Satrangi’s retro music programme, Roshan & Salil - Melodies Forever, enthralled the audience with a combination of some unforgettable numbers by the legendary composers.
What is common between the two composers Roshan and Salil Chaudhary, except that they are from the same era? As you wonder about the similarities, you may want to know it was to highlight the finesse characteristic of their works that retro music band Satrangi decided to showcase their songs in one show. Picking them out from a dozen or more geniuses who made their mark from the 50s to the 70s, it was one of those few special shows dedicated to the composers.
And, how much effort do you need to bring together their compositions, each one a masterpiece? But there certainly was an effort made to reluctantly leave out a few more melodies to zero in on a total of 33 brilliant compositions. Talk about the time constraint of three hours to pack in a collection of bests.
Taking stage at the full-house event were the band’s founder, Pramod Nair, a popular singer in the retro music circle and Hindustani music artiste Shruti Jauhari and Sarvesh Mishra, a regular in the Chennai music circle.
Beginning with the haunting Aaja Re Pardesi from Madhumati, one of the most treasured works by Chaudhary, in the voice of Lata Mangeshkar — Shruthi Jauhari set the tune for the evening and it was quite clear by then what was in store.
It was time for introducing Roshan’s magic, when Jauhari and Nair performed Chhupa Loon Yun from Mamta originally sung by Hemant Kumar and Mangeshkar. The soul-stirring duet from the classic is not often performed; Nair and Jauhari scored full points with their effortless rendition.
Sarvesh Mishra, known for his Mohammad Rafi numbers, yet again lived up to his reputation, with his flawless execution of Zindagi Bhar Nahi Bhoolegi from Barsaat ki Raat.
Alternating between the two composers, the programme turned the spotlight on the ingenuity and the intricacies of the works of the composers. Weaving the melodies in an engaging narrative, was the host for the evening Lakshmi Raghavan, who gave insights in to the songs and their making. From the story of Roshan seeking S D Burman’s permission to compose Rahen Na Rahen Hum, as it resembled SDB’s Thandi Hawayein from Nau Jawaan to Chaudhary’s initial unwillingness to explore Kishore Kumar’s talent, Raghavan kept the audience in rapt attention with trivia.
The show also highlighted the composers and their association with lyricists. While Roshan had a long-lasting collaboration with songwriter Sahir Ludhianvi, Salil Chaudhry had a successful association with Shailendra and later with Yogesh, after the former’s death in the sixties.
The show also deserved credit for choosing some of the songs that make it to the music stage rarely, like Duniya Kare Sawaal from Bahu Begum and Bade Armaan from Malhaar, one of the earliest works by Roshan. Adding a Southern flavour to the evening was Kadalinakkare from Chemeen, another popular number by Chaudhary, who composed for scores of Malayalam movies, along with Hindi and Bengali films.
Satrangi’s evening dedicated to the greatness of Roshan and Salil’s work merited lavish praise for its novelty and much for the singers’ brilliant performances. And, the audience who only had to say - Zindagi bhar nahi bhoolegi!
