Mukesh revisited
RANJANI GOVIND
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Vijai Soni brought alive Raj Kapoor songs as immortalised by Mukesh.
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A TRIBUTE: Vijay Soni resurrects `Raj Kapoor and Mukesh hits'. PHOTO: R. SHIVAJI RAO.
Twelve men from Friends Orchestra, singers Vijay Soni from Kolkata, Anand Madhavan, Radhika, Sruthi and Rishi from Chennai and an enthusiastic compere flashing juicy details of the numbers all combined to make `A Tribute to Raj Kapoor' at Kamaraj Arangam, Chennai, a memorable evening this past weekend.
Presented by Eventalk and The Duchess Club, the programme was in aid of Tanker Foundation's activities aimed at helping the kidney patients in the city.
With Mukesh numbers dominating the show — the voice-alike Vijay Soni had the trademark nasal touch of the pathos singer too — it was a pleasure to walk through the `RK and Mukesh memory lane.' Some hits of Mohammad Rafi, Mannadey, and Lata Mangeshkar also were offered. Every song had the packed hall clapping and tapping, and the support of the accordion that is a stamp of Shankar-Jaikishen music. The songs were peppered with exciting details of the selected films.
Audience participation
What took the cake however was "Dum Dum Deega Deega" where Kalyanji-Anandji's music, brought out wonderfully by the orchestra, and had Vijay Soni walking past the long aisle inviting people to sing along. The piece was for the audience, transcending age for, right from seven-year-olds, young men, middle-aged women and theatre man Rishi, none had any qualms in shaking a leg with the singer.
Interesting facts
Awaara, was one of the first films that experimented a dream sequence with artificial clouds in the movie that grabbed notice from USSR and China in a big way.
Raj Kapoor's 1964-hit love-triangle Sangam had two intervals and the second segment had song sequences entirely shot in Europe.
Chori-Chori's breezy duet "Yeh Raat Bheegi Bheegi" was one of the last of the romantic pairing of Raj and Nargis.
Though RKs "Mera Naam Joker" saw itself limping at the box office, there was a hat-trick of rewards to make up — National Award, Filmfare Award and Music & Cinematography Award that made the songs popular.
Tanker Foundation's services
"It is heartening to see people come out in huge numbers to support our cause," says George Abraham, Founder Trustee, Tamilnad Kidney Research Foundation (TANKER).
"Any treatment related to the kidney is a costly affair and only focussed effort can yield some rewards
. This big cultural event can cut across all barriers to be a fundraiser in support of the needy," says Mr. Abraham.
For helping kidney transplants and treatment for patients, TANKER is involved in providing subsidised free dialysis, post-transplant medication, free fistula surgeries, awareness programmes in schools and colleges, and screening of underprivileged children to detect kidney diseases.
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