Rizwan Manji, an American actor of Indian origin, will be seen in Leonardo DiCaprio-starrer “The Wolf of Wall Street”.
The Outsourced actor plays the role of Khalil, a stockbroker in the firm of Jordan Belfort, portrayed by DiCaprio. Directed by Martin Scorsese, “The Wolf of Wall Street” also stars Margot Robbie and Matthew McConaughey, among others. Rizwan has also played small parts in Hollywood movies like The Guru and Transformers in the past, but this is the first time he has bagged a crucial role, said a statement.
The Wolf of Wall Street, distributed by MVP Entertainment and PVR Pictures, will release Dec 25. DiCaprio’s another film The Great Gatsby, which came out this year, saw Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in a small role yet interesting role.(IANS)
source: http://www.headlinesindia.mapsofindia.com / Headlines India / Home> Entertainment News> Hollywood / by IANS / December 11th, 2013
A journey within: The shooting of the documentary / by Special Arrangement / The Hindu
A documentarian sets out in search of his identity and comes up with the untold story of Tamil Muslims
“O Mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other…” Yaadhum, a documentary by the filmmaker Kombai S Anwar, opens with this quote from the Quran, and the image that follows is practically a counterpoint — the procession of Lord Ranganatha along the streets of Kombai, in the Theni district of Tamil Nadu, accompanied by traditional temple sounds from the nagaswaram and a large drum.
Then, as the procession passes the local mosque, we see the reason for this juxtaposition of word and picture: the investigation into the arrival of Islam in a place of Hindus and Tamils. In a voiceover, Anwar says, “While ‘who am I’ is never a question that bothered me during my growing-up years, it became quite important to me and to countless other Muslims, especially in these increasingly troubled times.” The documentary is labelled ‘A Tamil Muslim’s Journey In Search Of His Roots And Identity.’
Anwar told me that the idea for the film took shape from a paper he presented — Tamil Muslims: The Untold Story — at a national seminar. The paper was well received, and he was invited to give more talks on the subject. “After every presentation,” he said, “there would invariably be a few from the audience asking if a CD of the same material was available, so that they can pass it on to friends. With many such requests, and tired of the stereotyping of Muslims as well as the increasing polarisation, I thought I should make this the subject of a documentary film, so that it can reach a bigger audience.”
When he started about four years ago, he found it difficult to get funding, as Yaadhum was seen as a “religious project.” So he went ahead on his own, with money from his sister, a few friends, and his professional assignments in photography and filmmaking, which included a series of short films on the Big Temple at Thanjavur commissioned by the ASI.
Yaadhum, which loosely means “all” or “everything,” showcases the close relationship between Muslims and those from other communities. In one stretch in Madurai, we meet the Muslim family that has, for generations, been building the fence around the sacrificial pit in Puttu Koil, the site of one of the Thiruvilaiyadals of Lord Shiva. “These relationships have evolved into kinship in southern Tamil Nadu,” says Anwar, who found it difficult to get permission to shoot inside mosques and temples. To film the prayers at the Kombai mosque, for instance, he had to ask the jamaath leaders (office bearers of the mosque), who, in turn, asked the congregation during the Friday-afternoon Jumma prayer. Only after they agreed could Anwar go ahead. The officials at the temple, on the other hand, wanted some time to think about it; eventually they said he could go ahead. Later on, when they got to know him, they admitted that they were initially wary about a Muslim showing interest in the temple, so they checked with a friend from the CB-CID. Anwar told me, “It was my luck that the CB-CID asked them not to worry.”
The Kilakarai Jumma Mosque / by Special Arrangement / The Hindu
It is precisely these rifts that the film intends to bridge, by showing how, once, these rifts didn’t exist at all. At the site of a dig near Kodungallur, a major port of the Chera kingdom, Prof. PJ Cherian, Director, Kerala Council for Historical Research, speaks of its “multi-cultural character 2000 years back”, and how “people belonging to different cultural groups, different belief systems, different practices, different traditions had an opportunity to come together and have interfaces. They all may have come here as traders. But you know trade doesn’t carry just goods. It brings in ideas, technology and new thinking… Multiple groups from the Mediterranean, from the Saudi Arabian region, from West Asia, from the Mesopotamian region, from the Indian Ocean rims, all were active here.”
This cultural overlap is found in Tamil Nadu too — say, in the Vaishnavite pilgrimage town of Alwar Thirunagari, where the mosque is built in the Dravidian architecture style. Dr. Raja Mohamad, Asst. Director of Museums (Retired), Govt. Museum, Chennai, says that there are no regulations with respect to Islamic architecture. “All that’s needed is a quiet place for prayer. And while building this space, the builders adopted the local architectural style.” Yaadhum is some sort of road movie, and Anwar’s stops along the way illuminate various aspects of Islam in the South and even Goa. He goes to Chola country, establishing the presence of Muslims through an inscription that refers to “Ahmed the Turk.” He goes to Kayalpattinam, which belonged to the Pandyas, and finds an almost 1000-year-old mosque to which additions have been made at different times. He narrates the history of the Tamil Muslims of Pulicat, most of whom are boat builders. He goes to Calicut, home of the Mapilla Muslims. Prof. MGS Narayanan, Director General, Centre for Heritage Studies, Dept. of Cultural Affairs, Govt. of Kerala, talks about a law which is supposed to have been passed by the Zamorin that at least one member of the fishermen families in Calicut must get converted to Islam so that there will be enough people to support naval warfare against the Portuguese who wanted to conquer Malabar in the 16th Century. (Hindus were generally reluctant to go to sea.)
We see venues, like Kottar in Nagercoil, where Tamil-Muslim literature flowered. The Arabic, Persian and Urdu influences introduced many new genres to Tamil literature — Kissa, Nama, Padaipor, and Munajaath. Among the most pleasant surprises of the film — and one that underscores the narrative crux of cultural osmosis — comes in these portions. We see a palm-leaf manuscript of Mihraj Maalai, poems written by Aali Pulavar in the 16th Century in memory of the ascent of the Prophet, and then we hear Isai Aruvi Seera Aboobacker sing these verses like a virutham (a free-style rendition, not set to a beat) in the Carnatic raga Kapi.
At the end of the film, Anwar says, “I am only halfway through my journey.” He still has many more miles to go and oceans to cross, this time in search of the Tamil Muslim Diaspora — but he has no more doubts about his roots. “I am a Tamil, a Muslim, and so many other things. In short, I am all of this —Yaadhum.”
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus / by Baradwaj Ranjan / Chennai – November 29th, 2013
Described by Satyajit Ray as the ultimate method actor, Dilip Kumar stands tall as a polished performer though he retired from acting 15 years ago due to health reasons. (Publicity Material)
Dilip Kumar was not getting the right mood to shoot an intense scene prior to the climax in Footpath. Two days passed and director Zia Sarhadi was worried. He had to complete the film in time. Undecided about what he should do, the thespian went to Brabourne Stadium and concentrated on playing cricket.
Remembering the incident Dilip Kumar says, “I was totally involved in batting. After hitting a couple of boundaries I had a strange feeling within me. Putting an end to the game I came back to the pavilion. Then I called Zia Sarhadi directly and informed I was ready to shoot my scene that very day. Zia Sarhadi spent no time and organised the shooting at Ranjit Studio.”
Dilip Kumar broke down emoting, ‘Uth Bani Nashu Aa Gaya’ sans glycerin in his eyes. He was crying after the sad demise of his elder brother in Footpath. The shot was Okayed in one take proving Dilip Kumar was peerless in pathos.
Described by Satyajit Ray as the ultimate method actor, Dilip Kumar stands tall as a polished performer though he retired from acting 15 years ago due to health reasons. Till date he remains the actor most everyone – like Rajendra Kumar, Manoj Kumar, Amitabh Bachhan and Shahrukh Khan – has imitated. His piercing looks, highly medulative dialogue delivery balanced perfectly with his usage of the right palm makes him the acting icon whose assets have been dedication, intensity and versatility.
Dilip Kumar narrates an interesting anecdote, ”In Jogan, after Nargis leaves for her heavenly abode whilst praying, I was confused how to react. There were no dialogues. Director Kidar Sharma asked me to throw a stone in a pond, watch the water ripples and silently walk away. The shot created cinematic magic and it was the one with which the film ended.”
Dilip Kumar thinks highly of his late colleagues. He says, “We shared a mutual set of unspoken ethics and had a deep silent regard for each other. Raj Kapoor, Dev Anand and I slogged it to the top on basis of sheer merit and hard labour. We never went for unnecessary publicity.” According to him Amitabh Bachhan is the best star, actor in the past four decades and Sanjeev Kumar was an amazing actor who truly took over after Ashok Kumar, Motilal and Balraj Sahni, the gharana of natural subdued acting.
Andaz, Daag, Devdas and Gunga Jumna stand testimony of great acting abilities. When he was getting stereo typed in tragedy, Dilip Kumar opted for comedies and proved he was equally good at it. Explains Dilip Kumar, “I adopted for a natural design for my light hearted characters in Azad, Kohinoor, Leader and Ram Aur Shyam. They needed a great sense of timing. Whilst method requires rehearsals, preparations and efforts, comedy is spontaneous.”
The way he performed scenes with his heroines has also become classic. Dilip Kumar says, “I enjoyed best of relations with all of them. Kamini Kaushal, Meena Kumari, Nargis, Nimmi and Madhubala were highly gifted. So were Vyjayantimala, Waheeda Rehman and Rakhee. I fondly remember my histrionic interaction with late Smita Patil.
As I asked her, ‘Tum Vijay Ki Bahu Ho’, she conveyed an intense look of respect which spoke volumes. Smita was an accomplished actress.” Aye Mere Dil Kahin Aur Chal lipped by the thespian for Talat Mehmood is an immortal number. So are Shame Gham Ki Kasam, Suhana Safar and Nain Lar Gaye Re. Admits Dilip Kumar, “Talat understood the tragic lover in me too well. Rafi’s amazing versatility suited my songs of different moods. Mukesh also did true justice to songs. I lipped for him.”
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Entertainment> Hindi / by Ranjan Das Gupta / Express Features / December 11th, 2013
Abdul Khayum Khan, an IPS officer of the 1981 batch, has been appointed as Director General of the Andhra Pradesh Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB).
Currently Vice-Chairman and Managing Director (VC&MD) of the Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC), he had also held additional charge as ACB Director General (DG) for the past few days, after the appointment of B. Prasada Rao as Andhra Pradesh’s Director General of Police.
In a minor exercise on Thursday, the government appointed Khan as the regular DG of the ACB and posted 1988 batch IPS officer J. Purnachandra Rao as VC&MD of APSRTC. Chief Secretary P. K. Mohanty issued an order to this effect on Thursday evening.
source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> News> Current Affairs / by Sijihaya / November 28th, 2013
(Top left ) Syed Faizan (Top right) Robinson Samuel (Below) Shireen Reginald, Associate Marketing Manager, N. Ranga Rao & Sons, who won second prize in the District-level Arm Wrestling Championship for the award ‘Mysore Shree’ held at Sarada Vilas Centenary Hall in city recently, posing with the runner-up shield.
Mysore :
Arm Wrestling, though not new to the globe, is definitely new to the city as very few people know about it.
Mysore, which has produced a lot of sports persons in various sports like body-building, athletics and cricket, with some of them reaching international-level, has also produced arm wrestlers.
Syed Faizan and Robinson Samuel from city are among those who have taken up arm wrestling.
The 23-year-old Faizan, a body-builder who took up body-building for fitness participated in the Mysore Shree Arm Wrestling Men’s Championship organised by Karnataka Arm Wrestling Federation, Mysore, held for the first time in city recently and won the title.
Son of Syed Abdul Khader, Proprietor of Biriyani Paradise on Sayyaji Rao road, Faizan, a B.Com graduate from MES College in city took up body-building at the age of 18 and is being coached by Mansoor, himself a body-builder who has won ‘Mr. Mysore’ title numerous times.
Faizan, speaking to Star of Mysore, recalled that his parents were hesitant to send him to gym in the beginning, but later agreed and allowed him to pursue body-building.
Apart from being a body-builder and an arm wrestler, Faizan is also an actor, who has acted in an African movie as a fighter and a model for many brands.
Faizan said that one has to work hard honestly and without taking short cuts to achieve in the sport.
Mansoor, coach of Faizan, said that arm wrestling has been around since the days humans figured out that they had arms and added that the sport became more popular in 1950s and 1960s when contests took place all across the United States and today, arm wrestling competitions are held around the world for men, women and kids in various weight categories.
Mansoor said that various factors play an important part in one’s success in arm wrestling. Technique and overall arm strength are the two important contributing factors to win an arm wrestling match. Other factors such as length of the arm, muscle and arm mass, hand grip, wrist endurance and flexibility, reaction time, etc. can add to the advantages of one arm wrestler over another.
Faizan said that his aim is to win ‘Mr. Mysore’ and ‘Mr. Dasara’ titles and also to win a medal for the State.
Robinson Samuel, 25, a final year M.Sc (Medical Biochemistry) student at JSS Medical College in city, is the son of Krupanand Samuel, a retd. Employee of District Tuberculosis Centre in city and Esther Celestian, a senior Lab Technician at Mysore Medical College and Research Institute (MMC&RI) in city.
Robinson won the second place in the Mysore Shree Arm Wrestling Men’s Championship held in city recently.
He said that initially he was into arm wrestling with his friends and took it seriously drawing inspiration from his elder brother Calvin Cornelius, a body-builder.
Robinson said that his parents were surprised when he expressed his desire to take up arm wrestling as a sport and supported him in all ways.
He says that he would exercise at home with the equipments he had made by himself for the training and added that he also goes to a gym just to keep himself fit. Robinson said that there are many different moves in arm wrestling such as Hook, Toproll, i Press etc. and added that arm wrestling is really a leverage sport. These moves all create different types of leverages, helping you to beat your opponent.
He said that because different moves work for different individuals, it is important to figure out which move provides the best leverage advantage to get the best chance of winning.
Apart from arm wrestling, Robinson has a music band in Chennai which plays Gosple music and soft rock.
Robinson said that his aim was to win titles but to be a full time Biochemist.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Feature Articles / by S. Kenneth Shishir / December 02nd, 2013
Khusrau espies Shirin bathing, a page from the ‘Khamsa-e-Nizami’ book. / Photo: Special Arrangement / The Hindu
Bearing excellent paintings, richly illuminated and gilded, the fine-bound manuscripts at Salar Jung Museum are real treasures
Salar Jung Museum contains some ‘valuable books of art’— illustrated manuscripts — of Persian and Deccani languages. Bearing excellent paintings, richly illuminated and gilded, fine-bound and owned once by royal personages the Museum’s manuscripts are real treasures.
Manuscript illustration was greatly prized by Mughal emperors, their nobles and Deccani Sultans. Akbar who had 100 artists – painters, illuminators, scribes, book binders – in his atelier had many manuscripts including Hamza Nama, Ramayana, Mahabharata illustrated. His principal noble at Ahmedabad, Khan Khanan, built up a world class library containing illustrated manuscripts. Ibrahim Quli Qutb Shah, who ruled Golconda from 1550 to 1580, had set up a studio in his palace for calligraphers, painters, gilders and book binders and had manuscripts of fine quality produced.
‘The art books’ of the royal workshops form a priceless heritage, “at times of regal splendour…. and always a joy to behold” (Karl Khandalavala).
Of Salar Jung Museum’s famous illustrated manuscripts, a description of four books is attempted here. They are: Tuhfe-e-Sami, Majalis-ul-ushshaq, Khamsa-e-nizami, and Diwan-e-sultan Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah.
1. Tuhfe-e-Sami: The author of this 229-folio Persian manuscripts is Prince Sam Mirza (1517-76), son of Shah Ismail, the founder of Safavid dynasty in Persia. Prince Sam Mirza dedicated Tuhfa containing biographies of poets, painters, calligrgaphers and other learned men to his brother Shah Tahmasp (1524-76), the ruler of Persia who, however, put ‘Sam’ to death in 1576 when he rebelled against him. The manuscript is gilded and highly ornamented. Done in Shirazi style of Persia the Thufa’s ten miniatures “are of excellent quality and very colourful with charming colour contrast’’ (Karl Khandalavala).
The manuscript scripted in fine Nastaliq bears a seal of the year of A.D. 1651 of one Mustafa Khan Lari, who was probably a Golconda noble.
2. Majalis-ul-ushshaq ( Assemblies of lovers): Purchased by Sir Salar Jung I (1829-83), ‘Majalis-ul-ushshaq’ is an account in Persian of the Sufi saints being in love with women and men. Sufi doctrines explain that to experience the beauty of the ‘unseen’ God the first step is the worldly love – love of women and men. The power and course of such love as experienced by some Sufi saints is depicted in majority of the 71 miniatures contained in the manuscript.
The book has a lot of gold used in decorating its 237 folios, headings and borders. The painting style of its miniatures is of Shirazi school of Persia.
The author of this manuscript is Mansur bin Baiqara (1469-1506) who wrote it in 1552. The script is good Nastaliq and the scribe is Amir-al-katib.
3. Khamsa-e-nizami: The Khamsa (five-piece verse collection) of the poet Nizami, a Persian poet, is one of the most famous Persian works and there are numerous illustrated copies of it in Persian and Mughal schools of painting. The Mughal style Museum’s Khamsa was purchased in 1739 for the library of Nawab Munirddoulah Wakil-us-sultan (Prime Minister). It consists of five ‘mathnavis’ (long poems) dealing with the stories of Laila-Majnun, Khusrau-Shirin, King Behraum Gaur, Sikandar and Sufism.
It contains five unwans (title pages), gilded and highly ornamented. Its 325 creamish folios are gold sprinkled. Its eleven full-page miniatures show animals, brilliantly drawn and figures, finely painted. Dated A.D.1618, the scribe of Khamsa is Fatah Muhammed bin Moulana Sahib Katib and the script is good Nastaliq.
The manuscript bears the seal of Lutfullah khan, a noble of Mughal family, who appears to have died in Golconda when Aurangazeb was engaged in conquering the fort.
4. Diwan-e-sultan Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah: Written in ‘Zubane-deccani’ by Sultan Muhammed Quli Qutb Shah who ruled from Golconda between 1581 and 1611 is regarded as the earliest poet in Deccani language(Urdu). He founded the city of Hyderabad and built the famous Charminar. His ‘Diwan’(odes) deals with subjects like sports and games, royal palaces, seasons and description of his 17 mistresses.
Dated 1595, the Diwan has eight miniatures, all gems of miniature art. It was written by Moulana Zainuddin, Khushnawis (calligrapher) of the Sultan. The paper used is gold sprinkled. The script is excellent Thulth. It has 138 handsome folios.
Deputy Keeper (Retd.), Salar Jung Museum
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by B. Kotaiah / September 19th, 2013
UNSURPASSED ; Dilip Kumar’s public persona, extraordinary performances and achievements are part of folklore
CINEMA – A rare peek into the life of the legendary actor Dilip Kumar DEEPAK MAHAAN
There are actors and then there is Dilip Kumar. Like Mount Everest, he is beyond comparison. His one-film-at-a-time rule means his body of work is meagre. But is it astounding! As the creator of film acting grammar, Dilip Kumar has not only endeared himself to masses across all continents but also set benchmarks that have become difficult to surpass.
While Dilip Kumar’s public persona, extraordinary performances and achievements are part of folk lore, his personal domain remains largely untouched since he is fiercely protective of his privacy. However, by a wonderful quirk of fate, I recently chanced upon several fascinating facts about his personal life which revealed that he is a devoted home bird. The peep into this thespian’s life, courtesy his gracious and charming wife Saira Banu, only reconfirmed that ‘Sahab’, as Saira fondly addresses her hubby, “isn’t just a synonym for excellence but also a man of incredible traits”.
Inspecting the vast memorabilia of Saira Banu’s personal collection of photographs and videos, I discovered that the actor, who gave face to many Mohammed Rafi melodies on screen, is a fine singer himself. He may have enacted the bhajan “Sukh Ke Sab Saathi” in “Gopi” to perfection but he also sings the same with great relish at home. Sharing a video where Dilip Kumar sings in harmony with Kalyanji-Anandji’s harmonium, Saira confides, “Crooning Rafi Sahab’s love songs as well as recitation of Urdu couplets are Sahab’s way of teasing and romancing.” An old photograph makes her declare that Rafi magic rules their household and that she is one-up on her husband since she has sung a duet with Rafi Sahab in “Aman”! But she is convinced that none can beat her hubby at ‘Antakshri’ “since he remembers many old film songs… he knows an apt couplet for every occasion”!
Urdu and Persian poems acquire a spiritual eloquence on Dilip Kumar’s lips. Each word and inflection is adorned with such perfect caress and delicate throw that the simplest of couplets adorn a heavenly charm. Videos of his overseas tours show how he mesmerises audiences with his profound and extempore oration in English and Hindi and like his dialogue delivery; his repartee is equally stunning and enjoyable. “Contrary to his image of a serious man”, Saira discloses, “Sahab is a fun loving person who can keep you in splits for hours”. Videos of family functions show him regaling friends and relatives with witty anecdotes and his emotive eyes come into full play even in ordinary conversations.”
She reveals, “Sahab is like a child at heart who loves to live every moment”, even as we witness scenes from Kashmir where he playfully targets his wife with a barrage of snow balls! The beauty queen remembers “shooting outdoors with him was a lovely affair” as Sahab would “always take extra care of not just my comfort but the needs of an entire film unit”.
Saira says, “Sahab always had a penchant for cricket” but how good a cricketer he was is revealed on tape by none other than the sterling Indian cricket captain of yesteryears, Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi. Recalling the era when film stars and cricketers frequently collaborated for charitable causes, Pataudi elaborates, “Dilip Sahab was a difficult batsman to dislodge and once even hit the first ball of an established first class bowler for a six at Brabourne Stadium!” This vehement desire to excel made Dilip Kumar learn sitaar for “Madhuban Mein Raadhika Naache Re” song sequence of “Kohinoor”. While that effort is well recorded in media, not too many are aware that he is an equally proficient exponent of the trumpet. Not only does he play the difficult instrument in complete tandem with the local brass bands whenever the mood takes him he is also a robust dancer at family celebrations; some of his moves could surely make Shammi Kapoor or Helen envious!
As Saira shares pictures and stories of Dilip Kumar’s long and dedicated work for the National Association for the Blind (NAB), an old family aide tells me how the thespian never missed the annual event of the NAB train run for fund raising. Sipping tea and glancing at a TV advertisement, Saira informs “Sahab refused to model for many an august brand, despite lucrative offers over the years” since he deemed it “a demeaning way of money making”.
Going over the treasure chest of Saira’s sacred memories, I was surprised one day to find Dilip Sahab walk into the penthouse lounge. The affection with which Saira and he greeted each other showed how their celestial bond has grown stronger and fonder over the years. Even though I was meeting the legendary actor after several years, I felt time had not been able to dim his cherubic smile and spirit despite his poor health. Time stood still for me as he held my hand and patted my back; and though the silences were longer, his measured sentences were still worth their weight in gold. Like the whole nation, I wish and pray that this coming birthday (December 11) is one of many more to come in Dilip Kumar’s memorable journey.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> Friday Review / by Deepak Mahan / December 06th, 2013
Bangalore based Kaleem Pasha, the young multifaceted and multi-talented singer, sarod player, actor, poet and Co-writer will release a book titled Flashback… on late actor Bob Christo (bodyguard of actor-filmmaker Sanjay Khan) on June 14th at Crossword, Juhu Mumbai. Bob Christo during his last days was closely associated with Kaleem Pasha, who became a fan of his. Very few may be aware that Bob Christo was a Shaayar… too. The book will highlight never known facts of the late versatile actor known for his bad-man roles.
Kaleem Pasha has rendered songs and acted in Kannada films like Kaviya Kogile, Bangalore Raphrile amongst many others. He is also doing an untitled Kannada film where he is also crooning with Kavita Krishnamurthi. He has even played the lead in a Hindi film titled Saadu Mera Jaadu. Known as the title clone singer and fan of Pankaj Udhas he has bagged 9 awards from India; viz; Tipu Sultan Shahid Anwar award, Rajiv Gandhi Award, Proline India Achievers Society award, Lions Club Award from Delhi, etc. He has even bagged Sheikh Shahid award from Dubai. He has penned and rendered more than five albums on various chapters of life! . Zindagi Ki Dastaan, Zindagi Ek Ehsaas, Zindagi Ek Nashan and others. It may come in as a surprise that Kaleem who was closer to veteran singers like Mannadey, Mohd. Aziz, Anwar and hailing from Ali Akbar Khan gharana is an hotelier by profession too and holds a chain of coffee shop down south. He has even penned a book on poetry A Journey Of Successful Life…
Now he is soon stepping into Mumbai with a new pop album with a fusion of Indian melodies and the style of Mohd. Rafi sahib and it will appease the young and old alike. Welcome aboard ..
source: http://www.radioandmusic.com / RadioandMusic.com / Home> Channels> Indiatelivision / by RnM Team / June 06th, 2011
Call him the Shoban Sarkar of Karnataka or a foreword to another treasure hunt episode: A Bangalorean, who claims to have a soldier in the army of Mysore ruler Tipu Sultan in his past life, has submitted a petition to the Mandya district administration on a hidden treasure in Srirangapatna.
The place coming in his dreams is close to the place where Tipu was killed in the Fourth Mysore War (May 04, 1799). According to historical records, this place is the Hoally (Diddy) Gateway, 270 m in the north eastern direction from the Srirangapatna Fort.
Forty-four year old Mohammed Aziz Pasha, a resident of city’s Shamanna Garden, who was called by Srirangapatna police on November 29, has also identified the spot that haunts him in dream. The petition is now forwarded to the archaeology department, which has now sought expert opinion, said officials.
“We had called him and took him around. He stopped near a mantap that is beside Gangadharaswamy temple and close to the area where Tipu was killed. He pointed that the mantap was the place where the treasure was hid. However we have now forwarded the application to the archaeology department to take suitable action. They will have to decide further,” a police official with Srirangapatna told Bangalore Mirror.
The treasure
Pasha has explained in his petition that he has been getting dreams for the last 10 years in which he was among those who hid 20 trunks of diamonds and gold treasure on Tipu’s command. Pasha told Bangalore Mirror how he is haunted by dreams of being in Tipu Sultan’s army. “I have been getting dreams and when I visited the place it turned out to be the same as the one in my dreams. Gold, silver and other valuables were stuffed in about twenty safes made of iron and hid in the area. Later a structure was constructed on it. I want the state government to take the treasure. Hence I have visited the deputy commissioner and have given my petition.”
Intriguingly, Pasha unerringly took the police officials to the Gangadhareshwara temple and told them this was the spot. He claims to have never been to Srirangapatna before, in this life.
“There were about twenty soldiers and what comes in my dream always is that I was one among those. Tipu, our king, I remember, ordered us to hide these twenty safes as he sensed that British may attack us. Then all other soldiers were sent and about twenty of us, who were his confidantes were asked to hide them inside ground and construct a mantap above. We followed orders. This has been coming in my dreams for the last 10 years now.”
He was so convinced that he met the deputy commissioner of Mandya B N Krishnaiah. “He had come to me with a petition. As the matter pertained to the archaeology department, I referred it further to them and to police. It is they who have to decide on how to go about,” Krishnaiah told Bangalore Mirror.
Unlike the Shoban Sarkar case, where the Uttar Pradesh government and archeology department actually started digging based on his ”visions,” the state administration is being cautious. “A person had come and he was telling us about this treasury. As the land belongs to archaeology department, we have directed him to the concerned,” Bhushan Gulabrao Borase, superintendent of police, Mandya district said.
Pasha was confident of finding the treasure which Tipu had hid and claimed that the iron safes were covered by lime and then sand before the soil was stuffed in. ”The treasure is not very deep. It is just a few feet from the ground. All the twenty iron safes with precious stones, diamond, gold were hidden in the ground and later sand was put and then soil. That was the place coming in my dream and I could easily make out in my first visit. So I’m sure the treasure is there,” Pasha said.
Archaeology looks at options
The state archaeology department officials whose opinion is sought maintained that options are being explored on the petition.
“The police have sought our opinion. There is no point in jumping to a conclusion without proper study. So we are exploring if there are any options to study the place to know about the existence of unnatural things using an alternative method other than excavation. If anything is found in such studies without excavating land, we can go ahead. If the study finds nothing, then we can conclude at that. So at this stage we are yet to arrive at any decision,” a state archaeology department official told Bangalore Mirror.
source: http://www.bangaloremirror.com / Bangalore Mirror / Home> Bangalore> Others / by Chetan R, Bangalore Mirror Bureau / December 07th, 2013
With the demise of the great singer Manna Dey, Hindi film music has lost its last pillar of eminence. It’s a known fact that the legendary singer was very pally with yet another legend Muhammad Rafi and they loved to fly kite apart from singing. Very few people are aware that there was a time in the sixties when Manna Dey almost decided to quit film music and go back to Calcutta to devote his life to classical music. Thanks to Rafi, he changed his decision and stayed back in Bombay, much to the delight of the lovers of music. This happened in 1959.
Bade Ghulam Ali Khan had heard of Manna Dey and was all praise for his command over classical music. Once he got to listen to Manna Dey’s pure classical thumris and raag-based compositions in a programme in Jaipur, Rajasthan. So impressed was Bade Ghulam Ali Khan Sahab that he wrote a letter to Manna Dey. But it was written in Urdu!! Manna Dey rushed to Muhammad Rafi and requested him to read it for him. Rafi read the contents of the letter aloud simplifying its high-falutin Urdu in simple Hindustani.
The letter stated: ‘Main aapki aawaaz-o-andaaz se nihayat hi mutasir hua. Choonki aaghaaz se mein is tarah ki mausiqi ka paristar-o-pairokaar raha hoon, meri aapse iltija hai ki aap Bambai se Calcutte laut jaayein aur wahin pakki mausiqi (shastriya sangeet) ki khidmat karein. Ye filmon ke gaane gaana maia’ar se khaarij logon ka kaam hai aur Bambai namuradon ki basti hai. Ise tarq karein aur aap jiske liye banay gaye hain, woh kaam anjaam dein..’ (Your voice and style impressed me no end. Since I’ve always been a die-hard practitioner of classical music, I request you to leave Bombay and go back to Calcutta for the sake of classical music. Inferior people sing film songs. Moreover, Bombay’s fraught with lowly people. Please leave it and do what you’ve been made for.’
Truth dawned on Manna Dey and he decided to leave Bombay. But Rafi didn’t let him quit and somehow convinced him to change the decision. Manna Dey narrated this incident on Doordarshan immediately after the death of Rafi in 1980 and wept in the studio. There was no rivalry. Anyone in place of Rafi would have been happy at the thought of his/her rival leaving the scene. Manna also helped Rafi to come out of his self-imposed hibernation in 1964 when Rafi didn’t sing for six months as someone advised him in Mecca to sing only for Allah. Those were different times and different people. Now both the stalwarts are no longer amidst us. But their memories are forever with us.
source: http://www.milligazette.com / The Milli Gazette / Home> Offline News> National / by Sumit S Paul sumitmaclean@hotmail.com , The Milli Gazette / October 24th, 2013
