"
All deep things are song. It seems somehow the very central essence of
us, as if all the rest were but wrappages and hulls!"
-Thomas Carlyle
Junoon could so easily have been one more musical reality show amongst so many others. In fact thats what I thought when I saw the promos on NDTV Imagine. And one Friday I stumbled upon it, a program which, apart from excellent singing, showcased the genres of Sufi, Folk as well as Bollywood. So here goes, with the 3 genres, and their stalwarts:
Bollywood ke Baadshah: Led by the Music Director Anand Raj Anand, this faction initially began with 4 singers Antara, Saptak, Sharib and Shadab. Frnakly speaking I never found any of them terribly exciting. However, post the elimination of all 3 other than Antara, Anand Raj Anand has introduced a wild card in the form of Abhas, one of the finds of Voice Of India. Sporadically decent at most of the times, the only saving grace for BKB is Abhas, who can sing old movie songs with ease.
Mati ke Lal: And here comes the grand dame of Indian folk, Ila Arun. From the initial foursome of Kalpana, Malini, Lakhwinder and Rajeev, only the former 3 are left, with Lakhwinder and Malini being the best of the lot. Here I make a confession that I would never have been hooked onto folk music other than Punjabi, had it not been for Malini.
Her flawless singing entices the viewer, and her sincerity comes through to touch your heart. Lakhwinder Wadali needs no introduction, belonging to the famous Wadali family of Amritsar(Wadali Brothers), music probably came to him before he could speak. Brilliantly melodious, its a pleasure to watch the two of them.
Sufi ke Sultan: And I have saved the best for last. I will admit, Sufi music is what really draws me to this program, Sufi ke Sultan, led by the melodious Raahat Ali Khan, who needs no introduction. Let me indulge myself though, he has sung songs like Laagi Mann ki lagan, Naina, jiya dhadak jaaye etc. Here he leads Reecha(eliminated), Harshdeep, Ali Abbas and Akbar Ali. I am extremely indifferent to Harshdeep, however, the real gems of this program are Ali Abbas and Akbar Ali. Both are extremely talented and learned, and when singing, create a trance which is very soulful to Sufis. The mysticism of Sufi music is enhanced by their singing. The best part of the show happens when Rahat Fateh Ali Khan joins his wards while singing, and together they create a musical crescendo. The alaap and the classical taan at that time is something totally out of this world.
And let me not forget the host, Anu Kapoor, who most of the times joins the singers. This is one man who has probably done more for the Indian musical shows than anyone else. All in all, a show worth watching. His tussles with Anand Raj Anand are worth watching.