Old tunes enthrall
In memory
Old Hindi film songs are always a hit with music-lovers. The same was the case at Bangalore Golf Club (BGC) when singer Ram Nagaraj took the stage to entertain the guests as part of the prize distribution ceremony of the Republic Day Cup, a golf tournament organised by the BGC.
Be it K L Sehgal or Talat Mahmood, Mohammad Rafi or Kishore Kumar, the singer ensured he paid a befitting tribute to all the legends of Hindi cinema. Called the ‘Nite Of The Legends’ and held at the lawn area of the BGC, the melodies of yesteryears made the guests feel warm despite the biting cold.
As guests started pouring in, Ram performed the classic Madan Mohan composition Ek Haseen Shaam Ko Dil Mera Kho Gaya. He lightened the mood with the peppy Kishore Kumar track, Jeevan Ke Safar Mein Rahi, featured on the dashing Dev Anand. Since it was the occasion of Republic Day, an ode to the nation was given in the form of Rafi’s eternal hit Kar Chale Hum Fida. Later, Kaustav Bhattacharya took the stage and performed Kishore’s hits like Bhavre Ki Gunjan Hai Mera Dil and Phoolon Ke Rang Se. Much was spoken about Dev Anand and how he made the best use of two of the greatest singers — Kishore and Rafi. The beautiful Tere Mere Sapne from ‘Guide’ were rendered effortlessly by the singers.
More songs like Yeh Sama, Sama Hai Ye Pyaar Ka and Gaata Rahe Mera Dil followed on the request of the audience, with the female vocals being provided by Samanvita Sharma. Then Ram’s visually impaired student Shashank took the stage and performed Tumne Mujhe Dekha in the memory of the legendary Shammi Kapoor. It was a beautiful performance that touched the hearts of everyone.
“This is a golf tournament organised with over 184 participants from across the country. So no one coming here is a serious listener. That’s why I chose this theme of retro to provide entertainment,” explained Ram. “I want to do justice to all the legends of music — Kishore, Rafi, Talat Mahmood, Hemant Kumar, Jagjit Singh to name a few. It’s very hard to pick one favourite from all these singer. Each one was so good,” he summed up.
The programme ended with a medley of songs, mainly comprising the hits of Shammi Kapoor and Amitabh Bachchan. Amitabh’s songs like Jahan Teri Ye Nazar Hai, Main Hoon Don, Dekha Na Hai Re and Shammi’s Tumsa Nahin Dekha were some of the songs in this medley.
