I learnt carnatic music for a brief while - 6 years to be precise but managed to learn upto 80 kirthanas which includes the pancharathna krithis all before I turned 13. The fact I shifted my house and that put a fullstop to my learning stint is a different story altogether but whatever I learnt, I learnt that well :-). This was possible under the tulage of Smt. Sulochana Sampath. She was a big patron of MLV's style or gharana. She motivated us to come up with short alapana, kalpana swaram and neraval of our own right from the 20th keerthana...Its been 16 years now and this morning when I googled her name, what a pleasant surprise. Sulo Maami has released a brilliant collection of Purandaradasar Kritis.
http://www.hungama.com/artist-Sulochana%20Sampath-songs-40511
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Its raining promotions...
Gone are the days when movies were promoted with banners, trailers, posters and more importantly BIG NAMES (includes Actors/Actresses/Directors/more importantly A R Rahman and others). The producer then spent a major chunk on the film, actors and a meagre amount on the promotions.
These days a huge sum is spent on the movie promotions and new gimmicks are resorted to by the entire production crew while promoting a movie.
If you want to know about an upcoming release, all you need to watch are the advertisements, reality shows, mega serials. The stars are everywhere.
And they promote the movies with their weird acts and gestures. Akshay Kumar and Salman made cameo appearaces as a Road Contractor and Police Inspector in Hindi Soaps as part of their Khatta Meeta and Dabanng promotions respectively.
Deepika Padukone shed tears in Chote Ustaad when Rahet Khan Saab sang her favorite number which made viewers wonder who she was pining for A) Yuvraj Singh B) RK C) Sidharth Mallya. Uff!
The I-Know-Everything Khan's way of promotion was funny. He placed 'Almost Repair Everything' placards in every ad he featured in - be it Fair and Handsome, Navrathna Oil, Dishnet etc etc(the list is endless as he features in almost 30 ads right from a toilet cleaner to suitings) to promote "My name is khan'. Alas, the movie sunk without a trace as everyone wanted him to Repair Himself first :)
Even the super brilliant Aamir (Yes, I am biased) was not one to be left behind. During the Ghajini campaign he shaved heads at Multiplexes in Mumbai thereby driving the day lights out of NATURALs and LAKME salons. 3 Idiots was promoted relentlessly in Tata Sky's Help Channel while he promoted PEEPLI LIVE by playing the 'Dhol' in the Jugalbandhi with Raghuvir Yadav helming the mike.
The southern stars are not to be left behind. Thanks to MK and group monopolising the movie distribution business in Tamilnadu, the actors and actresses are everywhere as in Sun TV, Isaiaruvi, ads. The Showman of the south aka Director Shankar promoted Anniyan and Shivaji with novel hoardings so brilliantly that the movies turned out to be big blockbusters.
If one thinks the promotions are the things of the present and future, let me tell you an interesting piece of information which I came to know.
MGR's Vettaikaran and Shivaji's Raja Raja Chozhan released the same time. The stars did not promote it initially. When MGR saw that the crowd liked Raja Raja
Chozhan better than Vettaikaran, he did something which was considered OUT-OF-THE-BOX then.
He brought a caged TIGER from the zoo and kept it in a leading theatre lobby which played VETTAIKARAN and the movie went on to become a huge HIT.
Agreed that promotions are necessary but haven't they become boring? Your thoughts...
PS: Back to blogging after a long hiatus!
These days a huge sum is spent on the movie promotions and new gimmicks are resorted to by the entire production crew while promoting a movie.
If you want to know about an upcoming release, all you need to watch are the advertisements, reality shows, mega serials. The stars are everywhere.
And they promote the movies with their weird acts and gestures. Akshay Kumar and Salman made cameo appearaces as a Road Contractor and Police Inspector in Hindi Soaps as part of their Khatta Meeta and Dabanng promotions respectively.
Deepika Padukone shed tears in Chote Ustaad when Rahet Khan Saab sang her favorite number which made viewers wonder who she was pining for A) Yuvraj Singh B) RK C) Sidharth Mallya. Uff!
The I-Know-Everything Khan's way of promotion was funny. He placed 'Almost Repair Everything' placards in every ad he featured in - be it Fair and Handsome, Navrathna Oil, Dishnet etc etc(the list is endless as he features in almost 30 ads right from a toilet cleaner to suitings) to promote "My name is khan'. Alas, the movie sunk without a trace as everyone wanted him to Repair Himself first :)
Even the super brilliant Aamir (Yes, I am biased) was not one to be left behind. During the Ghajini campaign he shaved heads at Multiplexes in Mumbai thereby driving the day lights out of NATURALs and LAKME salons. 3 Idiots was promoted relentlessly in Tata Sky's Help Channel while he promoted PEEPLI LIVE by playing the 'Dhol' in the Jugalbandhi with Raghuvir Yadav helming the mike.
The southern stars are not to be left behind. Thanks to MK and group monopolising the movie distribution business in Tamilnadu, the actors and actresses are everywhere as in Sun TV, Isaiaruvi, ads. The Showman of the south aka Director Shankar promoted Anniyan and Shivaji with novel hoardings so brilliantly that the movies turned out to be big blockbusters.
If one thinks the promotions are the things of the present and future, let me tell you an interesting piece of information which I came to know.
MGR's Vettaikaran and Shivaji's Raja Raja Chozhan released the same time. The stars did not promote it initially. When MGR saw that the crowd liked Raja Raja
Chozhan better than Vettaikaran, he did something which was considered OUT-OF-THE-BOX then.
He brought a caged TIGER from the zoo and kept it in a leading theatre lobby which played VETTAIKARAN and the movie went on to become a huge HIT.
Agreed that promotions are necessary but haven't they become boring? Your thoughts...
PS: Back to blogging after a long hiatus!
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