Mother’s Day brought Mom to the sets of Zee TV’s Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Li’l Champs last Tuesday. Make that Stunning Mom. Sridevi, the star of the Ravi Udyawar film scheduled for a July 7 release, will feature in the Sunday episode of the kids’ reality show. Before that, the Mother’s Day double-header weekend will feature A.R. Rahman, the film’s composer, in Saturday’s episode (airs 9pm onwards).
Galleries: the real story
The Mozart of Madras is already in the judge’s throne when t2 reaches the studio in Malad. During the next break, a seat is vacated in the audience. The gathering is a mix of guests and paid extras. A posse of set hands monitors the gallery. At their head is a formidable madam. Her permission is needed if anyone wants even a toilet break. None is allowed when the cameras roll. From time to time, she would holler: “Oye, taali maar na re,” in keeping with the requirements of the scene and god help you if you fail to put your hands together enthusiastically enough for her decibel meter.
The rest of the time you got to sit straight and look interested. “Paer neeche kar,” someone up front is chided for resting his feet on the guard rails. Then there is Mr Fidgety. Madam’s eagle eyes spot him from afar and a sharp word is sent out — “Third row ke motu pe dhyan de. Uss ko khujli bahut hai!” Reality can be oh-so-rough.
Masterclass with the master
Shanmukhpriya, from Visakhapatnam, sings the jazz-infused Tu bole main boloon which Rahman had sung in Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Na. The 30-member jury comprising music industry veterans press their buzzers to give her a 100 per cent. The mentors — Jaaved Ali, Neha Kakkar and Himesh Reshammiya — offer glowing comments. But Rahman wants her to sing the prelude again. Then he turns to Suzanne D’Mello, a jury member, who had been on his Jai Ho tour. “Suzie, can you sing that part, please? She is the master of jazz singing.” Suzanne’s rendition is refreshingly different. “Your pitch and tonality were spot- on but to sing jazz, the voice has to be more breezy. Use your voice like an instrument, a saxophone,” Rahman tells the teen, making her try again.
Bagha Jatin girl Sonakshi Kar is up next with the lyrical Luka chhupi (Rang De Basanti) that earns her 99.7 per cent. This time Rahman starts speaking even before the mentors can. “Move away from the mic when you hit the high notes. The high notes are like knife on the ears if you do not go soft. I learnt it from Kavitaji (Krishnamurthy). Of course, Lataji (Mangeshkar) does it too.” Sonakshi nods obediently.
Later, Jaaved Ali recalls: “When I was singing Jashn-e-bahara (Jodhaa Akbar), Rahman sir had asked me not to sing open-throated in the antara. His comments are to be treasured for any singer to improve.” As the clock inches past 3pm, it’s time for Rahman to leave. He has a date with another master, Sachin Tendulkar, for the anthem launch of Sachin: A Billion Dreams.
Date with the Diva
Away from the public eye, a milk white Merc has glided through the gates of P3 Studio. Sridevi has arrived.
Sridevi has never had the gift of unscripted gab. So the interaction is short. t2 reminds her of her brush with playback singing for Chandni. “That was a nightmare!” The memory fleetingly clouds her face. In fact, she is so aware of her lack of singing prowess that, in course of the shoot, when a contestant asks her if she told bedtime stories and sang loris to her daughters, she promptly replies that while they (Jhanvi and Khushi) loved hearing stories from her, they quickly fell asleep if she tried to sing!
“I am looking forward to hearing the children sing. They are such special talents,” she says.
The Zee Bangla Li’l Champ winner of 2013-14, Shreyan Bhattacharya, is so brilliant with Chunar (ABCD 2) that an overwhelmed Jaaved Ali calls him: “the country’s best singer”. “I can only imagine where you will reach when you grow up,” he adds.
But when host Aditya Narayan complains that Shreyan hates eating, Sridevi is concerned. “Yeh sach hai, beta? How can you sing if you do not eat well?” She makes him promise to mend his ways.
For the next contestant, Dhroon Tickoo, the problem is a fascination for junk food. This is alien territory for Sri. “I wish sometimes that my daughters eat junk food. But they don’t touch (it)!”
Calcutta contestant Sonakshi’s mother Sampa requests Sridevi to join all the moms on the dance floor. As the opening bars of Mere hathon mein nau nau chooriyan starts playing, the serene face lights up like a thousand watts, and the waist sways effortlessly. They can make her play ‘mom’, but on the floor, age is just a number for Sridevi.
NOTES FROM A.R. RAHMAN
On composing for Mom…
I am a big fan of Sridevi from my younger days. I never thought I would do a movie with her. This is the first time I am working with her. There are three songs in Mom. The songs are not so important, the background score is. She came down all the way from Mumbai to Chennai to meet me. When she said: ‘You have to do this film’, I could not say no.
On his mom…
Most people get married at 26. My mother became a widow with four children at 26. Her life is the foundation of my success. All my songs are dedicated to her. I have never seen her react to any song. But when I did my first song Chhoti si asha (for Roja), she had tears in her eyes.
On singing at talent hunts like Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Li’l Champs…
These kids are performing so well. Their families put all their energies to develop them. I know some people don’t like that there are so many reality shows. But everybody is hooked to the TV. It is nice to see the next generation. It is better than seeing news of violence and bomb blasts.
On the experience of judging the episode…
It felt nice to hear the young generation sing, performing my songs. One can say ‘beautiful, beautiful’ to everything they sing, but I think it is important to tell them what could be done. They are all promising singers. At a younger age, they can rectify more easily. It was nice coming here and meeting my musician friends, Himesh and Jaaved.
On Justin Bieber performing in India...
I have performed with him for the We are the World 25 for Haiti (in 2010). We were part of the choir. It is nice to see him grow as an artiste. I wish him all the best.
On the upcoming film 2.0…
2.0 has a lot of fan following. Robot was such a huge hit. Seeing how Bahubali 2 has done, we want everyone to support 2.0. It is a dream child of Shankar and Rajinikanthji. I am also a part of it.
Sudeshna Banerjee
Pictures: Sudeshna Banerjee
