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Going places with his own band
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After 10 years of experimentation Parikrama has a sound of its own
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PHOTO: MURALI KUMAR K.
Subir Malik
Last year’s Download Festival held at Wolverhampton, England, was the biggest of its kind so far. It saw the likes of Iron Maiden, Linkin Park and My Chemical Romance headlining and bands of the stature of Dimmu Borgir and Kids in Glass Houses
making their first festival appearance.
Alongside such international rock acts performed our very own Parikrama, a band whose origins lie in New Delhi and a band that the British media claimed to be India’s biggest rock band. With such humungous responsibility on their shoulders, and courage in their hearts, Parikrama did not fail to deliver. They gave the massive crowd at the Donnigton Park the first taste of Indian rock ’n’ roll, as Parikrama has already been booked for Download 2009.
Recognition of this calibre does not come easy. After 10 years of experimentation, Parikrama has reached a stage where they can proudly say that they don’t improvise Pink Floyd tracks anymore. In fact, every rock fan in India can identify with their sound. For a band which was formed by two brothers Nitin (lead singer) and Subir Malik (keyboards) with their old classmate Chintan Kalra (bass), it has been an uphill task. When Parikrama came together in the mid ’90s, rock stars in India were treated like outcasts of society. But with the turn of the century, the rock scene in India took a pleasant turn as well.
Their first single Xerox was termed the face of Indian rock followed by the AC/DC inspired Open Skies. This number was featured in the Great Indian Rock Series Vol.1. as well. However, Parikrama’s masterpiece But It Rained is what brought them into the spotlight; a song dedicated to the Kashmir valley kidnappings of 1996.
The band has tried a hand with other musicians as well. Their original Rhythm and Blues featuring Usha Uthup is a favourite among the fans. The band’s recent releases include the Lord of the Rings inspired Am I Dreaming and Tears of the Wizard. An album is also on the cards with a well known international label.Parikrama , a word which in Sanskrit means ‘orbital revolutions ’ is currently orbiting the nation with a new guitarist, actor Saif Ali Khan. A tour of the U.S. is also on the cards. These rockers from Delhi can easily be credited with taking a few leaps of faith and revolutionising the Indian rock scene.
DEBAYAN DEB
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