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CINEMA 14BOLLYWOOD & BEYOND THE TIMES OF INDIA

The Crest Edition

ROBIN ROY

Mera gaan, mere mujik

aaur public ka peyar

bahut mila. Bahut mila.

Bappida chirodiner hain.

(I have received a lot of

love from the public. Bap-

pida is forever.) If you know anything of

the overblown Bappi Lahiri persona of the

80s you will not be surprised by the fact

that he refers to himself by his own name.

Or that 20 years after his biggest hit he

sees himself as the eternal beloved of the

movie going public.

The 80s are back with a vengeance in

Bollywood and in ad creatives and

Bappi has regained some of his glory.Him-

matwalas version 2 features two of his

biggest hits from the original Taki taki

andNainon mein sapna. And before thatthere was Oo lala from The Dirty Picture.

Milan Luthria, who used Bappi in Taxi

No. 9211, and his retro-centric films,

Once Upon A Time In MumbaiandDirty

Picture, compares Bappi to Sunil

Gavaskar he has, says the director, the

same ability to reinvent himself in any

age. Bappis bouncy Oo lala, a typical

South studio Hindi film song shot amid

ridiculously exaggerated sets, worked

wonderfully.

In Taxi No. 9211, we gave him that

songBombai nagaria. It was just instinct.

We just wanted to have fun in the song. He

is an ageless talent. His voice has a unique

pitch, it brings a smile to your face. And he

has proved himself as a great composer

over the decades. That kind of talent never

goes away. He finished singing Oo lala in

flat 15 minutes. Can you imagine that?

asks Luthria rhetorically.

That Bappi continues to be saleable

while his contemporaries faded away long

ago should be an indicator of both the

goodwill he enjoys in Bollywood as well

his easy adaptability. Bappida is a man

without any malice. I know him inside

out and one cannot serve music with a

corrupt mind. He struck a chord with

Chalte Chalte and his career is still

strong after 40 years. He is saleable come

what may, says music composer Pritam.

Bappi points out that he has been in

Mumbai since he turned 19. Today, 500films and 40 years later, he knows the needs

of the industry like the back of his hand.

Indian music in general and Bollywood in

particular has been my home. My first work

wasNanha Shikari(1973). But the turning

point came with Tahir HussainsZakhmee

(1975), for which I composed music and

doubled as a playback singer.

Bappi bloomed with the arrival of the

disco zamana. He managed to become the

perfect musical fit for the typical Mithun

Chakraborty dance flick. The two together

became the face of the 80s disco mania

which is enjoying a revival of sorts in filmsand clubs today. If you talk about retro

music in Bollywood, two things appear

clearly to you Bappida and Mithunda.

The beats and jhankars of numerous films

and the dance steps of Mithunda these

memories will always be there. Retro music

in Hindi films cannot be discussed without

mentioning Bappida, says singer Babul

Supriyo. Bappida got pop and filmy music

closer to each other. His voice still sells and

he has maintained his style. His hunger and

passion have sustained his long career,

says music director Shantanu Moitra.

Bappi himself is very excited about his

second life in Bollywood. Remember the

Oo lala, oo lala number? he asks over

the phone. In his excitement at dis-

cussing the song, he almost starts croon-

ing. Since that song, he has also done one

forSpecial 26(Dhar pakadcomposed by

M M Kreem),Jolly LLB (Law lag gayee,

Krsna) and of course,Himmatwala.

Bappida has bounced back, he declares

in inimitable Bappispeak.

The composer is willing to look back

and analyse his slide. I had a great time

in the late 70s and the 80s belonged to

me. Things went slightly awry in 2000

and a few years after that. There was a

time between 2000 and 2007 when onefilm had two-three music directors. I

found it difficult to cope with that situa-

tion. However, I carried on with my songs

and albums, he reminisces.

In the intervening years, Bappi kept

himself busy. He sang for A R Rehman inGuru (Ek lo ek muftwith Chitra). His 1989

albumHabibaandBappi Magic The Asli

Baap Mix (2004), featuring his hits such asGori hai kalaiyan andJimmy Jimmy, did

well in the market.In 2005, he composed

the background score for art director Jahnu

BaruasMaine Gandhi Ko Nahin Maara.

If you ask him why he clicks across

decades he answers you with the titles of

his hit songs. I sang a song in the film

with Mohammed Rafi and Kishore Kumar:

Nothing is impossible (Zakhmee). Thats

your answer, my friend! Also you can find

your answer in another song of mine,Kabhi alvida na kehna (Chalte Chalte).

MEENAKSHI SINHA

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

It kicked off withMughal-e-Azam a few

years ago. Then cameHum Dono and

Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro. Chashme Bud-

dooris the latest, and will soon be fol-

lowed byRaja Harischandra, Guide,DoBigha Zameen,Pyaasa,Kagaz Ke Phool

andAgneepath. Hindi cinema is clearly

riding a nostalgia wave by digitising and

re-releasing old classics. These films are ei-

ther being coloured (if they were black and

white to begin with) or having their quali-

ty (sound, picture) significantly enhanced.

Besides, for many old gems rotting away in

musty vaults, this trend may also be a mat-

ter of life or celluloid death.

Sai Paranjpyes Chashme Buddooris a

good example. Last week, a specially re-

mastered edition released 30 years after it

first hit screens. Incidentally, its remake(directed by David Dhawan) also made it to

multiplexes on the same day.

So whats with this rush for digitisa-

tion? The intersection of smart economics

and nostalgia apparently. Many classics

have high recall value (which is largely

why some get remade) and elicit immedi-

ate reactions, always a marketers delight.

And for most film buffs, a re-release is seen

as a chance for younger generations to

share a special experience on the big

screen with older folk looking to relive

fond memories.

The process of restoring original nega-

tives (see box) makes these films a good

prospect for further DVD release and mak-

ing money from the long tail of film distri-

bution. My films negatives were in tat-

ters. Since the film was made 30 years ago

it was in bad condition. Digitisation helped

restore its negatives and made it more vi-

able for DVD sales, says director Kundan

Shah, whose cult classicJaane Bhi Do

Yaaro (1983) was re-released in 2012 by

National Film Development Corporation

(NFDC) in association with PVR Cinemas.

For Jayshree Makhija, sister of the late

Gul Anand Chashme Buddoors original

producer restoration became necessary

about five years ago. UnlikeHero Hiralal

(1988) andJalwa (1987), whose prints

have been completely destroyed, I realised

that Chashme Buddoorcan be salvaged

given the resources.

So, despite Paranjpyes resentment of

the Dhawan remake, Makhija sought to

raise funds under the guidance of industry

veteran Krishna Shetty. Soon, cinematog-

raphers like Virendra Saini (who shot the

original movie) and Hiroo Keswani joined

Makhija and supervised the restoration

process free of charge. These are people

who are passionate about the film and did

it for the love of cinema, says Makhija,

who adds that the films lead actress,

Deepti Naval, was very pleased with the re-

sults. Deepti said that youve given us a

gift, says Makhija.

NFDC plays a key role in digitisation

and has restored about 87 films, both re-

gional and Hindi. These films have been

restored and digitised in all formats 2K

(highest resolution), HD (for satellite) DCI

(digital cinema) and standard definition,

says Vikramjit Roy, general manager, pro-

duction and marketing, NFDC.

NFDC has also begun the process of

offering these films across the value chain:

in theatrical, home video, television and

digital platforms. We releasedJaane Bhi

Do Yaaron theatrically on November 2,

2012 and recently,Salaam Bombay

(March 2013). Further, under the brand

Cinemas of India, weve created a market

for our catalogue through the DVD format.

We are now exploring the opportunity to

take these titles across television and video

on demand (VoD) platforms, says Roy.

While some argue that the tepid box of-

fice response to such digital re-releases

militates against the trend, people like

Makhija believe that restoration is vital to

preserving old classics, the cultural arte-

facts that they are. I do not have a target

audience and dont know whether the

youth will like my film or not. But such

films are going to be colourful, interactive

and stay with you because they are about

an era. Its the wow factor of Indian cine-

ma, says Makhija, as she mentions a long

list of films that need restoration starting

with Satyajit RaysShatranj Ke Khiladi.

Roy agrees and claims that NFDCs

digitised titles have fared rather well in the

market. The fact that we have released 50-

plus films on home video, all of which are

classics, reiterates our commitment to

showcase old favourites to contemporary

audiences, he says.

Its a sentiment many an Indian film-

lover is likely to appreciate.

How does a music composer stay

relevant in Bollywood for over four

decades? Bappi Lahiri has some answers,

delivered with typical bombast

If you talk about retromusic in Bollywood, twothings appear clearly Bappida and Mithunda.Retro music in Hindi filmscannot be discussedwithout mentioningBappida, says singerBabul Supriyo

IN TUNE WITHTHE TIMES:That Bappicontinues tosurvive while hiscontemporarieshave faded awayindicates both thegoodwill he enjoysin Bollywood as wellas his ability toadapt himself

Step 1 | Finding the source material of

the film and sound negatives, as well as

inter-negatives. Films may also be on

tapes, cassettes, etc

Step 2 | Ultra Cleaning Process, where

this source is carefully cleaned

Step 3 | The material is scanned

Step 4 | Defects are carefully identified

and corrected

Step 5 | Digital and manual restorationprocess begins simultaneously, done

frame by frame

Step 6 | Colour correction and grading.

At this stage the cinematographer and

director of the film get involved in the

grading process. They also check the

restored film for changes

G Sound restoration for the film is

done separately

G Once both processes are completed

the picture and sound are matched and

transferred to different formats

G The cost of digitisation for one film

is around Rs 5 lakh. The process takes

3-4 weeks

G The cost of restoration is around

Rs 15 lakh, which includes both picture

and sound correction. Restoration may

take 2-6 months, depending on the

process required due to the quality of

the source material

PIC OF THE CROP: DIGITISING OLD MOVIES

BAPPISPEAK

Getting the big pixelDigitising old Indian films for re-release is a trend that appears

to have caught on. It may also help preserve old classics

Sermon For Gen X:

If you are into music, make it your passion,

not a fashion. Fame and paisa will follow.

What keeps Bappida ticking:

My style, simplicity and my ability to

understand the pulse have made me so

relevant for the past 40 years. When I

was not giving music, I sang for other

music directors and that too gave me

fame and satisfaction. I never felt low or

down and this never-say-die attitude, I

suppose, saw me through.

Past versus present:

All ages have their own charm. There is

nothing wrong with this age. In every

zamana, there have been greats. The only

thing is that, in the past we did thingsdil

se, today, everything is so mechanical

I have fond memories of utilising the

services of 100 musicians on a single

floor for Lataji and Kishoreda at a live

concert. Those days and that era will

never return.

FAVOURITE FIVE

Lata Mangeshkar

Asha Bhonsle

Kishore Kumar

Mohd Rafi

Kumar Sanu

FAVOURITE SONGS

A R Rehmans Dil se (title track)

Kal ho na ho

Chalte chalte

These films are eitherbeing coloured (if theywere black and white) orhaving their sound andpicture qualitysignificantly enhanced

SLICE OF OLD: Digitisation also makes for smart economics. Hum Dono (above) and theoriginal Chashme Buddoor (below left) have both been digitised and re-released

RETROKING