Bonding by the beat

telly talk

While the politicians may fight it out in the power centres of India and Pakistan, musicians from the two countries have decided to sort things out amicably in the studios of Mumbai and Dubai.

The latest talent hunt show on Indian television is Sur Kshetra, on Colors and Sahara. The show, besides having contestants from both these countries, also has judges and captains from these two countries. While Asha Bhosle and Abida Parveen are judges, Himesh Reshammiya and Atif Aslam will be the captains. Runa Laila from neighbouring Bangladesh will be the neutral judge.

In a somewhat unique move, the show will also be telecast on the popular Geo channel in Pakistan, with an aim towards making it equally popular in both the countries. The show has been produced by Gajendra Singh, who has earlier produced Antakshari and Sa Re Ga Ma Pa. Sur Kshetra has already earned the wrath of many politicians for having Pakistani participants in the show.

Controversy is nothing new for Gajendra Singh. When asked about why he took on such a risky show, despite knowing the kind of trouble other similar shows faced, Singh explains, “Music knows no boundaries. It speaks its own language. With this show, our aim is to unify the viewers from across the world while showcasing singing talent, led by mentors Himesh Reshammiya and Atif Aslam. The show also has stalwarts like Asha ji, Runa ji and Abida ji as judges.”

This show will be an elaborate reality show focusing on melody and good music. It plans to bring forward hidden musical talent, not just from India but also from Pakistan. The participants will be competing against each other with different themes during the course of the show.

Themes would primarily be based on legendary singers such as Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan versus Mohd Rafi, Abida Parveen versus Asha Bhosle and also, Himesh Reshammiya versus Atif Aslam. The show also has many specialised sections — best romantic songs, Qawwali special and retro special, to name the few.

The three judges — Asha Bhosle, Abida Parveen and Runa Laila — are another great attracting factor. Asha Bhosle reiterates the importance of melody in the competition and talks about the scoring system in the show, “When someone sings excellently, judges give 10 marks and if someone sings good, then he or she will receive a zero.” Runa Laila explains why it was difficult for her to judge the show, “Asha ji is from India and Abida ji is from Pakistan.

I am neutral and that is why it is tougher for me. I had to balance things out. This zero-and-ten marking scheme made it harder.” Sufi queen Abida Parveen’s thoughts are also similar, “When I was asked to judge the show, I was very happy to be come on board with musical personalities like Asha ji and Runa ji. But when they explained the scoring format, I felt bad. This was the toughest job for all of us.”

Keeping aside the political controversies, do the judges feel that such initiatives really make a difference? “I believe that culturally, there was never any difference. Political differences were there, definitely. But this show will once again prove how much talent these two countries have,” explains Abida Parveen. Asha Bhosle adds, “I don’t understand politics. But I understand the language of music.”

Competition and political differences aside, speaking to these three stalwarts makes one realise how universal the language of music is. And how it can easily cut through political animosity. Hopefully, Sur Kshetra will be a good step forward in bridging the differences between the two countries.