The trailer of Ramayana Part One has finally been released, but beyond the stunning visuals and star-studded cast, it is the film's record-breaking ₹4,000 crore budget that has become the biggest talking point.

Directed by Nitesh Tiwari and produced by Namit Malhotra, the ambitious two-part adaptation of the ancient Indian epic is being positioned as the biggest cinematic project in Indian history. The reported ₹4,000 crore budget covers both Ramayana Part One, scheduled for Diwali 2026, and Ramayana Part Two, expected during Diwali 2027.

The film features Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram, Yash as Ravana, and Sai Pallavi as Sita. The project also brings together legendary composers Hans Zimmer and A.R. Rahman, while Oscar-winning VFX company DNEG and Prime Focus lead the visual effects work with a global team of more than 10,000 artists and technicians across India, the UK, Canada, and Australia.

Ramayana's ₹4,000 Crore Budget Stuns Fans | India's Most Expensive Movie

<p>Marking their maiden collaboration, Oscar, BAFTA and Grammy-winning composer, A.R. Rahman joins Ananya Birla on the record of her latest track 'Hindustani Way’ as the composer and producer.&nbsp;</p>

<p><br />
The track is an amalgamation of Hindi and English lyrics that is set out to establish an upbeat message of unity and optimism, heralding the gradual retreat of COVID-19 led tumultuous times as the kick-off date of the sporting extravaganza nears.&nbsp;</p>

<p><br />
Talking about this collaboration with her 'role model', Ananya said in a statement,“It is a true honour to write and sing a song to cheer our Indian Olympic contingent at Tokyo 2020. The grit and fortitude of the Indian Olympic team in the face of such a challenging year is inspiring. It was surreal to have had the opportunity to collaborate with my role model, AR sir on such a prestigious project, from whom I have learnt so much. We are here cheering, the 'Hindustani Way'”&nbsp;</p>

<p><br />
Speaking about his involvement in the project, A.R. Rahman added, “All of us are really excited to have made this special song and hope our athletes can feel the entire nation rooting for them, the Hindustani way, when they hear it. It was a pleasure working with Ananya on this project and we hope to convey all our support and best wishes to Team India through it. Jai Hind!”&nbsp;</p>

<p><br />
The patriotic track was jointly written by Ananya Birla, lyricists Nirmika Singh and Shishir Samant. The music video's been directed by Danny Mamik and Sahaan Hattangadi, &nbsp;and produced by Ananya's new production house. The music video features key Olympic archival footage from Atlanta (1996), Athens (2004), Beijing (2002, 2008), Rio (2016), London (2012) and exclusive training footage of this year’s contingent.&nbsp;</p>

<p><br />
The Tokyo Olympics 2020 will kickstart on July 23 after it was postponed for a year amid soaring Coronavirus infection rates and lockdowns across the world. With the mercury of excitement soaring new high, Indians are weaving high hopes around their star athletes to shine at the biggest sporting extravaganza in the world.</p>


Marking their maiden collaboration, Oscar, BAFTA and Grammy-winning composer, A.R. Rahman joins Ananya Birla on the record of her latest track 'Hindustani Way’ as the composer and producer.

Marking their maiden collaboration, Oscar, BAFTA and Grammy-winning composer, A.R. Rahman joins Ananya Birla on the record of her latest track 'Hindustani Way’ as the composer and producer. The track is an amalgamation of Hindi and English lyrics that is set out to establish an upbeat message of unity and optimism, heralding the gradual retreat of COVID-19 led tumultuous times as the kick-off date of the sporting extravaganza nears. Talking about this collaboration with her 'role model', Ananya said in a statement,“It is a true honour to write and sing a song to cheer our Indian Olympic contingent at Tokyo 2020. The grit and fortitude of the Indian Olympic team in the face of such a challenging year is inspiring. It was surreal to have had the opportunity to collaborate with my role model, AR sir on such a prestigious project, from whom I have learnt so much. We are here cheering, the 'Hindustani Way'” Speaking about his involvement in the project, A.R. Rahman added, “All of us are really excited to have made this special song and hope our athletes can feel the entire nation rooting for them, the Hindustani way, when they hear it. It was a pleasure working with Ananya on this project and we hope to convey all our support and best wishes to Team India through it. Jai Hind!” The patriotic track was jointly written by Ananya Birla, lyricists Nirmika Singh and Shishir Samant. The music video's been directed by Danny Mamik and Sahaan Hattangadi, and produced by Ananya's new production house. The music video features key Olympic archival footage from Atlanta (1996), Athens (2004), Beijing (2002, 2008), Rio (2016), London (2012) and exclusive training footage of this year’s contingent. The Tokyo Olympics 2020 will kickstart on July 23 after it was postponed for a year amid soaring Coronavirus infection rates and lockdowns across the world. With the mercury of excitement soaring new high, Indians are weaving high hopes around their star athletes to shine at the biggest sporting extravaganza in the world.

Oscar winner A.R. Rahman, musician Ananya Birla collaborate for Indian Olympians ahead of Tokyo 2020

<p>Academy award-winning composer AR Rahman has come on board to compose music for 'Airlift'&nbsp;director Raja Krishna Menon’s next, 'Pippa'.</p>

<p>Set in the backdrop of 1971 Indo-Pakistan war, the movie will feature Ishaan Khattar, Mrunal Thakur, and Priyanshu Painyuli.</p>

<p>Rahman said he was drawn to 'Pippa' as its story had a “human connect.” “It’s about every family, and I instantly related with it. I am looking forward to working with Raja Krishna Menon, Ronnie Screwvala and Siddharth Roy Kapur,” the 54-year-old composer said in a statement.</p>

<p>Pippa&nbsp;is being produced by Ronnie Screwvala’s RSVP and Siddharth Roy Kapur’s Roy Kapur Films. Rahman’s previous collaborations with Screwvala and Kapur have resulted in chartbuster soundtracks for films such as “Swades”, “Rang De Basanti”, “Jodhaa Akbar” and “Delhi-6”.</p>

<p>Screwvala said patriotic and inspiring music has been Rahman’s forte “since the beginning of his iconic career”.</p>

<p>“We are happy to welcome the maestro onto team ‘Pippa’. Collaborating with him has always resulted in spectacular albums and I’m inclined to believe that his music will be the beating heart of our film,” he said.</p>

<p>Kapur said Rahman’s music brings depth to the film’s narrative as it “elevates” its characters and storytelling. “We are truly thrilled to have on board the best musical talent one could ask for, and to be able to collaborate with him again on what we hope will be another iconic album,” Kapur said.</p>

<p>The film will see Khatter playing the role of Brigadier Balram Singh Mehta of the 45th Cavalry tank squadron who, along with his siblings, fought on the eastern front during the Indo-Pakistan war of 1971.</p>

<p>Based on Mehta’s book “The Burning Chaffees”, the movie’s title is taken from the Russian amphibious war tank called the PT-76, popularly known as “Pippa”.</p>

<p>Ravinder Randhawa, Tanmay Mohan and Menon have penned the movie’s script. “Pippa” is scheduled to hit theatres later this year.</p>

<p>Yesterday, director Gautham Menon also announced that A.R. Rahman had come on board for his next project, with Simbu in the lead role, to be produced by Ishari K Ganesh of Vels Film International.&nbsp;Their previous collaborations are Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa and Achcham Yenbadhu Madamaiyada.</p>

<p>Gautham posted on social media, “Dear Universe, Thank you for making this possible. It’s @arrahman‘s music &amp; his Aura that will light up our lives once again in our next collaboration. We truly believe in that. Thankfully- @SilambarasanTR_ &amp; myself. @IshariKGanesh @VelsFilmIntl #HBDSilambarasanTR”.</p>


Academy award-winning composer AR Rahman has come on board to compose music for 'Airlift' director Raja Krishna Menon’s next, 'Pippa'. Set in the backdrop of 1971 Indo-Pakistan war, the movie will feature Ishaan Khattar, Mrunal Thakur, and Priyanshu Painyuli.

Academy award-winning composer AR Rahman has come on board to compose music for 'Airlift' director Raja Krishna Menon’s next, 'Pippa'. Set in the backdrop of 1971 Indo-Pakistan war, the movie will feature Ishaan Khattar, Mrunal Thakur, and Priyanshu Painyuli. Rahman said he was drawn to 'Pippa' as its story had a “human connect.” “It’s about every family, and I instantly related with it. I am looking forward to working with Raja Krishna Menon, Ronnie Screwvala and Siddharth Roy Kapur,” the 54-year-old composer said in a statement. Pippa is being produced by Ronnie Screwvala’s RSVP and Siddharth Roy Kapur’s Roy Kapur Films. Rahman’s previous collaborations with Screwvala and Kapur have resulted in chartbuster soundtracks for films such as “Swades”, “Rang De Basanti”, “Jodhaa Akbar” and “Delhi-6”. Screwvala said patriotic and inspiring music has been Rahman’s forte “since the beginning of his iconic career”. “We are happy to welcome the maestro onto team ‘Pippa’. Collaborating with him has always resulted in spectacular albums and I’m inclined to believe that his music will be the beating heart of our film,” he said. Kapur said Rahman’s music brings depth to the film’s narrative as it “elevates” its characters and storytelling. “We are truly thrilled to have on board the best musical talent one could ask for, and to be able to collaborate with him again on what we hope will be another iconic album,” Kapur said. The film will see Khatter playing the role of Brigadier Balram Singh Mehta of the 45th Cavalry tank squadron who, along with his siblings, fought on the eastern front during the Indo-Pakistan war of 1971. Based on Mehta’s book “The Burning Chaffees”, the movie’s title is taken from the Russian amphibious war tank called the PT-76, popularly known as “Pippa”. Ravinder Randhawa, Tanmay Mohan and Menon have penned the movie’s script. “Pippa” is scheduled to hit theatres later this year. Yesterday, director Gautham Menon also announced that A.R. Rahman had come on board for his next project, with Simbu in the lead role, to be produced by Ishari K Ganesh of Vels Film International. Their previous collaborations are Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa and Achcham Yenbadhu Madamaiyada. Gautham posted on social media, “Dear Universe, Thank you for making this possible. It’s @arrahman‘s music & his Aura that will light up our lives once again in our next collaboration. We truly believe in that. Thankfully- @SilambarasanTR_ & myself. @IshariKGanesh @VelsFilmIntl #HBDSilambarasanTR”.

AR Rahman to score for war film ‘Pippa’, as well as GVM-Simbu untitled project

<p>AR Rahman shared a picture from this year’s Grammys and it’s something you should totally see as it has Priyanka Chopra in the same frame.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Rahman revealed that the picture is a part of a party that happened right before the 62nd edition of the Grammy Awards.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Oscar-winning composer can be seen standing right next to Priyanka Chopra, who was also one of the attendees at this year’s awards ceremony. She gave out an award with husband Nick Jonas and was one of the biggest hooters for husband as Nick and his band The Jonas Brothers performed that night.</p>

<p>In the first picture shared, AR Rahman wrote, "Last month before, Grammys!"</p>

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<p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B8bgd3agvwZ/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">Last month before Grammies!</a></p>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by @<a href="https://www.instagram.com/arrahman/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> arrahman</a> on <time datetime="2020-02-11T14:23:05+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">Feb 11, 2020 at 6:23am PST</time></p>
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<p>Rahman had won two Grammy Awards in 2010 - Best Compilation Soundtrack for a Motion Picture (for Slumdog Millionaire) and Best Motion Picture Song (for Jai Ho).</p>

<p>Rahman went to the Grammys with son Ameen. He shared a picture of himself, along with his son Ameen and singer-songwriter PJ Morton, who is also a part of pop band Maroon 5.</p>

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<p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B7zfpAPgiGP/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">@pjmorton from @maroon5</a></p>

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<p>Meanwhile, Priyanka Chopra was also in news post Grammys for her <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/priyanka-chopra-gets-trolled-for-grammys-dress-celeb-friends-come-to-her-rescue-276968">outfit that some felt was too revealing</a>. She was trolled by social media users. <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/bollywood-news-interview-hina-khan-defends-priyanka-chopras-grammys-dress-i-challenge-you-to-wear-it-for-ten-minutes-279588">Read what Indian TV actress Hina Khan had to say on Priyanka's dress.&nbsp;</a></p>


AR Rahman shared a picture from this year’s Grammys and it’s something you should totally see as it has Priyanka Chopra in the same frame. Rahman revealed that the picture is a part of a party that happened right before the 62nd edition of the Grammy Awards.

AR Rahman shared a picture from this year’s Grammys and it’s something you should totally see as it has Priyanka Chopra in the same frame. Rahman revealed that the picture is a part of a party that happened right before the 62nd edition of the Grammy Awards. The Oscar-winning composer can be seen standing right next to Priyanka Chopra, who was also one of the attendees at this year’s awards ceremony. She gave out an award with husband Nick Jonas and was one of the biggest hooters for husband as Nick and his band The Jonas Brothers performed that night. In the first picture shared, AR Rahman wrote, "Last month before, Grammys!" View this post on Instagram Last month before Grammies! A post shared by @ arrahman on Feb 11, 2020 at 6:23am PST × Rahman had won two Grammy Awards in 2010 - Best Compilation Soundtrack for a Motion Picture (for Slumdog Millionaire) and Best Motion Picture Song (for Jai Ho). Rahman went to the Grammys with son Ameen. He shared a picture of himself, along with his son Ameen and singer-songwriter PJ Morton, who is also a part of pop band Maroon 5. View this post on Instagram @pjmorton from @maroon5 A post shared by @ arrahman on Jan 26, 2020 at 5:26pm PST × Meanwhile, Priyanka Chopra was also in news post Grammys for her outfit that some felt was too revealing. She was trolled by social media users. Read what Indian TV actress Hina Khan had to say on Priyanka's dress.

AR Rahman's pre Grammys party photo features Priyanka Chopra, see pic

Bhubaneswar, the capital city of Odisha is all geared up for the grand opening ceremony of Hockey World Cup 2018. The opening ceremony will carry a central message of "oneness".

With glitz and glamour, Hockey World Cup 2018 begins

<p>Celebrated Indian music composer AR Rahman once felt like a failure and contemplated suicide every day. In an interview on his life and tough phases that lifted him up and made him what he is today, Rahman opened up on the initial low phase of his career.&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;<br />
The Oscar-winning composer told PTI: "Up until 25, I used to think about suicide. Most of us feel they are not good enough. Because I lost my father, there was this void... There were so many things happening. (But) that in a way made me more fearless. Death is a permanent thing for everyone. Since everything created has an expiry date, so why be afraid of anything?"<br />
&nbsp;<br />
Rahman points out that building his own recording studio called the Panchathan Record Inn in his backyard in hometown Chennai, made all the difference. He elaborated: “Before that, things were dormant so maybe it (the feeling) manifested then. Because of my father's death and the way he was working, I didn't do many movies. I got 35 movies and I did two. Everyone wondered 'How are you going to survive? You have everything, grab it.' I was 25 then. I couldn't do that. It's like eating everything. You become numb. So even if you eat small meals, make it fulfilling.”<br />
&nbsp;<br />
The 51-year-old composer triggered a dialogue on mental health and hiccups in one’s life as he saw the release of his book, ‘Notes of a Dream: The Authorized Biography of AR Rahman’. Written by author Krishna Trilok, the biography, in association with Landmark and Penguin Random House, was launched in Mumbai, Saturday. <a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/ar-rahman-on-metoo-some-of-the-names-have-shocked-me-172962"><em>Also read: This is what he thinks about #MeToo movement.&nbsp;</em></a><br />
&nbsp;<br />
During the launch of the book, Rahman emphasised on the void left by his father in his life after he passed away. Rahman was simply nine when his father RK Shekhar, who was a film score composer died. Their family had to rent out his musical equipment to survive. This somewhere led to Rahman taking to music at a young age.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
He said, "I finished everything between the age of 12 to 22. It was boring for me to do all the normal stuff. I didn't want to do it."&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;<br />
Rahman then embraced Sufi Islam, reinvented himself and even changed his name to A R Rahman instead of Dileep Kumar. All this before he debuted as a composer with Mani Ratnam's Roja (1992). He said, "I never liked my original name Dileep Kumar. I don't even know why I hated it. I felt it didn't match my personality. I wanted to become another person. I felt like that would define and change my whole (being). I wanted to get rid of all the past luggage.”<br />
&nbsp;<br />
"You manifest who you are and let it out. So when you are ideating on your mental drawing book, you need a lot of self-analysis and you have to dive deep within you. You need to listen to yourself. It's hard to listen to your inner side. But once you do, you have to let loose and forget yourself," he added.</p>


Celebrated Indian music composer AR Rahman once felt like a failure and contemplated suicide every day. In an interview on his life and tough phases that lifted him up and made him what he is today, Rahman opened up on the initial low phase of his career.

Celebrated Indian music composer AR Rahman once felt like a failure and contemplated suicide every day. In an interview on his life and tough phases that lifted him up and made him what he is today, Rahman opened up on the initial low phase of his career. The Oscar-winning composer told PTI: "Up until 25, I used to think about suicide. Most of us feel they are not good enough. Because I lost my father, there was this void... There were so many things happening. (But) that in a way made me more fearless. Death is a permanent thing for everyone. Since everything created has an expiry date, so why be afraid of anything?" Rahman points out that building his own recording studio called the Panchathan Record Inn in his backyard in hometown Chennai, made all the difference. He elaborated: “Before that, things were dormant so maybe it (the feeling) manifested then. Because of my father's death and the way he was working, I didn't do many movies. I got 35 movies and I did two. Everyone wondered 'How are you going to survive? You have everything, grab it.' I was 25 then. I couldn't do that. It's like eating everything. You become numb. So even if you eat small meals, make it fulfilling.” The 51-year-old composer triggered a dialogue on mental health and hiccups in one’s life as he saw the release of his book, ‘Notes of a Dream: The Authorized Biography of AR Rahman’. Written by author Krishna Trilok, the biography, in association with Landmark and Penguin Random House, was launched in Mumbai, Saturday. Also read: This is what he thinks about #MeToo movement. During the launch of the book, Rahman emphasised on the void left by his father in his life after he passed away. Rahman was simply nine when his father RK Shekhar, who was a film score composer died. Their family had to rent out his musical equipment to survive. This somewhere led to Rahman taking to music at a young age. He said, "I finished everything between the age of 12 to 22. It was boring for me to do all the normal stuff. I didn't want to do it." Rahman then embraced Sufi Islam, reinvented himself and even changed his name to A R Rahman instead of Dileep Kumar. All this before he debuted as a composer with Mani Ratnam's Roja (1992). He said, "I never liked my original name Dileep Kumar. I don't even know why I hated it. I felt it didn't match my personality. I wanted to become another person. I felt like that would define and change my whole (being). I wanted to get rid of all the past luggage.” "You manifest who you are and let it out. So when you are ideating on your mental drawing book, you need a lot of self-analysis and you have to dive deep within you. You need to listen to yourself. It's hard to listen to your inner side. But once you do, you have to let loose and forget yourself," he added.

AR Rahman after losing his father: Up to 25, I used to think about suicide

<p>Damien Chazelle&rsquo;s musical &quot;La La Land&quot;&nbsp;has swept the 2017 Golden Globes, a bellwether for the upcoming Academy Awards. It has also inspired quite a few arched eyebrows. After all, it is a &lsquo;film&rsquo; about two young &lsquo;white&rsquo; people trying&nbsp;to save a &lsquo;black&rsquo; cultural product, Jazz, and find meaning in the thespian world respectively.</p>

<p>The film&rsquo;s sweeping success is attributed to Hollywood&rsquo;s approval of a narcissism rooted in the idea of &lsquo;the white man&rsquo;s burden&rsquo; and self-referentialism.</p>

<p>Chazelle, 31, was once a struggling Jazz drummer at the Princeton High School and his own angst and anxieties about music have found expression earlier in the Academy winning &quot;Whiplash&quot;&nbsp;(2014). Built around the Charlie Parker myth, &quot;Whiplash&quot;&nbsp;shows how music survives reverberating through bloody fingers, abusive instructors, and emotionally wrecked genius. The success of these two films, amongst many others dealing with music, shows that people may or may not care for a particular genre of music but a cinematic narrative on it does pull at their heartstrings.</p>

<p>This brings us to ask a question: are cinema and TV, not the white men and women, the saviours that art and music forms need?&nbsp;</p>

<p>Raja Sen, film and music critic, shares that a film or TV series on a particular genre of music plays a crucial role. &ldquo;Very simply, they aim for a scope that is beyond the size of the genre itself. Popular film is incredibly inclusive and tries to speak to all, which is why a film about jazz can speak to more than just those who (already) love jazz.&rdquo;&nbsp;</p>

<p>His views are echoed by Krish Ashok, a Chennai-based musician and columnist, who says that films are essential for reviving and sustaining classical art forms, music being one of them. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s difficult to get people to listen to classical music bypassing the films. Their first exposure to it is through films and the eventual dream is to make music for films. Indian film music in the 1940s and till much after that was popular form of Indian classical music. Ilayaraja and A R Rahman have been bringing classical music to laymen through their film compositions&rdquo;</p>

<p>Most films, however, are accused of playing to the gallery and diluting the purity of the genre. Is the purist right in worrying about the sanctity of the form? Ashok states emphatically that popularisation should not be seen as a threat since Classical always stays. He brings in a caveat however. &ldquo;Questions regarding appropriation of cultural products while popularising them are valid to an extent. When the folk music born out of poverty and deprivation becomes club style, the contrast is stark.&rdquo; Talking of the music scene in the USA, Ashok adds, &ldquo;Every pop genre in the USA since the 1920s came from the blacks and yet it is the white artists who took the centre-stage. Elvis Presley became much bigger Rock n Roll icon than Chuck Berry; Eminem is bigger than his black counterparts in hip-hop and Rap.&rdquo;</p>

<p>A techie trained in Carnatic music, Ashok is gentle towards the purists&rsquo; urge to be protective towards their inherited form. However, he says that the purist wilfully ignores the impure genesis of his form while jealously guarding only the inherited finished product, &ldquo;the latest update,&rdquo; against corrupting influences. &ldquo;In India, Carnatic and Hindustani traditions owe a lot to Western and Persian influences. Music flourishes through improvisations.&rdquo;</p>

<p>Sunanda Rao Erdem, one of the handful degree holders in Opera singing in India, is in slight disagreement here.</p>

<p>&ldquo;Improvisation cannot be a blanket saviour for all music. For example, the Western classical music has been written down by composers already. It is bound to sound the same. Nuances are dependent only on the conductors and performers who bring their personalities into the interpretation of the sheets.&rdquo; She adds, &ldquo;Jazz is not written down, it is passed down ear to ear. There is more scope for improvisation there. Likewise, Indian classical music is more adaptable since it allows for greater degree of experimentation while retaining its formal structure. This may be one of the reasons why Western classical music has not been able to penetrate the Indian audience.&rdquo;</p>

<p>Certainly, musicians and conductors have been personalising classical music despite the mandated strict adherence to form. Gustavo Dudamel, who conducted the iconic Vienne Philharmonic Orchestra&rsquo;s New Year Concert on January 1, the youngest conductor to do so, has been reading the note-sheets through his eccentricity tinted glasses. Not yet 36, this South American conductor has managed to create ripples in the oft-perceived placid world of western classical music. By choosing Dudamel to conduct the concert this year, which happens to be a landmark one due to the 175th anniversary of the Vienna Philharmonic, the 150th birth anniversary of Empress Maria Theresa, and the 150th anniversary of the first performance of Strauss&rsquo;s &lsquo;Blue Danube,&rsquo; the western classical music establishment may have given out a strong signal.</p>

<p>Dudamel, who has inspired &quot;Mozart in the Jungle,&quot;&nbsp;an immensely popular TV series, is known for his effervescence, the kind that makes the audience at the famed Golden Hall at the Musikverein in Vienna tap its feet. The purists may have written Dudamel off for being compulsively gimmicky, his ebullient personality is a big pull for the newly interested in western classical music. His innovative ways to broaden the audience base range from collaboration with LENA (Leading European Newspapers Alliance), conducting the soundtrack for Star Wars to his commitment to community and music education. Through Youth Orchestra LA (YOLA) programme, the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra and its community partners have been providing free of cost training, instruments and mentorship to students from under-privileged backgrounds.</p>

<p>Ashok locates Dudamel&rsquo;s rise in the cyclical nature of the history of music. &ldquo;If we study the history of Western Classical music over the past 100 years, we shall see that every 10-20 years one maverick comes whose genius forces people to take note of that particular genre of music.&rdquo;</p>

<p>This decade belongs to Dudamel and his innovative ways.</p>

<p>The idea of &ldquo;popification&rdquo; of classical music in films also needs to be examined critically. Coming on the heels of the Baroque style, Bach and Mozart secularised music like never before. &ldquo;To their contemporaries, they too were pop stars. Same with Tchaikovsky. What was once pop has now become classical. Classical music as a genre is not static; the definitions are constantly changing. Jazz was borne out of experimentation and yet seen as a serious, almost classical form,&rdquo; says Ashok.</p>

<p>This perchance explains the sentiment of protectiveness about Jazz when a film like &quot;La La Land&quot;&nbsp;seeks to capitalise on it. Rao-Erdem, a self-proclaimed purist, understands well that this overprotective attitude may not serve the cause of classical music. &ldquo;Chinese opera music is a dying form. The Chinese are extremely purist in their treatment of arts. The government is trying hard to resurrect the opera tradition but lack of innovation is their biggest enemy.&rdquo; She adds, &ldquo;Many small orchestras in Europe&nbsp;have run out of business due to their inability to keep pace with the changing world around them. Maybe they needed something like Pavarotti and Friends.&rdquo;&nbsp;New tricks are needed for a brave new world.</p>

<p>Before the 20th century &ldquo;rules of concert etiquette&rdquo; made the concerts stifling and somewhat painful, listening to classical music was a full-bodied social experience. As a backlash to the mechanical production of music, live concerts attempted to retain their charm and aura by putting in place certain rules of engagement for the audience. Today, a minuscule fraction of the world population goes to classical concerts. As per a 2012 study by the National Endowment for Arts, 8.8% of Americans had attended a classical concert in the last 12 months. No wonder then that the major symphonic orchestras in the USA are facing the music. While the Philadelphia Orchestra and New York City Opera filed for bankruptcy in 2011 and 2013 respectively, other major outfits have seen strikes in the last five years.</p>

<p>Is the purist, then, not the biggest enemy of the art it most zealously aims to protect? Ashok gives an interesting response to this. &ldquo;Purists are important for the growth of music. Great art always emerges out of purism. Constraints and not absolute freedom creates it. John Cage&rsquo;s 4&rsquo;33&rdquo; is an example of compulsive experimentation. But will it, should it, be considered a classic? It is only when there is a keenly felt need to break away that music flourishes. That need is a gift of the purist to the experimentalist.&rdquo;</p>

<p>Sen&rsquo;s view of the purist is a little less charitable. &ldquo;I think the purist still has the form at its purest. I see no bother in an unschooled listener getting exposed to the music through some over-accessible form of it. It can often be a gateway.&rdquo; Rao-Erdem, on the other hand, stands her ground by asserting that only the presentation and not the music per se should be open to improvisation.</p>

<p>Individual and society; tradition and individual talent et al are bound to be locked in an unrelenting scrimmage. What may benefit the purist and the experimentalist is broadening the base of the audience, aided by innovative ways of engagement. If a &quot;La La Land&quot;&nbsp;inspires some YouTube searches for &ldquo;Jazz,&rdquo; so be it!</p>

<p>(WION)</p>


Movies for example popularise the genre but they are also accused of 'diluting' its purity

Damien Chazelle’s musical "La La Land" has swept the 2017 Golden Globes, a bellwether for the upcoming Academy Awards. It has also inspired quite a few arched eyebrows. After all, it is a ‘film’ about two young ‘white’ people trying to save a ‘black’ cultural product, Jazz, and find meaning in the thespian world respectively. The film’s sweeping success is attributed to Hollywood’s approval of a narcissism rooted in the idea of ‘the white man’s burden’ and self-referentialism. Chazelle, 31, was once a struggling Jazz drummer at the Princeton High School and his own angst and anxieties about music have found expression earlier in the Academy winning "Whiplash" (2014). Built around the Charlie Parker myth, "Whiplash" shows how music survives reverberating through bloody fingers, abusive instructors, and emotionally wrecked genius. The success of these two films, amongst many others dealing with music, shows that people may or may not care for a particular genre of music but a cinematic narrative on it does pull at their heartstrings. This brings us to ask a question: are cinema and TV, not the white men and women, the saviours that art and music forms need? Raja Sen, film and music critic, shares that a film or TV series on a particular genre of music plays a crucial role. “Very simply, they aim for a scope that is beyond the size of the genre itself. Popular film is incredibly inclusive and tries to speak to all, which is why a film about jazz can speak to more than just those who (already) love jazz.” His views are echoed by Krish Ashok, a Chennai-based musician and columnist, who says that films are essential for reviving and sustaining classical art forms, music being one of them. “It’s difficult to get people to listen to classical music bypassing the films. Their first exposure to it is through films and the eventual dream is to make music for films. Indian film music in the 1940s and till much after that was popular form of Indian classical music. Ilayaraja and A R Rahman have been bringing classical music to laymen through their film compositions” Most films, however, are accused of playing to the gallery and diluting the purity of the genre. Is the purist right in worrying about the sanctity of the form? Ashok states emphatically that popularisation should not be seen as a threat since Classical always stays. He brings in a caveat however. “Questions regarding appropriation of cultural products while popularising them are valid to an extent. When the folk music born out of poverty and deprivation becomes club style, the contrast is stark.” Talking of the music scene in the USA, Ashok adds, “Every pop genre in the USA since the 1920s came from the blacks and yet it is the white artists who took the centre-stage. Elvis Presley became much bigger Rock n Roll icon than Chuck Berry; Eminem is bigger than his black counterparts in hip-hop and Rap.” A techie trained in Carnatic music, Ashok is gentle towards the purists’ urge to be protective towards their inherited form. However, he says that the purist wilfully ignores the impure genesis of his form while jealously guarding only the inherited finished product, “the latest update,” against corrupting influences. “In India, Carnatic and Hindustani traditions owe a lot to Western and Persian influences. Music flourishes through improvisations.” Sunanda Rao Erdem, one of the handful degree holders in Opera singing in India, is in slight disagreement here. “Improvisation cannot be a blanket saviour for all music. For example, the Western classical music has been written down by composers already. It is bound to sound the same. Nuances are dependent only on the conductors and performers who bring their personalities into the interpretation of the sheets.” She adds, “Jazz is not written down, it is passed down ear to ear. There is more scope for improvisation there. Likewise, Indian classical music is more adaptable since it allows for greater degree of experimentation while retaining its formal structure. This may be one of the reasons why Western classical music has not been able to penetrate the Indian audience.” Certainly, musicians and conductors have been personalising classical music despite the mandated strict adherence to form. Gustavo Dudamel, who conducted the iconic Vienne Philharmonic Orchestra’s New Year Concert on January 1, the youngest conductor to do so, has been reading the note-sheets through his eccentricity tinted glasses. Not yet 36, this South American conductor has managed to create ripples in the oft-perceived placid world of western classical music. By choosing Dudamel to conduct the concert this year, which happens to be a landmark one due to the 175th anniversary of the Vienna Philharmonic, the 150th birth anniversary of Empress Maria Theresa, and the 150th anniversary of the first performance of Strauss’s ‘Blue Danube,’ the western classical music establishment may have given out a strong signal. Dudamel, who has inspired "Mozart in the Jungle," an immensely popular TV series, is known for his effervescence, the kind that makes the audience at the famed Golden Hall at the Musikverein in Vienna tap its feet. The purists may have written Dudamel off for being compulsively gimmicky, his ebullient personality is a big pull for the newly interested in western classical music. His innovative ways to broaden the audience base range from collaboration with LENA (Leading European Newspapers Alliance), conducting the soundtrack for Star Wars to his commitment to community and music education. Through Youth Orchestra LA (YOLA) programme, the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra and its community partners have been providing free of cost training, instruments and mentorship to students from under-privileged backgrounds. Ashok locates Dudamel’s rise in the cyclical nature of the history of music. “If we study the history of Western Classical music over the past 100 years, we shall see that every 10-20 years one maverick comes whose genius forces people to take note of that particular genre of music.” This decade belongs to Dudamel and his innovative ways. The idea of “popification” of classical music in films also needs to be examined critically. Coming on the heels of the Baroque style, Bach and Mozart secularised music like never before. “To their contemporaries, they too were pop stars. Same with Tchaikovsky. What was once pop has now become classical. Classical music as a genre is not static; the definitions are constantly changing. Jazz was borne out of experimentation and yet seen as a serious, almost classical form,” says Ashok. This perchance explains the sentiment of protectiveness about Jazz when a film like "La La Land" seeks to capitalise on it. Rao-Erdem, a self-proclaimed purist, understands well that this overprotective attitude may not serve the cause of classical music. “Chinese opera music is a dying form. The Chinese are extremely purist in their treatment of arts. The government is trying hard to resurrect the opera tradition but lack of innovation is their biggest enemy.” She adds, “Many small orchestras in Europe have run out of business due to their inability to keep pace with the changing world around them. Maybe they needed something like Pavarotti and Friends.” New tricks are needed for a brave new world. Before the 20th century “rules of concert etiquette” made the concerts stifling and somewhat painful, listening to classical music was a full-bodied social experience. As a backlash to the mechanical production of music, live concerts attempted to retain their charm and aura by putting in place certain rules of engagement for the audience. Today, a minuscule fraction of the world population goes to classical concerts. As per a 2012 study by the National Endowment for Arts, 8.8% of Americans had attended a classical concert in the last 12 months. No wonder then that the major symphonic orchestras in the USA are facing the music. While the Philadelphia Orchestra and New York City Opera filed for bankruptcy in 2011 and 2013 respectively, other major outfits have seen strikes in the last five years. Is the purist, then, not the biggest enemy of the art it most zealously aims to protect? Ashok gives an interesting response to this. “Purists are important for the growth of music. Great art always emerges out of purism. Constraints and not absolute freedom creates it. John Cage’s 4’33” is an example of compulsive experimentation. But will it, should it, be considered a classic? It is only when there is a keenly felt need to break away that music flourishes. That need is a gift of the purist to the experimentalist.” Sen’s view of the purist is a little less charitable. “I think the purist still has the form at its purest. I see no bother in an unschooled listener getting exposed to the music through some over-accessible form of it. It can often be a gateway.” Rao-Erdem, on the other hand, stands her ground by asserting that only the presentation and not the music per se should be open to improvisation. Individual and society; tradition and individual talent et al are bound to be locked in an unrelenting scrimmage. What may benefit the purist and the experimentalist is broadening the base of the audience, aided by innovative ways of engagement. If a "La La Land" inspires some YouTube searches for “Jazz,” so be it! (WION)

Can classical music survive without shedding its obsession with purism?

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