Venkat Raman
Auckland, February 5, 2021
This story was updated at 11 pm (NZT) on Friday, February 5, 2021
Sandhya Badakere of ‘Swar Sadhana Academy of Indian Music’ and Ravi Shetty of ‘Ravi Shetty Concepts’ will present this year’s edition of ‘Suneheri Yaadein,’ paying tribute to Raj Kapoor, acknowledged as the ‘Greatest Showman on Earth of all times.’
The event will be held on Saturday, May 8, 2021 at Dorothy Winstone Centre, Auckland Girls Grammar School, 16 Howe Street, Newton, Auckland.
‘Suneheri Yaadein’ has earned the reputation of being the ‘Best Musical Show’ in Auckland. It brings to the fore the musical talent of not only famous producers, directors and music composers of India but also that of our own singers and instrumentalists.
Tickets for the show will shortly be on sale.
A passion for music
Back in the 1960s, as Sangam was on the floors, music directors Shankar Jaikishan approached the film’s producer-director Raj Kapoor whether they could send him a taped version of a song that was due for recording the next morning.
“Don’t worry, I would be at the recording studio,” the thespian said.
“No, you would be in Pune for a meeting,” returned the duo.
“But I will drive back,” Raj Kapoor said.
And true to his word, he flew to Pune after the shooting, finished his meeting at 1 am and drove back to RK Studios in Mumbai’s Chembur and was seated at the recording studio 30 minutes before anyone else arrived.
The song, ‘Eh Mera Prem Patra Padkar,’ picturised on Rajendra Kumar in the film became a hit song but did not leave the studio until Raj Kapoor had heard it 10 times and made a few last-minute changes.
Music was his passion and perfection, his pursuit.
He had implicit trust in the people who worked with him but would not rest unless he had listened to every song and understood the way it was composed.
There are several instances that would provide a better insight into the man, but space constraint precludes us from doing so.
The Manna Dey Voice
But one episode deserves mention.
Several weeks after Hasrat Jaipuri wrote ‘Aye Bhai Zara Dekh Ke Chalo’ for Mera Naam Joker, there were serious discussions as to whether it should be rendered by Mukesh (whose voice suited Raj Kapoor), Mohammed Rafi or someone else.
“Let’s have Manna Dey,” the man said to everyone’s surprise.
It is such a great showman who would be honoured later this month by two Auckland based organisations, bringing to the fore the musical talents of local singers.
The show, ‘Suneheri Yaadein- The Ultimate Showman-A Tribute to Raj Kapoor,’ is being promoted as a musical extravaganza, aiming to transport connoisseurs of film music to an erstwhile world of songs, backed by soothing music.
Galaxy of musicians
The leader of the singing quint would be Sandhya Badakere, an accomplished singer from Mumbai, whose prowess is testified scores of cassettes and CDs of Bhajans and Ghazals.
She would probably the only artiste on stage at the forthcoming show, with a unique honour of having been felicitated by the icons of Bollywood including Raj Kapoor, BR Chopra, Naushad Ali, Salil Choudhary and Hridaynath Mangeshkar. She has also sung with a number of stalwarts including Anoop Jalota, during visits to New Zealand.
Ravie Shetty, the man whose voice is heard by tens of thousands of people as Radio Tarana programme host and as spirited audiences, Ritika Puri (nee Badakere), a powerful singer and a galaxy of other singers, would be among those attempting to do justice to the memorable songs that made Raj Kapoor and his films famous.
They will be supported by a group of talented instrumentalists.
Indian Newslink will publish more details of the Programme in its ensuing editions.
