraternity. Let me tell you a nice secret we shared amongst us, in the days when he use to chew paan and tambaaku, he was one of the best makers of it, and we have often enjoyed endless talk over many a paan. I am so proud for my brother. I pray god gifts him a fabulous life ahead. This award to him was long due’.

of ghee except to him, triggering a life-altering course of events. A disgruntled 11 year old Bhimsen left home in search of a guru and all that he had with him was a few rupees and the clothes he was wearing. His quest took him on many unsuccessful visits to Bijapur, Pune and Mumbai. The same routine followed. For instance, in Pune, he wasn’t able to pay his tuition fees to Bhaskarbua Bhakle. Penniless but determined, he boarded the third class bogey of a Gwalior bound train. Throughout his journey’s he would regale his co-passengers and even the railway staff with the songs he had learnt from the many commercial disks he heard to keep them distracted from asking him for his ticket. Slipping from compartment to compartment on the sly, sometimes getting off at an odd station for a day or two and not being caught by the railway department, he took about three long months to reach Gwalior.

Gwalior, Lucknow and Rampur gharanas had earned fame as being the best for training in Indian classical music. Bhimsenji’s search for a proper teacher had him knocking on the doors of some of the stalwarts of that era like the Sarod maestro Ustad Hafiz Ali Khan ( Ustad Amjad ali khan’s father) , Rajabhayya Pochhwale, Krishnarao Shankar Pandit who were all maestros of the Gwalior gayaki style. Unable to find satisfaction he decided to continue his struggle. He joined a school to become a tanpura artiste. He subsequently dropped out. From there he wandered to Kharagpur, Calcutta, Delhi and then finally to Jalandhar. In Calcutta his guru offered him a stint on the silver screen which he refused saying his interest was not to be in films but to become a classical musician. Those were the years when there was no playback singing and only singing stars since the talkie era had just dawned. Pertinently, nearly half a century later he was going to collect the national award for the best male playback singing in ‘Ankhee’ (1984, starring Amol Palekar and Deepti Naval) where music director Jaidev made him sing ‘Thumaka thumaka paga dhumaka kunja madhu’) With not

a penny in his pocket and a head filled with undying passion, young Bhimsen was not ready to give up till he found what he wanted– a proper guru.

Jalandhar by then had achieved its name on the music map for the large scale Hindustani music festivals it hosted. Inspite of hanging out at all these big festivals, luck continued to play truant and the restless Bhimsen who wanted to learn Khayal singing still a guru. He compromised by learning some Dhrupad style singing from a local blind musician for four years. It was during this time that Vinakayrao Patwardhan, an exponent of the Gwalior Gayaki style , a renowned scholar of that time advised the young Bhimsen that it was always best to go back to his hometown and be with his family first and also told him of Pandit Rambhau Kundgolkar aka Sawai Gandharva, who was acclaimed for his teaching abilities. Kundgol, a small town, not far from Gadag was the home of Sawai Gandharva, the prime disciple of Ustad Abdul Karim Khan saab. Bhimsen took this advice seriously and headed homewards after over four years of tedious searching.

GANDHArVA SCHOOL OF MUSIC

His family was in absolute joy to see him, as much as his father was not happy about the youngster’s committed passion for classical music. Bhimsen’s persistence kept him under the tutelage of the great Sawai Gandharva for the next four years from 1936 to 1940. He was encouraged by being toured to concerts as an accompanying artist, all over India. This exposure helped him gain immense confidence and improve his knowledge on this subject. He also learnt to study his audiences, their complex psychologies and much more before he could shape his own style of singing.

On return from Kundgol, he continued doing his riyaz for a year till he was possessed by the wanderlust once again. He left for another round of travel and this time it was the glitzy lights of Bombay and then to Rampur and Lucknow. He pursued the lighter


classical forms of Thumri and Khayal here. Soon he came to be known as a well-known voice over the radio and small time private concerts. It was the 60th birthday of his guru Sawai Gandharva in January 1946 and a concert was organized. This was Bhimsen’s first big public concert that was well-attended and gave him fame over-night.

Maharashtra then a province known as Bombay Presidency included Dharwad, Belgaum and Bijapur. Rajan Parikkar had to look after the recordings of artists in this Kannada-speaking region. As part of his work was tours to places like Bijapur. Belgaum, Bailhongal, Dharwad, Hubli and Gadag in search of fresh talent and for newer recording material. During one such tour he came across young Bhimsen. A Kannada drama company came to Bombay to present Kannada plays. A show was arranged at the Podar College hall at Matunga, for the benefit of the Kannadigas residing in North Bombay. Parikkar who did not know Kannada was prompted to go with the curiosity to hear a young Bhimsen on stage. Bhimsen was the hero in the play ‘Bhagyashri’. Seeing him act, he immediately negotiated him for an HMV recording. He sang two Hindi and two Kannada bhajans for his first

Padma Bhushan Gulzaar – well known poet , Lyricist , director, playwright, He made the award-winning documentary on Pandit Bhimsen Joshi’s life.

‘‘Ratnon ka Ratna hain woh! I am over-joyed that Panditji has finally won the Bharat Ratna. He has kept our country’s dignity intact by winning this award after such a long gap of 7 years. Words

fail me when I want to express what the feeling of having been associated with him for these many years’ means to me. I feel lucky to have hugged him, to have held his hand and shared innumerable experiences. I wish there was some way I could get it all back. I have attended countless concerts of his, both public and private. He would visit one Dr.Morwani’s house every 10th of October and give some of the most fascinating private concerts. He has the best sense of humor I’ve seen in an artist. He loved long drives.

I remember this instance in those days where flights were rare and trains were untimely, he drove all the way from Bangalore midnight to reach the concert venue an hour earlier and went up on the stage directly to perform. That was some commitment and only someone with his passion for music could have had it. He was very passionate about cars. Even till date there is an old Mercedes sitting in his compound. I used to tease him a lot. Once he was eating achaar so I asked him was it not bad for a singer’s throat. To which he immediately replied that his throat turned wooden long ago, because of his singing and he could eat everything. Another time I asked him teasingly if the ancient raags like Deepak did cause fire and Raag Megh did cause rains. He said in ancient times people were so truthful and committed to music that when they sang these ragas, they literally felt the fire and rain in them. Today it’s all the opposite. They sing megh after the rains have gone. This way I feel so lucky and honored and proud that panditji, one of my heroes has won the Bharat Ratna.’

recording in 1944. Soon afterwards Parikkar got him again to record a beautiful poem ‘Uttara Druvadum’ composed by the well known Kannada-Maharashtrian poet the late D. R. Bendre, and another poem written by the Kannada poet laureate Puttappa in bhavageethe style. With the great success of these recordings, which sold in very well amongst the Kannadigas, Bhimsen began to cut more and more records. By this time he had made a decent name as a classical singer, soon Parikkar got him to do a few classical pieces, which also were a great success. Thus, gradually Bhimsen became well-known and popular as a singer in the music circles and soon his name was prefixed with Pandit for his mastery and scholarship over the medium.

THe SOArING MID CAreer AND A FALL IN THe GrAPH

The next few years after India’s independence, Pandit Bhimsen Joshi emerged as one of the top most Hindustani vocalists of that era. His LP records and radio concerts increased in popularity. He sang the Abhangs in Marathi with the same ease with which he sang Purandaradasa Kritis in Kannada. The number of stage performances increased and he was in big demand unlike any of his contemporaries. The

only other singers in his league who unfortunately didn’t live long enough to see the future decades were Pandit Kumar Gandharva and Pandit Jitendra Abhisheki.

Having mastered and trained under the tutelage of so many gharanas, Bhimsen would perform any concert in almost all the styles with equal flexibility and keep his audiences in awe of him. If he started a raag with an aalap in the patiala gharana style, his boltaan would be in the rampur gharana style while his gamak would be in the Gwalior gayaki style. Not being a strict follower of the hardcore rules set down by the guru-shishya parampara, just like his guru, Panditji unconsciously set the parameters of the Kirana gharana style. That has stayed ever since. During the peak of his career, he took to alcohol as a positive from of engagement with his music. He would often come drunk to concerts attracting flak from critics and purists even though his fans didn’t seem to mind. His drinking would vary from being moderate to excessive often keeping the organizers and audiences worried. Soon his concerts started lacking the monumental voice, amazing depth and range that was his signature style. This state of concerts of uneven quality lasted for a while till, fortuitously good sense prevailed and


he decided to kick the habit completely in 1979 in the interest of his health and profession.

Like his sonorous voice, his career graph soared once more and the good old Bhimsen was back in action. The success of his commercially recorded music earned him a sustained popularity. He is the only Hindustani vocalist to have won the coveted platinum disk from His Master’s Voice making a unique place for himself in the history of 20th century Indian classical music. This popularity led him to achieve many firsts. He was the first-ever Hindustani Vocalist to

have publicized his concert programs via posters, billboards and more in cities like New York and elsewhere in Europe and eastern countries. He was also the first Hindustani vocalist to go abroad accompanied by his complete entourage, family, accompanying artists etc.

Doordarshan, the major Public service broadcasting medium in India held yet another accomplishment for him. The popular video on national integration ‘Miley Sur Mera Tumhara’, made him a darling of every household in India. A new tryst with popular media started in his already high and growing

career. His bhajan album ‘Raam Shyaam Gun gaan’ which he recorded with Lata Mangeshkar in 1985 tops the popularity continues to serve as a morning prayer across half of India while his rendering of Purandara dasa kritis in Kannada had made him an icon to reckon with. He was one of the few Hindustani vocalists to collaborate with Carnatic maestros like Mangalampalli Balamurali Krishna and noted painter M.F.Hussain at different occasions to give concerts on the theme of national integration, way before other artistic collaborations happened between other artists These


cross-cultural collaborations gained popularity and soon set a trend of classical musicians, vocalists and instrumentalists cutting many a disc later.

AwArDS AND ACCOLADeS

Much before the Bharat Ratna proved to be his crowning glory, Pandit Bhimsen Joshi had, in a career spanning six decades picked up almost every award and citation you could think of. Being one of the few rare artists to have achieved all the three Padma Shri (1972) Padma Bhushan (1985) and Padma Vibhushan( 1999), Bhimsenji’s national and international awards sit lightly on his shoulders. In addition to the prestigious sangeet Natak Akademi award (1976), the Maharashtra Bhushan ( 2002) and Karnataka Ratna ( 2005)award’s he has many more to his credit.

He is the only other Kannadiga to have won India’s highest civilian honor other then M.Vishveshwaraya, he is a heartthrob of lakhs of his fans across the world. Till date hundreds of temples across the state open with his records of Purandara Dasa Kritis and Bhajans. People worship his picture in their shrines and children in schools across listen to the tale of his passion for his art. His cervical spondilitis never bothered him when he roared on the stage with a neckband around, as much as his brain tumour from which he had an operation done. He was known to walk out of hospital beds when he wanted to sing at a concert, much to everyone’s awe. He is religious and believes in the saint Raghavendra swami of Mantralaya, Satya Sai Baba and has probably sung at the beckoning of every holy saint in the country. In his six decade or longer career, he has been a man of many hats. An avid car racer, a vintage car collector, football enthusiast, art connoisseur, yoga fanatic, a swimmer, a stage and theatre performer and many more of his facets that people associated with him know him for.

Being twice married, Panditji has had his share of going through managing two families. His son srinivas Joshi is the only one amongst his children to

keep up the musical heritage of this great legend. However Panditji has an impressive list of students to take his legacy forward and keep the lamps of the Kirana gharana brightly lit in the world of Hindustani classical music.

His winning the Bharat Ratna is not surprising and was something his fans, lovers and contemporaries felt was long due.

He passed away due to internal bleeding and medical complications on 24 January 2011. The fact that

Bhimsen Joshi died on the same day that the saint-poet- composer Thyagaraja’s Aradhana was held, may be a coincidence. But what a coincidence! Anyone who listened to his rich resonant baritone, effortlessly raised to a crescendo, had little doubt about him being divinely gifted. We all will truly miss this legend.


So well in advance from November ‘Biryani Adams’ (his Hyderabadi nick name) was the Buzz word. The first ever Rock Concert of this

scale, in Hyderabad? Was it actually happening? As a rock concert veteran, I played my part well. There were the Dos & Don’ts for my friend Vasu (we jokingly call her the “Rock Concert Virgin”) from the time we MUST reach the concert to get our front row, which was a good three and a half hours in advance by the time in true a la Hyderabadi style things took off, to the kind of shoes that she was allowed to adorn. Given her height (5’8”) I took great pleasure in asking her to dump her usual 4” heels!! Of course no bags

at all, how would we dance otherwise? And then the hi-energy granola bars to keep us going!! And I know she is thankful for all these tips.So from the ‘Rock Concert Veterans to the Rock Concert Virgins’ we were all there at the Bryan Adams Sing Along Concert on the 16th of Feb 2011!

The adrenalin was high and all we wanted was beyond a peek-a-boo performance, from the new kid on the block - Jackie Bhagnani. In an all-off a 5-minute performance, there was a 2-minute “taking and staying in positions” act / dance? when the Hyderabadis just couldn’t refrain from saying ”Arre bas karojee, ab tho step maar” . Then finally Bryan Adams

A Trip bAck To THESuMMer of 69

Early rush of love somewhere lost in the summer of 69… when cloud nine was just a call away…each one wanting

a night to remember… The idea of Hyderabad’s first rock concert went straight to our hearts.

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RITU CHAWLA & VASUnDHARA SAmPATH


appeared on stage and proclaimed “Here I am, Look at me” and made up for that ‘rocky’ start!

However, the prelude to the show could not have been a bigger let down. The host for the evening could not have been a Hyderabadi or at least we hope not!! She was straight out of a school Annual day function. Every time we would forget the pains we were going through while we waited, she was there to remind us”Please be patient. Guys do you like the DJ?” that were playing some brilliant rock favorites on a barely audible rotten sound system. What do you think?? Obviously the answer was a loud BIG ugly NO from the crowds. Right before

we got introduced to the celebrated Akbar Sami. What a pity!

Just when you thought this could not get any better, with the first strum of the opening bar of ‘Summer of 69’ he had struck the right cord with us and the crowd went berserk. There was no looking back.

From there on we sang along with him each song from his best of collections. Non-stop 2 hrs of energetic and compelling music in an “18 till I die” attitude. The earlier 3 hour ordeal was instantly forgotten! We stood there mesmerized as he belted out one popular number after another, reminding us of our adolescent years,


high school parties, our first crush, the stolen kisses, our first college band jam sessions and sheer nostalgia.

The girls who paid no heed and landed in 4 inch heels would have surely died and gone to heaven at the end of four hours but yes those like us with pockets full of granola bars were truly *18 till I die*.

He ended with some soulful unplugged numbers which we could feel in our ‘Bare Bones’. One among an audience of over 12,000 die-hard fans, but each one of us felt connected with Bryan like he was performing only for us! We

didn’t want to let him go, making it a night to remember, from January to December, all lifelong!

One of the 12000 fans happened to be Priya the lucky girl, who was called up to share stage with none other than Bryan to croon “Baby when you’re gone”!! An extremely confident girl who made Hyderabad very proud by putting up a brilliant act, while the crowd cheered her on . So when we self proclaimed “Rock stars” were filled with energy even days after the ‘Bryan Adams Live Concert’, we obviously looked like the best choice for an up, close and personal reviews,

and a blast from the past!!

As my friend rightly summed it: He made it a NIGHT TO REMEMBER, Straight from the heart, he just couldn’t STOP THE THING HE STARTED, we were on CLOUD NO.9, maybe our best gift ever since the SUMMER of 69---THOUGHT I HAD DIED AND GONE 2 HEAVEN!!


ARt

Photography: Babu Ponnapan


I get this surprise call from Ashwin, a friend who successfully runs a chain of bookstores on a weekend. ‘Surprise’ because he is the usual busy man globetrotting and I am the one who usually calls him. And even more surprising was what he said to me on the phone, that we would be presenting “Lord” Jeffrey Archer in Chennai for the launch of his new book “Only time will tell”.

My immediate answer obviously was “Yes”. Let’s do it and try and put in as much effort as possible to make the event a success. This also gave me an opportunity to have an interaction with Lord Archer, (thank you, Daniel Watts of Pan Macmillan)

So this was on a Tuesday morning at 11 am which was the appointment Lord Archer had given me, and I walk into the presidential suite at Taj Coromandel. I see this tall, well-built extremely fit looking man who doesn’t look seventy at all, stretching his hand out “Hello Sameer! How are you?”

I introduce myself and tell him what

all I do, he seems interested in the business that we are into - advertising and brand consulting, and enquires more on how things work on the advertising front in this country. So, I spend the next hour and a half talking to him, and most of the conversation was about cricket, as he is cricket crazy... just like me. We discuss Geoffrey boycott, Dennis Compton, Sachin Tendulkar and the current world cup scenario. One would surely get a feeling that Lord Archer had played competitive cricket at some level, but he insists that he is not a great player, but an avid cricket watcher and follower. Here are some excerpts from the conversation:

SBr: India has been a huge market for you and you are worshipped in this country. when did you first come here and what do you think of this place?

I first came to India when I was in my twenties. But in the last 5 years I have come here 4 times. I love coming back here and interacting with the people. What I find in India is that people here

are educated and India is one country which is clearly progressing. I am overwhelmed with the response and that’s why I love coming back to this wonderful country. It always amazes me. I am glad people recognize me and my work, and on my way to the hotel a small kid knocked at the car window and said, ‘Would you like the latest Jeffery Archer?’ and I yelped, “I am the latest Jeffery Archer.”

SBr: You have come to Chennai before. Did you ever get a chance to interact and meet people here? Because I am sure you have a lot of friends in places like Delhi and Mumbai.

JA: I haven’t really had the time to meet people in Chennai unfortunately. Even now, Dan (Pan Macmillan) has given me a very tight schedule. I am here just for a day and off to Bangalore from here.

SBr: Oh. I think you must definitely try and spend at least one more day in Chennai the next time and I am sure you will enjoy meeting some

THE GrEaTEST Story teller oF all TIME TalkS To our eDitor


interesting people here. I am not sure how much you know of South India or specifically Chennai. But this place has produced people like Kamal Hassan, the best actor India has ever produced, In fact when the Queen visited Madras she actually went to the place where his shoot was happening to see how he works. And also someone like A r rahman

who won the Oscar for the best music for Slumdog Millionaire is from here.

JA: Oh really...I would love to meet such people. Slumdog Millionaire? Yes.I did see that film. And I loved it. Many people said they dint like the film but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

SBr: So, how did it all start? when did you start writing and what

inspired you?

I was 34 when I began to write after I left the House of Commons, facing bankruptcy. I never really thought I would have a long innings as a writer.

SBr: I have heard that your home in Majorca is really beautiful and you do most of your writing there?


JA: I always go to my home in Majorca to write, because it’s quiet and there are no distractions there. I have a writing room that I use, which overlooks the sea, and I write in two-hour blocks every day, from 6-8 am, 10-12 noon, 2-4 pm, 6-8 pm with a break in between each two hour session to eat or go for a walk.

SBr: I have always thought that you are an amazing marketer as well. I mean, in terms of getting the right ideas for your stories and presenting it in a form that your readers enjoy most. It surely needs a lot of insight.

JA: Well, I may be a great marketer, but if my ‘Kane and Abel’ or any other

book were not great products, my readers would not come back to read my other books. In the end the product has to be great.

SBr: You said “You can either tell a story, or you can’t”. Do you mean writing classes are useless? Do you think you have to be born a storyteller to write?

JA: It’s not that I think writing classes are of little value, it’s that you can’t teach someone to tell a story – that’s a God-given gift that you either have, or you don’t.

SBr: Indian writers. who is your favourite Indian author?

JA: It can be no one else but R K Narayan. He is my all time favourite author. He was a great story teller and there is nothing about him that I have missed reading or watching. I have thoroughly enjoyed watching Malgudi Days. What makes me sad is that I could never meet him in person. Maybe I should have started travelling to India much earlier.

SBr: I read somewhere that you also opened an Art Gallery: “Archer gallery”? Are you an art collector?

JA: Yes. I did have an art gallery which I recently sold. I am an avid art collector. But I am not the modern art kind of a person. I would like work done by Caravaggio and Picasso and so on.

SBr: Hmm...so you wouldn’t be interested in works of people like say Andy warhol.

JA: Not really. I have 7 works of Warhol including a “Marylyn Monroe”, all of them; I intend to sell very soon.

SBr: Ok, about your latest work “Only time will tell”. what is it about?

JA; Young man that look on your face clearly tells me that you haven’t read a word of it?

SBr: No sir! I haven’t.

JA: OK. (Laughs) ‘Only Time Will Tell’ is a story of Harry Clifton, whose life begins in the backstreets of Bristol. Harry was born to a war hero, but it


takes him 21 turbulent years before he discovers the truth about his father’s death. The book covers the years from 1920 to 1940 and includes memorable characters. Volume one will take the readers through the ravages of the Great War to the outbreak of the Second World War.

SBr: Do you have any plans of writing your own story? I am sure it will be one of the biggest bestsellers ever.

JA: No. I don’t intend writing it. But yes, you can see a lot me in this book (pointing to a copy “Only time will tell”)

SBr: Now that you are here during the world cup, are you catching any of the matches especially the england ones at a stadium?

JA: Well, unfortunately not! I am doing 5 cities in 6 days for promoting the book. So there is absolutely no time to watch any cricket. But I am following the results keenly. And yes, I am looking forward to India’s visit to England later this year!

SBr: who is your favourite cricket player? Is there an Indian cricketer you love watching?

I used to love Dennis Compton and a lot of players in his times. Indian players: I loved meeting Dravid and Kumble. And yes, Sachin is great. I have watched him play in England long ago when he was a boy and I knew that he would go a long way.

Daniel, who was patiently waiting, had to interrupt our conversation, because many other people were waiting to meet Lord Archer. Before I took leave, I had a board autographed for my friend Manoj. When I told Jeffrey that Manoj is one of his biggest fans, he looked at me and replied “Now stop this advertising talk, young man! A reader of mine in Australia has read “Kane and Abel” a 170 times”. I assured him, “Well, I will tell Manoj to read Kane and Able 171 times!”

I depart after spending close to one and a half hours only to meet him again in the evening for his book launch at Odyssey, Express Avenue.


The Brew Magazine along with odyssey India ltd.and Pan Macmillan India proudly presented Jeffrey archer releasing his new book, only Time Will Tell (The Clifton Chronicles Part 1). Here are some of the moments at the event.

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“The event was well attended. Even the questions asked were pretty intelligent, which showed that Chennai has a well read audience. He has such a darting personality at an age of 70, very assertive. He is not one of the showy types. ” - C.S.S. Latha

“A stunning event. It exceeded our expectations. Record crowd. Record sales. And yes, the book is no:1 in the best seller lists everywhere. Its time to celebrate. “ - Daniel Matt, Pan Macmillan

“It is a privilege and honour to launch his book. And I am not really surprised by the turnout considering his phenomenal popularity in the country.” - T.S.Ashwin, MD,Odyssey India

“Not all writers are good orators.But he had a great sense of humour and was able to connect well to the diverse audience present there.” - Aishwarya Suresh


THE STATE of

Turning 65 this year, S. nandagopal is

an artist soaked in the traditions of this country. His work has a

contemporary feel that speaks beyond the indian art world

and has a unique style attached to

it. His art is above everything that ties

humans down vis-a-vis religion, myth

and secularism.

Art in Current tiMeS

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S. Nandagopal was relaxing after a successful exhibition of his latest sculptures, when we caught up with him over Tea and sandwiches. His house is filled with curios and paintings that transport you to a different artistic world.

what were the sources of inspiration that you gathered from the local art scene and from the international art scene that enabled you to develop a personal style?

I studied at the Government College of Arts & Crafts in Madras in the 1960s and 70s when the Madras Movement was at its height. It was a marvellous place. I owe very much to its curriculum, its setting and its remarkable ethos. It had an excellent craft section where I used to spend a lot of time. It had some of the most renowned craftsmen in the state: ironsmiths, goldsmiths, furniture designers, textile weavers, dyers and so on, working and teaching along side artist-instructors in painting and sculpture. There was an arrangement by which one doing painting, for instance, could go across and work in the sculpture section or in the ceramic workshop, textile design section, or in the workshop of any other master craftsman. I would therefore move around, observe the craftsmen at work, assist them sometimes, or

go over work in progress left in the workshops and studios by craftsmen, painters or sculptors I used to look up to. I knew very little about art those days, but I could react keenly to its workmanship, no matter what medium and could be quite carried away by it.

In the late sixties and early seventies when I was there, a number of painters and sculptors were doing outstanding work. There was so much interaction, initiative and upsurge that I felt some of it happening inside of me too. There was an important movement on. Notable among those I personally empathized with were the sculptor P.V.Janakiram and the painters Redappa Naidu, L.Munuswamy and A.P. Santhanaraj.

I am particularly indebted to a school of drawing my senior colleagues and teachers had developed. It consisted of a line as soft and spontaneous like a Japanese brush stroke and just as free. With that they had developed a figure drawing which was so structured that it could do such complexities as an elephant-headed presence, or a monkey-mannered, wind-borne spirit, or one which could multiply its limbs, head and body at will, or issue out into configurations of calligraphic signs. That drawing remains with me and nourishes me still. It is that which activates

my sculpture. On the international front, I have studied the work of the abstractionists David Smith, Anthony Caro and Michael Puryear but remain a figurative sculptor as I believe that “Man will remain man’s greatest subject”.

Can you describe/characterize the major shifts that have come about in your sculptural articulations in the last four decades?

Like most sculptors of the Madras Art Movement, I began my career as a painter before I took to sculpture full time. My early work was inspired by folk and iconic sculpture and “frontality” was a key element right from the start. There were of course a few instances where I ventured into third dimensionality, but I was unhappy with it as I felt it reached a dead end. The sixties was a turbulent time in the Indian art movement when a synthesis of the West and East was pursued relentlessly. Reviewing my work in Art International, the critic Phyllis Granoff gives an insight in to my early work. “ One of the most commonly voiced concerns of the young artist in India today is to integrate the formal discoveries of modern art with indigenous tradition in a way that is meaningful and relevant to contemporary India. Nandagopal, a young South Indian sculptor, has succeeded admirably at this task, producing a number of sculptures of striking originality and beauty. Nandagopal’s sculptures are often large, but perhaps their most obvious characteristic is that they compel the viewer’s attention in two strikingly different ways. They first impose themselves as objects isolated in space and then invite a close-up reading of their numerous surface details. This remarkable synthesis of large, imposing external shape with intimate, playful surface detail Nandagopal himself relates to India’s ancient artistic tradition, both folk and courtly.”

The seventies saw a consolidation of “frontality” and “linearity” in my sculpture. The late Dr. Mulk Raj

Art in Current tiMeSRATHy


Anand’s view on my work at this stage gives you some idea. “The vision of Nandagopal conjures up images which are startling with their twists and turns of the figure. The imagination of this artist is rescuing from the chaos lurking beneath the surface of Indian life replete with the tensions of our tragic age, in which the old Gods have dissolved and made room for vital energetic figures asserting themselves in violent contortions. The sensation of the on-looker has to yield to deeper realisations of the subterranean currents of our age and transition. The aesthetic of Nandagopal’s sculpture is in the disharmony which compels

the over flow of emotion. Beneath the outer form, with the violent

gestures, one can see the shadows

of delirium of the human soul”.

The eighties saw a subtle

change coming into my sculpture. The critic and theoretician the late Josef James commented on the element of lyricism which

was creeping into my work. “The medium

and workmanship in which Nandagopal has excelled has a lineage

and history in mainstream world sculpture from

which he has certainly taken his lessons. But it was the

developments in Madras and especially the developments in

pictorial figuration and the pioneering example of P.V.Janakiram which really launched Nandagopal. He had seen exceptional pictorial possibilities in what they had dared and advanced. That is the significance of the recent work of Nandagopal. The “drawing-in-space” concept continues to be basic to his work, but over the years he had taken it through a succession of trying subjects and formulations to realise its rare refinements and unsuspected


capabilities.

From the early nineties and into the new millennium, my work has taken on a new phase –the narrative element. Geeta Doctor sums it up aptly, “He calls them Frontal Narrative Sculptures. This however gives no idea of the exuberant quality of Nandagopal’s series of copper and brass pieces. They soar and leap into space with all the power and grace of a traditional piece of South Indian art whether chiselled on stone as they are at Mahabalipuram or the exquisite bronzes of the Chola period. Yet, they are rooted in the everyday.”

You have been working primarily in metal. How do you think this material has helped you to translate your sculptural vision and what are the advantages and limitations of your chosen medium? Haven’t you ever felt the need to work in a medium such as fibre glass?

My medium is welded metal. I work with copper, brass, stainless steel and iron. I feel these materials translate my vision to a perfection which no other medium can. I can’t bring myself to do anything for which I cannot feel a necessity in me, even for an experiment or joke. I have never had any feeling for working things in the round. I am not, however, insensitive to it. I can admire the work of Moore or Brancusi and I myself sometimes cast small bits for some of my own sculptures. But a whole conception in the round, the process of working it with my fingers, puts me off. I might put it down to a craftsman’s sense of economy with materials which probably impressed me very strongly. A craftsman or a goldsmith, for instance, must work his metal to such a pitch that the tiniest bit speaks. It would be a poor work which leaves the material inert without adding anything to the appearance or the use value of the object. Why should sculpture stay loaded and weighed down with it? The sensuality it serves the sculpture leaves it cold and so crude.

You are a physics graduate

continuing a career in art. Do you suppose your education helped you in any way in your sculpting world?

No one can go about without knowing their basics. When I was first asked to replicate my statues into a large scale sculptor, I initially had a tough time blowing it up. First I had to put down the sketches on a paper and replicate them to large scale sculptures which was becoming difficult to do. Then I realised I can utilize my physics knowledge to do the scaling and after that work become pretty easy.

As a sculptor, you have done very large to very small sculptures. what are the formal, technical and other considerations while undertaking such different projects in different scales?

My work varies from very small sculptures to monumental ones. My work at Priyadarshini Park, Mumbai, commissioned by the National Centre for the Performing Arts, is twenty feet tall and the “Garuda” at the head quarters of the Transport Corporation of India Ltd at Gurgaon is 15 feet tall. As they were to be

placed open to the skies, they had to be made of a material that would not corrode. Hence, both sculptures were fabricated from stainless steel, which is a wonderful medium for out door purposes. When it comes to interiors, I prefer to work with copper and brass which when polished and coated with a polyurethane film lasts a very long time.

Continuing with the last question, which gives you the ultimate satisfaction? Your small sculptures decorating a private house or a large scale sculpture adorning a public place?

Definitely, large sculptures at public places! As I said earlier, I was commissioned by the National Centre for the Performing Arts to install a twenty feet tall work at Priyadarshini Park, Mumbai and the “Garuda” at the head quarters of the Transport Corporation of India Ltd at Gurgaon is 15 feet tall. It is available for general public to see and appreciate art. Even now people know me because of the installation at Priyadarshini Park, Mumbai.

But when we are talking about art installed in public, we also have to think about the attitude of public towards it. People think it is alright to deface them and let it decay. No one takes the responsibility to maintain properly. While the people think it’s the responsibility of the government, they forget to realise they have a little bit of social responsibility too.

When people start appreciating, the art work installed in public places, it will definitely encourage the artists to do more.


March 19 - April 18Dakshinachitra 5:30 pmMarch 20 - 26Apparao Gallery 11:00 am Faraway Tree 12:00 noonMarch 20 - April 1Focus Gallery 10:00 amMarch 20 - April 19Ashvita 5:00 pmMarch 21 - April 9Gallery Sri Parvati 11:30 amArt Camp Opens at all three Taj Hotels 1:00 pmMarch 21 - 30Ayya Art Gallaries 4:30 pmMarch 21 - 27Lalit Kala Akademi 5:30 pmMarch 21 - 28Art & Soul Art Gallery 5:30 pmMarch 21 - 26Asharaa 6:30 pmCholamandal Culture for 6:30 pmContemporary ArtMarch 22 - April 23Forum Art Gallery 6:00 pmMarch 22 - 30Artworld 6:30 pmPrakrit Art Gallery 7:00 pm

Gallery OpeningsSchedule

March 23 - 30Athreyaa Art Gallery 3:30 pmLakshana Art Gallery 5:00 pmSAFION 7:00 pmMarch 23 - April 9Gallery Sumukha 6:30 pm

March 24 *Taj- Art Exhibit & Video Lounge 6:30 pm*Art Conversations - Day 1 Session I Collectors’ Corner 2:30 - 4:00 pmSession II The Art Critic 4:30 - 6:00 pmMarch 25Taj Art exhibit continues 11 am - 9 pm*Art Conversations - Day II Session I - The Curatorial Eye 2:30 - 4:00 pmSession II - The Art Market 4:30 - 6:00 pmMarch 26 *Art Conversations - Day III Session I - Artist’s In Conversation 11:00 am - 12.30 pmArt Camp closes *Auction 6:30 pm

2 0 1 1C H E N N A I

* By invitation only

Art Chennai 2011 will represent the best of Modern and Contemporary Art and will provide a unique opportunity for art to be received by a large and discerning art audience. The Ensemble is a 7 day event from the 20th of March till the 26th of March and will be hosted in “The Taj Hotels Resorts & Palaces, Chennai” along with the top 22 Art Galleries. Some of Art Chennai’s highlights will be the 27 resident artists painting live at all 3 Taj Hotels of Chennai from 21st – 26th March and also, the 5 art seminars from 24th – 26th March. The city will witness around 27 shows at various venues such as independent art galleries and Taj Hotels, Chennai, each opening hosted will cater to a niche audience explaining various values of Art. The ensemble will also feature newly launched solo projects exhibiting a range of paintings, sculptures, photography, mix media, prints, video installations and drawings. The ART CHENNAI will offer visitors from around the world a rich and fulfilling art experience each year every year.

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