Sa Re Ga Pa Dha Sa

Yesterday afternoon was pleasantly spent. After beer and lunch, Me and Amlendu were watching Shatranj Ke Khiladi at Amlendu's place. I have written about what an excellent movie it is - amazing cast, amazing story, screenplay and narration, amazing direction, amazing costumes, amazing decor, amazing music and dance - especially the Kathak performance played out for Wajid Ali Shah (Amzad Khan) - Kaanha main tose haari, chodo Hari - I think one can watch that movie for that performance alone.

Amlendu was pretty pissed with the way the Nawab and the other nobility of Lucknow, through their languid inaction, allowed the British to usurp Avadh. But I could sympathize with the blokes - all the good food, the good music and the general good life must have had their lulling effect. We ourselves, drunk and well fed, sleepily partaking of the Nawabi lifestyle through the computer screen were hardly the picture of action ourselves.

It was evening, in the movie, and in reality too. The sun was setting on the Nawabi rule in Lucknow and on Vars Notting Hill in Banaswadi, Bangalore. Four or Five Shehnai players sitting under a dome against the red sky were playing - Sa Re Ga Pa Dha Sa , Sa Dha Pa Ga Re Sa - Sa Re Ga Pa Dha Sa , Sa Dha Pa Ga Re Sa. I was thrilled to be able to identify (rightly I hope) the notes of raag Bhopali, last time I saw Satranj ke khiladi the same might have sounded like some complicated tune. Raag Bhopali is an evening raag, and my, did it hit the spot at that moment!

The movie was over soon afterwards, and I came back to my home - just about a flight of stairs away from Amlendu's - hurried to the one room where most of my stuff is, fetched my flute from inside a bag, went out onto the balcony and played out, slowly, Sa Re Ga Pa Dha Sa, Sa Dha Pa Ga Re Sa - over and over again till I was pretty convinced that it was the same tune I had heard in the movie. The dogs of the neighbourhood started started barking but I went on undeterred: Sa Re Ga Pa Dha Sa, Sa Dha Pa Ga Re Sa. Then I played a carnatic varnam in Mohana ragam (Bhopali is called Mohanam in the carnatic style) but the effect was not very pleasing. Would have started on the harmonium and started singing but I had sung myslef hoarse in the morning before lunch. I have Bismilla Khan's raag Bhopali on a casette. Got that out and played it on the tape player.

Lay down in the balcony and enjoyed the music. This was the first time I have been able to identify a Raag being played. Hmm. Life is headed in the right direction.