Chhaayaageet #269 - "Main baith kar nahi gaa sakti."
I cannot sing while sitting.
The filmmaker is working on his latest project. It is a film about the spirit of rebellion and sacrifice. The film captures the essence of Indian youth and the power they can exert when things don’t go their way. A lot of the emotion and story comes out through the film’s music. The filmmaker hasn’t spared the budget on this front. Every song is unique with different singers. Mostly non-traditional singers.
Except this one song. It is a soulful track. The song was written by the lyricist while the filmmaker was describing the scene to him. It is about a son playing hide and seek with his mother, and with the sad reality that the son may be hidden forever. The composer, known for his global sounds, is ready with the melody. There is only one singer out there who can do justice to this song.
The filmmaker approaches the singer, a living legend in her late 70s. The composer prefers to record all his music in Chennai, but in this case, he is willing to come to Mumbai. After all, she is the legend. But the singer insists on flying to Chennai and record the song in his studio.
She arrives three days before the recording date to adjust to the different environment. Instead of resting at her hotel, she heads straight to the studio to meet the filmmaker and the composer.
“Mujhe dhun sunaiye, main abhi riyaz shuru karna chahti hoon,” the singer says to the composer. Play the tune for me, I want to start practicing right now.
For the next three days, the singer is inseparable from her Sony Walkman. She carries a cassette of the composition everywhere, listening to it repeatedly.
“Har note mere dil aur dimaag mein baith jaana chahiye,” she tells the filmmaker during the break. Every note must be engraved in my heart and mind.
On the day of the recording, the singer shows up early. She stands before the microphone, ready to pour her soul out about a mother’s grief.
For most singers, the composer would record one line at a time and then stitch them together. But this singer is adamant about recording full verses in one take. How else to make sure her voice reflects the right emotions? The downside is that there will be too many retakes.
Hours pass. It has been eight hours now, and the singer has been standing patiently for all those hours. The filmmaker is silently observing this and feeling guilty at the same time. How come they didn’t arrange for a chair?
They decide to take a break. The singer goes for a cup of tea and is right back after that.
Oh wait! Something is different inside the recording room. The microphone has been lowered, and there is a chair next to it. The singer looks at the setup and shakes her head.
“Mic itna neeche kyun hai? Isse upar kijiye,” the singer requests. Why is the mic so low? Please move it higher.
The filmmaker steps forward. “Aap thak jayengi, baith kar gaaiye,” he suggests softly. You will get tired, please sit and sing.
“Main baith kar nahi gaa sakti. Khade rehne se hi awaaz sahi nikalti hai,” she explains firmly. I cannot sing while sitting. My voice comes out properly only when I stand.
The filmmaker doesn’t want to argue. He calls the crew to restore the original setup. The recording continues. As she sings, the pain of a mother just comes pouring out. Everyone in the studio is in tears.
Lata Mangeshkar sang Luka Chuppi in the film Rang De Basanti. The music was composed by AR Rahman, and the lyrics were written by Prasoon Joshi. The film was produced and directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra. The song plays in the background during the cremation services of one of the characters, played by Madhavan, who dies in a plane accident. Waheeda Rehman, Aamir Khan, and several other actors are part of the group attending his final rites.
AR Rahman wanted the music of the film to sound like the voice of the youth. To achieve this, he intentionally chose fresh or unconventional voices for many of the tracks. Naresh Iyer was the biggest discovery for this film. Rahman found him during a talent hunt on a television show. Naresh ended up singing lead vocals for Roobaroo and Paathshala. For the title track, Rahman chose Daler Mehndi. He wanted a high-energy, powerful Punjabi voice. For the emotional song of the film, Luka Chuppi, Rahman and the filmmaker agreed that only a legendary voice would work. This led them to approach Lata Mangeshkar.
Even at the age of 76, Lata Mangeshkar insisted that she wanted to sing the song standing upright since that’s how you get the best voice out of you. In spite of standing for over eight hours, she still refused to sit down.
AR Rahman won the Filmfare Best Music Director Award, and had two of its songs, Khalbali and Luka Chuppi, considered for an Academy Award for Best Original Song nomination.
Lyrics: Prasoon Joshi
Music: AR Rahman
Singer: Lata Mangeshkar
*ing: Waheeda Rehman, Aamir Khan
Producer/Director: Rakeysh Om Prakash Mehra
Film: Rang De Basanti (2006)