The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : It was music all the way

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Saturday, Mar 10, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

It was music all the way

Staff Reporter

DVD of `An Evening With O.P. Nayyar' programme released

BANGALORE: Paying a tribute in any other fashion to the legendary O.P. Nayyar would have been unbecoming. Hence, it was music all the way at a function here on Friday to release the DVD of the December 16 programme, `An Evening With O.P. Nayyar.'

As the invitees arrived to the venue — a hotel on Lavelle Road — a giant screen video playing Nayyar's songs rendered by local artistes and singer Mohammed Aslam greeted them. The invitees were pleased on being told that actor Vishnuvardhan would arrive.

When Mr. Vishnuvardhan did arrive, the speeches lasted only a few minutes. Of course, he criticised the modern day "high-noise, low-melody" music and said he played Nayyar's songs whenever he was stressed. He said, "Nayyar is within us and will live for ever."

The organisers — Guru Sound of Music — rightly suggested that Mr. Aslam should sing and not speak. He put on his karaoke tracks and began: "Duniya usiki, jamaana usika... " and Mr. Vishnuvardhan kept humming the tune making animated actions and beating the table with his ever active left hand as if he was playing the tabla.

Then came the demand from the audience that the actor should sing. A little push was enough for him to take off: "Yun to hamne laakh hasi dekhe hain... " again with the karaoke track. Half way through, he lost the pitch and sat down even as Mr. Aslam continued the song till the end. Soon enough, Mr. Vishnuvardhan came back with "Badan pe sitare lapate huye... " till a sudden a power failure stopped it all. As power was restored quickly, Mr. Aslam again completed the track. The actor came back again with the high octave "... Ghum uthaane ke liye mai to jiye javoonga... " The small crowd enjoyed it all till the last minute. For once, you hated the organisers for deciding to end the programme.

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