THOSE magical fingers inspired thousands of young Indians to take up the tabla, and his brilliance and stage persona made him a favourite among serious listeners. For years, Ustad Zakir Hussain remained not only one of the most popular artistes of his generation, but also an ambassador of Indian music on the global arena. Hussain, who passed away at 73 in San Francisco due to complications arising out of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, leaves behind a rich and magnificent legacy, and an ocean of memories. Whether one knew him personally, saw him in concert or just listened to his recordings, there was something special about the maestro. It wasn’t only in the music, but also the way he conducted himself, greeting everyone warmly irrespective of their age or status. His bouncing hair, sartorial sense and quick wit added to the aura, and his appearance in the Taj Mahal tea ad campaign made him a household name. The son of tabla legend Ustad Allarakha, Hussain represented the Punjab gharana of tabla-playing. He was born in Mumbai on March 9, 1951, and would accompany his father to concerts from a very young age. A child prodigy, he started touring when he was 12. While he initially focused on classical music, he was exposed to international sounds on his visits to the US in the late 1960s. His meeting with British guitarist John McLaughlin, violinist L. Shankar and ghatam exponent Vikku Vinayakram led to the formation of the Indo-fusion group Shakti, and he also recorded with George Harrison in the 1973 album Living In The Material World.Known to maintain a balance between traditional music and experimentation, Hussain has accompanied the who’s who of Indian classical music over the past five decades. The list includes sitar legends Pandit Ravi Shankar and Ustad Vilayat Khan, sarod masters Ustad Ali Akbar Khan and Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, santoor monarch Pandit Shivkumar Sharma, flautist Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia and vocalists Pandit Jasraj and Kishori Amonkar. He also played with Kathak doyen Pandit Birju Maharaj and thumri queen Shobha Gurtu. Hussain’s friendship with McLaughlin has lasted over 55 years. “Meeting John Ji was a pivotal moment. It was indeed the time everything changed going forward for me,” he told this writer in an interview. The two have been together over changing Shakti line-ups, besides collaborating on other albums like Making Music, also featuring Chaurasia and saxophonist Jan Garbarek. Earlier this year, the Shakti album This Moment picked up the Grammy award for Best Global Music Album, and Hussain himself won Grammys for the album As We Speak, featuring banjo player Bela Fleck, bassist Edgar Meyer and flautist Rakesh Chaurasia. Other international musicians to have partnered with Hussain include drummer Mickey Hart, saxophonists Charles Lloyd, Chris Potter and George Brooks, and bassist Dave Holland. He has also composed two concertos for the Symphony Orchestra of India – a tabla concerto and a triple concerti for tabla, sitar and flute. Another pet project was Tabla Beat Science with producer Bill Laswell, where he blended electronic flavours with tabla rhythms. He’s acted in James Ivory’s film Heat And Dust (1983) and Sai Paranjpye’s Saaz (1987), besides composing music for Aparna Sen’s Mr And Mrs Iyer in 2002. Though Hussain grew up in an era which had other great tabla players like Anindo Chatterjee, Swapan Chaudhuri, Kumar Bose and the late Shafaat Ahmed Khan, he created new audiences through his innovations and collaborations. Each year, he has given many memorable concerts in Mumbai. His appearances at the Homage to Abbaji show on February 3, the Jennifer Kapoor Birthday Concert on February 28 and the Gurupoornima event have been cherished by fans. As Hussain’s music will live on forever, his warmth and charm will be missed by all those whose lives he touched. Hussain is survived by his wife Antonia Minnecola, and daughters Anisa and Isabella Qureshi. His brothers Fazal Qureshi, who trains tabla students at the Allarakha Institute of Music in Mumbai, and Taufiq, who has mastered the djembe, carry the family tradition forward.
16 December,2024 08:10 AM IST | Mumbai | Narendra KusnurFor Sonu Sood’s Fateh, Grammy-nominated vocalist Loire Cotler, known for her work on Dune, has composed an original track titled Call to life. It was Sood who had approached the musician, a member of Hans Zimmer‘s band, to craft the track for his directorial debut. “When Sonu contacted me, I felt a sense of connection and synergy with his artistry and the storyline. In this world of technology, cybercrime is a relevant topic. He explained the scene, emotion, and rhythm, and through those conversations, I was directed into the character-sound that he was looking for,” says Cotler. Loire Cotler composed Call to life for Sonu Sood’s Cotler is no stranger to Indian music. “Even though I don’t speak the language, I feel connected with the culture and musicians of India. I have a background in singing vocal percussion [belonging to] India. I’ve been studying the drum language from India for over 20 years, and some people in the world know me more for my work in the drum language from India. My devotion to the music from India goes back several years, and knowing the language was not needed for this collaboration because it was all about the emotions. Sonu wanted me to utilise my voice and composition to [evoke] emotions. Sure, words are beautiful and powerful. But, [here] there’s space for music that’s beyond words. When we bring the intimacy of the human voice into a space [that’s not restricted] by words, we feel a deep sense of connection.” Ask her if she has any upcoming project in India, and she says, “I might wake up tomorrow and there might be something that comes my way, but I don’t have goals. I allow the universe to provide them. And then, I’m grateful for every moment.”
16 December,2024 07:45 AM IST | Mumbai | Sonia LullaDirector Ananth Mahadevan’s next, Past Tense, sees father-son Paresh Rawal and Aditya Rawal share screen space for the first time. What makes their on-screen dynamics interesting is that they play two strangers confronting each other in the human drama. The director says that he had gone to narrate the script to Paresh at home, when he met Aditya. “As I started conversing with Aditya, I realised he was the perfect fit for Past Tense. Rarely do you find an actor so sensitive to his socio-economic environment, and having cinematic sensibilities,” says Mahadevan of the actor, who was last seen in Bambai Meri Jaan (2023). Inspired by a real-life episode, Past Tense revolves around a young man, who lives with his adoptive parents and is consumed by the desire to know why his biological parents abandoned him. “The newspapers had reported about this boy, who had discovered that he was abandoned by his biological parents [and set out to find them]. The media reports didn’t go that deep, but I took it beyond the abandonment and discovery. It’s a mistake he makes because sometimes the truth can hit you so badly that you wish you had never sought it,” shares the director. While Aditya plays the protagonist, Paresh essays one of the five pivotal characters he meets on his journey. Mahadevan says the two actors had to undergo workshops to slip into their roles. “Their chemistry was intriguing to watch. They had to shed the father-son mindset. Since it was the first time they were acting together, it must have taken them a lot of energy to assume their volatile parts.” The film also stars Adil Hussain and Sharib Hashmi.
16 December,2024 07:42 AM IST | Mumbai | Upala KBRIn October, the makers of Mirzapur did something that hadn’t been done before in Indian entertainment—they decided to turn their popular web series into a movie. The gamble appears to have paid off. Fans are eagerly awaiting Mirzapur—The Film, ready to see Pankaj Tripathi, Ali Fazal, Divyenndu and Abhishek Banerjee’s characters create mayhem on the big screen. Why now, after three successful seasons? That’s where we start our chat with Fazal, who will reprise his role of Guddu bhaiyya in the Gurmmeet Singh-directed film. “The idea is to take it to the people whose story it is. There are many who aren’t fully tuned into OTT,” he reasons. Creator Puneet Krishnan’s crime drama, which premièred in 2017, depicts the power tussle between gangs in Uttar Pradesh, with Tripathi’s Kaleen bhaiyya’s domination challenged by Fazal’s Guddu bhaiyya. Fazal believes it resonated with the audience because it was one of the few series telling stories of the soil. “We talk so much about stories of the grassroots, but we don’t make them well. This is that one story. It connects with people because it could be a story from your neighbourhood, of people who have been pushed to the wall. This was the first time OTT dived into the depths of our country. Films did that a lot in the ’90s, but Mirzapur connected viewers with the people from the nooks and alleys of the country. It filled up a void [that had opened up] in the decade before that,” he states. Fazal points out that his ‘angry young man’ role has been inspired by the heroes of the ’80s. “The angry young man always starts with being unaware of the workings of society, but [feels] the trickle effect of power as it is always felt first by the lowest of the lows. Mirzapur is an extreme version of that, with two brothers in college deciding to break that trap of status. Guddu bhaiyya’s swagger is a front that stems from the desperation of our youth, who want to be seen. Mirzapur talks to young men and women, who want to be validated by their parents and society.” He still considers it a stroke of luck to be selected for the role, considering he had done light-hearted roles in Fukrey and Happy Bhag Jayegi (2016) until then. “I don’t know how I was the choice for this character, who is nothing like me,” he grins.
16 December,2024 07:36 AM IST | Mumbai | Mohar BasuTabla maestro Zakir Hussain died at a hospital in San Francisco, his family said on Monday. Hussain died due to complications arising out of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, the family said in a statement. He was 73. He had been hospitalised for the last two weeks and was later taken to the ICU after his condition deteriorated. Hussain, who is regarded as the greatest tabla player of his generation, is survived by his wife, Antonia Minnecola and his daughters, Anisa Qureshi and Isabella Qureshi. Born on March 9, 1951, he is the son of legendary tabla master Ustad Alla Rakha. "He leaves behind an extraordinary legacy cherished by countless music lovers around the globe, with an influence that will resonate for generations to come," the statement read. In his career spanning six decades, the musician worked with several renowned international and Indian artistes, but it was his 1973 musical project with English guitarist John McLaughlin, violinist L Shankar, and percussionist TH 'Vikku' Vinayakram that brought together Indian classical and elements of jazz in a fusion hitherto unknown. Starting early at the age of seven, he went on to collaborate with virtually all of India's iconic performers, including Ravi Shankar, Ali Akbar Khan and Shivkumar Sharma in his career. His groundbreaking work with Western musicians such as Yo-Yo Ma, Charles Lloyd, Béla Fleck, Edgar Meyer, Mickey Hart, and George Harrison brought Indian classical music to an international audience, cementing his status as a global cultural ambassador. Hussain has received four Grammy Awards in his career, including three at the 66th Grammy Awards earlier this year. The percussionist, one of India's most celebrated classical musicians, received the Padma Shri in 1988, the Padma Bhushan in 2002, and the Padma Vibhushan in 2023. Messages of condolence poured in on social media as the news of Hussain's demise spread. Grammy winner musician Ricky Kej remembered Hussain for his "immense humility, approachable nature". "One of the greatest musicians and personalities India has ever produced. Along with being the best himself, Zakirji was known for...being responsible for the careers of numerous musicians, who are now forces to reckon with themselves. He was a treasure trove of skill and knowledge and always shared and encouraged the entire music community through collaborations and his actions. His legacy will live on forever, and his influence will be felt for generations. He left us too soon," Kej wrote on X. American drummer Nate Smith thanked Hussain for "all of the music you gave us". Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi paid tributes to the "irreplaceable legend" "The world of music will be lesser without Tabla Maestro Ustad Zakir Hussain. Heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and his fans all around the world. My prayers, Om Shanti," she wrote in a post on X. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
16 December,2024 07:27 AM IST | New Delhi | PTIRecently, Aamir Khan announced that Sitaare Zameen Par, which was to originally release this December, was being pushed to 2025. On Sunday, the superstar reported to the Film City set for the last portion of the RS Prasanna-directed venture. Sources tell us that it was a patch shoot. “It was a day-long shoot that started at 2 pm and went on till night. Aamir wanted to make sure that the film was wrapped up on Sunday. With the shoot done, Sitaare Zameen Par has now reached the finish line. Aamir and Prasanna will now shift their focus to post-production, which will include extensive editing, visual effects, and sound design,” shares a source. RS Prasanna A spiritual sequel to Taare Zameen Par (2007), Sitaare Zameen Par is an official adaptation of the Spanish sports comedy, Campeones (2018), and stars Genelia Deshmukh and Darsheel Safary alongside Khan. It has been heard that the superstar is now aiming for a summer 2025 release and intends to conduct focus-group screenings in February. The insider adds, “Aamir is known for his meticulous approach to filmmaking and often runs focus-group screenings. This process is integral to his style of fine-tuning the narrative based on the audience’s feedback. He had done it with Dangal [2016] and Secret Superstar [2017] too. The team will start working on the final edit to enable Aamir to show it to focus groups by February.”
16 December,2024 07:25 AM IST | Mumbai | Mohar BasuMurder and mind games, again Raise your hand if you had wished for a sequel to Badla (2019). Well, we weren’t the only ones; it turns out Taapsee Pannu did too. Now, the actor, who led director Sujoy Ghosh’s razor-sharp mystery thriller along with Amitabh Bachchan, has hinted at a possible second instalment. At a recent event, Taapsee acknowledged that several of her films have the potential for a second part. “People especially expect a second part of Badla because of the way it ended. Sujoy and I talk about it quite often. Ab dekhte hai unke dimaag mein kab idea aata hai,” she said. Will Sujoy develop an original follow-up story to Badla, which was an adaptation of the Spanish film, The Invisible Guest (2016)? Here’s hoping! See you in summer The makers of Anushka Shetty’s Ghaati announced that the film is set to release on April 18, 2025. This announcement was made through a video featuring Anushka, director Krish Jagarlamudi, and the producers. The release date poster showcases the leading lady in a fierce avatar, wearing a black saree, with blood running down her face. It is the second collaboration between Anushka and the director, following the success of their blockbuster Vedam (2010). Ghaati will be released across multiple languages, including Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, and Hindi. More Masti for you There are sequels we want, and then there are sequels we get. On Sunday, the fourth edition of the Masti franchise, starring Riteish Deshmukh, Vivek Oberoi and Aftab Shivdasani, went on floors. Aftab made the announcement on Instagram, with a series of pictures, and a video featuring director Milap Zaveri and Riteish. Masti (2004) was a sex comedy directed by Indra Kumar and starred Ajay Devgn alongside the trio. It was followed by Grand Masti (2013) and Great Grand Masti (2016). Celebrating the legend Shyam Benegal turned 90 on Saturday. While the filmmaker doesn’t believe in celebrating birthdays, his actors wouldn’t let him get away easily. Naseeruddin Shah, Shabana Azmi, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Rajit Kapoor, and Divya Dutta came together to celebrate the director, who made Hindi cinema richer with gems such as Ankur (1974) and Manthan (1976). The show goes on The Raj Kapoor Film Festival, which was to conclude yesterday, has been extended due to public demand. On Sunday, the Film Heritage Foundation announced that the retrospective, celebrating the 100th birth anniversary of the showman, will continue till December 19. Fans of the legendary actor-filmmaker can watch some of his finest creations, including Awaara (1951), Shree 420 (1955), Sangam (1964), Mera Naam Joker (1970) and Bobby (1973), at select theatres. On December 13, a day before the showman’s birth anniversary, the Kapoor clan kicked off the festival with a grand celebration that saw the film industry turn up in full force.
16 December,2024 07:12 AM IST | Mumbai | The Hitlist TeamWHILE social media and news channels were rife with rumours of tabla maestro Zakir Hussain's passing on Sunday night, his family has categorically denied it to mid-day. Earlier in the evening, news of him being admitted to the ICU of a San Francisco hospital with heart related problems was confirmed by friend and flautist Rakesh Chaurasia. Hussain’s sister, Khurshid Aulia told mid-day, "The news of his passing away is false. He is very much alive, but he is in very, very critical condition." As of as of 23:50 IST Sunday, Aulia told mid-day that Hussain’s wife has said that if anything happens to him or he passes away, she will put out a statement. But until he is breathing, they won’t say anything. Aulia added, "We request people to pray for him in this difficult time because he is a star of the world and a genius. He is my brother." The 73-year-old US-based musician, who has taken the tabla to the global stage, had been having blood pressure issues, added Hussain’s manager Nirmala Bachani. "He has been admitted to a hospital in San Francisco for a heart related problem for the last two weeks," Bachani said. "He is unwell and admitted in the ICU right now. We all are worried about the situation," Chaurasia told PTI. The eldest son of legendary tabla player Allah Rakha, Hussain has followed in the foot-steps of his father, becoming a marquee name in India and across the world.
16 December,2024 12:00 AM IST | Mumbai | Priyanka SharmaRenowned tabla maestro Ustad Zakir Hussain is reportedly facing serious health issues and has been admitted to a hospital in San Francisco. According to reports, he is undergoing treatment for a critical condition, though further confirmation and updates on his health are awaited. Ustad Zakir Hussain is the son of the legendary tabla player Ustad Allah Rakha. The celebrated musician recently won three awards at the 66th Grammy Awards held in the United States. He received the prestigious award in the 'Best Global Music Performance' category for his work on 'Pashto'.Earlier, Ustad Zakir Hussain, along with Bela Fleck, Edgar Meyer, and Rakesh Chaurasia, announced the 'As We Speak' India tour. Scheduled for January 2025, the tour promises to captivate audiences with a fusion of diverse musical influences. These outstanding artists, all Grammy Award winners, collectively boast 31 prestigious accolades, including two for their 2023 album As We Speak.The multi-city tour is being organised by Perfect Harmony Productions in collaboration with Panache Media. Performances will take place in cities including Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Mumbai, and New Delhi.
15 December,2024 10:33 PM IST | Mumbai | ANIDiljit Dosanjh is ruling the hearts and how! The actor-singer performed in Chandigarh last night, and it was a whole different vibe with the entire area dancing to Diljit’s beats. Now, as clips from outside the venue go viral on social media, Diljit’s Chamkila director, Imtiaz Ali, has the sweetest reaction to the videos. Imtiaz Ali took to Instagram and shared multiple stories showing the situation both outside and inside the venue. Imtiaz Ali believes Diljit is ‘recreating Chamkila’ The first reel that Imtiaz shared on his story shows people climbing trees to watch the Punjabi sensation perform live. While sharing the clip of fans going crazy, Imtiaz Ali termed the madness as the "Diljit effect" and stated that he is "recreating Chamkila." Meanwhile, the next story shows people dancing outside the venue as they groove to Diljit’s beats. The third story features Diljit performing a song from his recently released film Chamkila, with the caption "Chamkila in Chandigarh" written on it. Diljit Dosanjh's craze is making fans go wild. Every city he performs in has fans elated by his aura and presence. He has made many fans happy by helping them propose or by giving them his jacket or gloves. Diljit’s videos after every concert make fans love him even more. The singer never shies away from calling out people in his own way. Meanwhile, before Diljit’s show, the Chandigarh Commission for Protection of Child Rights (CCPCR) issued an advisory urging him to avoid performing alcohol-themed songs during his live performance. The advisory, issued by CCPCR chairperson Shipra Bansal on Thursday, specifically referenced songs such as Patiala Peg, 5 Tara, and Case, cautioning against performing even modified versions that promote alcohol, drugs, or violence. Diljit Dosanjh’s work front On the acting front, Diljit is all set to star in the upcoming movie Border 2, where he will be seen alongside Sunny Deol and Varun Dhawan. The film, based on the historic Battle of Longewala, is set to begin shooting in November. Meanwhile, Diljit Dosanjh’s Dil-Luminati Tour will continue with performances in Mumbai (December 19), and Guwahati (December 29).
15 December,2024 04:34 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentTaapsee Pannu married her longtime boyfriend Mathias Boe in an intimate ceremony held at Udaipur on 23rd March 2024. Only a few selected family and friends were invited to the intimate affair. Anurag Kashyap, Pavail Gulati, and Kanika Dhillon were amongst the few celebrities who attended the couple's wedding.The two had met each other 10-11 years ago and love had blossomed immediately. Mathias proposed to Taapsee a year after they had met. Once, Taapsee had also mentioned that she used to meet Mathias in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, they met there for the first time as well. In a recent interview, Taapsee revealed details about her wedding. Taapsee Pannu wants a clear distinction between personal and professional lives During the conversation, Taapsee Pannu emphasised that she and her husband Mathias want to have a clear demarcation between their professional and personal lives. She further mentioned that in her experience, excessive exposure to personal life in professional life can negatively impact both spheres and she has always tried to maintain a balance. She said, "The successes and failures of one's career often spill over into personal life, causing unnecessary stress. I've always strived to maintain a balance between the two." Taapsee Pannu reveals the real date of her wedding with Mathias Boe Taapsee Pannu said that the intimate wedding ceremony they had in Udaipur in March was sort of a formal announcement of their marriage as people were not aware. She further said that she had tied the knot with Mathias Boe in December 2023. She mentioned that her first wedding anniversary is approaching soon. Taapsee further said that in December they had just signed the papers. Taapsee also said, "If I hadn't mentioned it today, no one would have known." Mathias Boe is a former Danish badminton player and currently, he is the coach of India's powerful shuttler duo Chirag Shetty and Satwik Ranki Reddy.Whereas talking about Taapsee's work front, she had two releases this year, 'Phir Aayi Hasseen Dillruba' and 'Khel Khel Mein'. Taapsee reprised her role of Rani in the former and it was well received by the audience. The latter flailed despite having an ensemble cast.
15 December,2024 02:46 PM IST | Mumbai | Divya KhuranaADVERTISEMENT
