The film has some amazing songs. The combination of lyricist Gulzar and composer RD Burman produced many gems. But I will always rate this as a film where the chemistry was unbelievable.

My favorite song from Ghar has to be the classic Aapki AankhoN MeiN Kuchh Mehke Huey Se Raaz HaiN आपकी आँखों में कुछ महके हुए से ख्वाब हैं (trans: Your eyes are lined with the aroma of mysteries.). The voice of Kishore Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar. What is also interesting about this song is that it is based on Raga Kedar which normally so typical of devotional music (remember the Kedar based classic Hamko Man Ki Shakti Dena हमको मन की शक्ति देना from Jaya Bhaduri’s debut Hindi film Guddi). There is of course anothe great example of using Raga Kedar to creat a romantic mood in the film Ek Musafir Ek Hasina. The song was Aap Yunhi Agar Hamse Milte Rahe

The second song I have always loved is Tere Bina Jiya Jaaye Na तेरे बिना जिया जाये ना (trans: It is so hard to live without you). Watch Rekha who plays the pining housewife, arrange her husband’s photos like a deck of cards that gets blown away with a gust of wind.

Phir Wohi Raat Hai, Raat Hai Khwabon Ki फिर वही रात है रात है ख्वाबों की (trans: It is the night that dreams are made of, once again… ). Set to the Latino beat that was so dear to RD Burman.

Aajkal Paaon Zameen Par आजकल पाँव ज़मीन पर नहीं पड़ते मेरे (trans: Have you noticed lately that I don’t walk on the floor anymore) talks about the heady feeling of being in love. See the video here. This look of Rekha reminds me of the other film Khoobsoorat (check out this clip) made in 1981 that had her singing in films for the first time – the song is Kaida Tod Ke Socho Ek Din. Rekha clearly will not be remembered as a great singer but as one who was never afraid to experiment.

Ghar is what the Gulzar-RD Burman-Kishore magic is all about. I have always wondered whether this is a film one should watch because it shows the transition of Rekha as an actress or just listen to the music. I think I’ll vote for the music.

To read more articles by Abhijit Bhaduri on music click here

The one video I will play for you will be this funky piece called आजा वे Aaja Ve. It is a funky piece that I love. It has got attitude.

Recently I had a chance to catch up with Sona in a free flowing interview.
Abhijit: After an Engineering degree and an MBA in Marketing is music just a hobby or passion or career?

Sona: Well you don’t choose music, music chooses you. Music is my life and I have a lifetime of learning to do. I took the long road to it but all the stuff that I learnt on the way has been worth it. I hope to make original personal music and reach out to my audience despite the fact that that our country seems to be obsessed with Bollywood culture with limited breathing space for any alternative. The silver lining is that things seem to be changing now. Bands like Kailasa – Kailash, Naresh & Paresh manage to put out their records regularly by cleverly using Kailash Kher’s celebrity status through Bollywood & Reality TV

Abhijit: What was your biggest moment musically speaking – the day you recorded your first album… or the day you saw the album in the store or was it the music video or was it when you recorded with INXS.

Sona: None of the above , if I may say so ! It was the moment I decided to plunge headlong & fulltime into music . No ‘Escape’ buttons et all !

Abhijit: You have been jamming with other artiste abroad as well. How has that impacted your own sound?

Sona: I loved working with INXS because ‘Afterglow’ is an Indian song at heart! It’s so melodramatic and romantically ambitious that I just fell for it the moment I heard it. It was great meeting them & hearing them praise our version of the song so much! Since it was released in the UK & did really well, we were planning more such collaborations but then the band went into hiatus, so no news as of now . With Bowie, it happened through agents, as they were looking for artists who could re-interpret the song, ‘Let’s Dance’, which is a childhood favourite of mine. They loved what we did and it’s supposed to be part of a compilation of remixes of Bowie’s songs. Now all that remains is to actually meet the Thin White Duke himself! I actually dream of jamming with the great voices that walk this earth. I actually have a long fantasy wish list. Angelique Kidjo, Wadali brothers, Aruna Sairam, Tori Amos, Youssou N’ Dour, Cassandra Wilson, Cheb Mami, Richard Bona. The list goes on & on. It’s going to take a lot of riyaaz (practice) !

Abhijit: Are some of these tracks composed by you? If not is there any piece of music that you have composed?

Sona: Yes , I do compose once in a while & a song in my first album Jai Phulo Re has a bit of that ! Having said that , I do believe that one doesn’t neccessarily have to compose to be an artiste. I consider myself a storyteller and hope to be inspired by the vocal greats like Pandit Kumar Gandharva , Nina Simone , Girija Devi , Geeta Dutt , Richard Bona …the list is endless & ‘get closer to the flame’. My blessings include working in a great team with Ram Sampath who has composed my songs in the album & Munna Dhiman who has given words to our ideas in the same.

Abhijit: Who is your favorite Bollywood composer? Does an artiste have to be a playback artiste to get to the mass market in India? Would you rather be singing for the masses or a niche market?

Sona: There are many , Madan Mohan , RD Burman , Vishal Bharadwaj , AR Rahman , Ram Sampath… Jagjit Singh hasn’t needed to be a playback voice to be crowned as the King of Ghazals and seriously mass market at that ! So while it seems to be the easiest way to reach out, mostly cause the infrastructure is built around the same, I don’t think its the only way . We need more live venues for sure and if the government isn’t helping, corporates like yours should !

Abhijit: Have you sung Oriya songs?
Sona: Yes I do. I’m planning an Oriya album for the international market soon. Infact, I had the pleasure of meeting Mira Nair post my Lincoln centre NYC concert this year and she turned out to be half Oriya (from the state of Orissa, India) . She loved my music and infact suggested that I do this project .

Abhijit: You prefer to be described as “unique” rather than be called “unusual” through your music that bridges the ancient and the contemporary. How do you plan to do it?

Sona: My music and my world are about bridging the timeless and the contemporary. I love history, architecture and am fascinated by how things age. I love the fact that all classical singers reach their artistic peak post their 40′s. I want my music to get better with time, but I also want to enjoy the moment. That contradiction is who I am..

Abhijit: As a trained Marketing professional, how did you go about marketing the brand called Sona?

Sona: Haven’t figured that one yet. It is difficult trying to soak yourself in music and also see yourself as a product /brand at the same time. I do understand the importance of it though and hope to find partners and collaborators to do so! On my part , I believe in being ‘consistent’ in what I do and say and hope that it builds towards a single & strong “brand ‘

Abhijit: Your musical idols – tell me about lesser known music that you recommend for the readers. Specific albums and bands that you want us to listen to.

Sona: I’ve always been inclined towards earthy, rootsy music. Give me the Blues any day! I feel the same way about Indian music. Our folk music has all the ingredients that are vital to pop music – great stories, beautiful melodies & funky grooves.Vocally, my biggest inspirations are Girija Devi, Pt. Kumar Gandharva, Begum Akhtar , Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Nina Simone, Tori Amos & Geeta Dutt . Bands like Ojos De Brujos , Tinariven inspire me .

Abhijit: Besides singing and music, what keeps you busy?

Sona: Lots . I am a partner /producer in a music production house called THE MINT. I love travelling and am a keen student of history , culture & therefore a voracious reader & film buff too. I usually watch world cinema. There’s actually very little free time in a day but since its filled with things I love, there’s little to complain about !

Abhijit: What are you reading currently?

Sona: I read only non-fiction. Currently reading a book by a favourite author of mine , Pankaj Mishra , called Temptations of the West . I’m simultaneously reading a book called “An Intimate History of Humanity” by Theodore Zeldin

Ali Akbar Khan’s sister Annapoorna Devi (born Roshanara Khan in 1926 in Maihar) played the surbahar. She married the sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar for a brief period before their divorce. Ali Akbar and Ravi Shankar together made for great brand ambassadors of Hindustani Classical music to be made accessible to the listeners outside of India. I was fortunate to have heard both of them perform at Delhi’s Modern School grounds when they rung in the dawn of a New Year having started playing post dinner on 31st December. The experience of listening to the two legends on the same stage remains a defining moment in my musical journey. Ali Akbar was 13 when he made his debut as a performer at the Allahabad Music Conference in 1936 and accompanied Ravi Shankar during his debut performance at the same conference three years later. Over the years they toured the world together and performed to mesmerize listeners who did not need to to know the alphabet to understand the new language the duo was teaching. Check out this clip of the duo performing.

The sarod is a complex instrument with 25 strings. These include four main strings, four jod strings, two chikari strings and fifteen tarab strings. This fretless instrument is played with a plectrum that is usually made from coconut shell or even the shell of tortoise. Ali Akbar became one of the first names to become synonymous with sarod. He was music director of All India Radio station, Lucknow before leaving it to become the royal musician in the court of the princely state of Jodhpur.

He briefly dabbled with composing music for films much against his father’s wishes. Satyajit Ray invited him to compose the music for his film Devi (1960). Ali Akbar did not think Ray had the same sensibilities in Hindustani Classical as he did for Western. The same year he composed music for Tapan Sinha’s classic Khsudita Pashaan (Hungry Stones), based on a short story by Rabindranath Tagore.

In 1989 he was awarded the Padma Vibhushan, India’s second-highest civilian honor, and in 1991 he became the first Indian musician to receive a MacArthur Foundation “genius grant.” He is credited with the creation of many Ragas. He was not flashy or flamboyant but just a musician who obsessed with his craft. Someone who made the complex instrument communicate in a language that we loved even if we did not understand all of it. Hear Ustad Ali Akbar Khan (April 14, 1922 – June 18, 2009) play Raga Marwa – a Raga that is played at the time of sunset. After all it is the end of an era.

“Rap is a way of life bro’. Wanna rap? You gotcha live like us – the ghetto clothes. You gotta dress right … like a gangsta. Give attitoood and you’ll get it.”, the guy offered me the first AHA experience about Rap. He should know. He was the young 20 something who was being interviewed as he stepped off his stretch limo. I had gone to drop off a hysterical gang of teenagers at this Rap Concert. (Is that an oxymoron?)

I did not like being addressed as a dawg or a gangsta -even if it came from HIM. My kids explained that I should be honoured that HE even looked at me while saying that stuff. There were so many drooling fans around. And of all people he looked at the “unkewlest of them all”. And being called a “gangsta” is a sign of being accepted even in High School, my daughter consoled me.

“If he is from the ghettos, why is he flashing the diamond ear-ring while stepping off a stretch limo?” I put a clincher.

“Oh DAD!! Don’t you understand anything?”:roll:

Kids are low on patience when explaining kewl stuff to parents. (yeah… it is not cool. “You are SO like 70’s, Dad”)

I put my apprehensions aside. If dressing right was part of the solution, so be it. So, for a while I pretended that I was hip just like those people – the “kewl dudes”. I started referring to my kids as gangsta. That was rough on my nerves. Try saying, “Hey Gangsta! Finished your homework? Get on the case dude. You got a TEST TOMORROW FOGOSSAKE!!”

I even wore appropriate attire. I wore loose pants and that’s not easy to maintain. I normally have the reverse problem – my pants suddenly become tight. Here was a twist. I had to buy pants that would be loose enough to hang around my derriere (look I know some French and it makes me sound classy). But that meant I had to also had to buy new boxers that would be on display for the world to see. My shopping list was becoming longer and leaving me poorer. I took one of those baggy shorts and tried wearing them. How could anyone call them shorts? They reached till my socks. They were unwieldy at that. I almost tripped over in the trial room itself trying to catch a sideways glance at myself in the mirror. Loose pants around my kneecaps gave me the necessary pizzazz and the oversized T shirt made me look like a novice mountaineer emerging out of the tent he tried to put up. I wore a bandana and dark glasses that were three sizes too big for me. Satisfied that I was now ready to listen to The Music, I stepped into the streets. Wearing those dark glasses in the evening was a mistake. A kind old lady who was my grandmother’s age held my hand firmly and walked me to the other side of the street. I kept protesting to say I was fine but she wouldn’t let go.

I reached home and switched on the channel that features these Rap artistes. I always thought you got to have the anorexic look to be featured in a music video. I mean that’s what it was like in our times. The skinny models would walk down the ramp swaying to some crazy music only they could hear. The left ankle carefully placed in front of the right foot before they switched places. But Rap videos featured folks who would win Obesity Contests. One lead singer was narrating his life story (presumably) in a monotonous monologue while the drummer was concentrating on practicing a basic beat on the jungle drums. From time to time the lead singer would draw out an imaginary outline of his underwear. He would trace the design around his groin keeping his thumb and index finger as far apart as possible from each other.

I did not get it. Never will. And that’s OK. I am relying on the great divide called the Generation Gap to prevent the beast from reaching my part of the jungle.

How can this get classified as music when you can never play any of these tunes on a musical instrument? If something is beyond the scope of an instrument is it music at all or is it poetry? After a while the effort was too much for me to figure out. I switched back to good old Beatles stuff. By the way The Beatles are kewl even in High School, says my kid. I guess I am too old to rap and roll and too young to try.