Anandji, from the famous musical duo Kalyanji-Anandji, in Chandigarh for an event, says music has to reflect the current times

Sheetal

Whenever the name of music composer duo Kalyanji-Anandji comes up, one is reminded of the many soulful tunes of Bollywood. Padma Shri-recipeint Anandji is in Chandigarh for the second time, as a special guest at the 11th Annual Musical Evening, which will be held today at the Tagore Theatre from 5 pm onwards.

Says Anandji, “It is true that music has changed a lot now from what it was earlier. And had we be making music today, we would too have to produce the same kind that is popular today. After all, what is music if it doesn’t have enough listeners?” Reminds us why Kalyanji-Anandji were known to be the most accommodating pair of composers, as they were open to all kinds of suggestions from singers, writers and directors. Ask Anandji about his jamming-partner during the lockdowns and he quips, “It is none other than God.”

True dedication

While his songs are dedicated to his wife, Shanta Ben Shah in some way or the other, he recalls how her input in one of the songs made him add O Saathi Re to the song Tere Bina Bhi Kya Jeena. “If you listen carefully, O Saathi Re is sung longer and almost exhausts your breath; this is what the song actually meant when we had first thought of it. It wasn’t a romantic song, but was about life and death.” The duo has scored music for as many as 300 films, including Chhaliya, Pyase Panchhi, Aamne Samne, Purab aur Paschim, Haseena Maan Jayegi, Maryada, Saraswatichandra, Kora Kagaz, Johny Mera Naam, Zanjeer, Muqaddar ka Sikander, Don, Laawaris, Qurbani, among others.

Old tunes

About reality shows on television and the short-lived fame of the winners, Anandji feels, “It is not their fault because on the show they sing mostly old songs and not their own creations. And, the ground reality is something else.”

Meanwhile, the event is being held in the memory of legends such as Mohammed Rafi Kishore Kumar, Mukesh, Lata Mangeshkar and Hemant Kumar.

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