Known as the Rhythm King, O. P. Nayyar was a prominent music director in Bollywood’s Golden era.  He was known for his experimental style in music. Not only did he work with some of the iconic singers of his era, but also bagged the 1958 Filmfare Award for Best Music Director.

Omkar Prakash Nayyar is recognized for his unusual rhythmic creations. His melodies might defy the conventional rules of music of that era, but honestly, he was just ahead of his time. His songs had a rarity about them and people loved it. In fact, producers had to put his name in the banners for films.

Nayyar was born in Lahore, pre-independent British India on the 16^th of January in 1926. He wasn’t trained in music, simply fascinated by it. He left his home to pursue a career as a music composer and got his first break composing the background score for Kaneez (1949).

His unusual patterns were mostly included fusions of Punjabi spirit with influences from western music. In fact, you could listen to his song, “Aaiye Meherban Baithiye Jaanejaa” featuring Madhubala. The opening notes will prove Nayyar’s originality when it came to beat patterns.

But not just patterns, Nayyar also brought life into the music. “Pukarta Chal Hun Mai” gives nostalgia while “Ae Dil Hai Mushkil Jeena Yahan” will make you cry. Some of his other memorable songs include, “Isharon Isharon Mai” from Kashmir Ki Kali”, “Yeh Hai Bambai Meri Jaan” from CID, “Babuji Dheere Chalna” from Aar Paar.

While he did work with many notable singers from the Golden era of Bollywood, he never worked with Lata Mangeshkar. Rather his list of preferred singers included Geeta Dutt, Asha Bhosle and Mohammad Rafi.

Nayyar was truly a blessing to the Hindi Film Industry.

“The day I become conventional, something inside me will die,” were the words of Irrfan Khan. And true to his words, he remains one of the finest actors in the industry, known for his talent. He had the ability to truly become the character he’s playing. He will never be your conventional Bollywood Star. For he was never a star, he was a genuine actor above all.

Sometimes we fail to acknowledge the truth of the film industry. Every expectation that actors and actresses have to achieve, set by society. The six-pack and attractive physique, the connections which have become a necessity to be successful – it’s all real. And something Irrfan Khan did not have. Yet he, a so-called supporting actor has delivered beyond brilliant performances for all the lead roles he’s played. And it is solely because of his talent and hard work, that he rose to stardom as he did.

Irrfan Khan was born into a Muslim family of Pathans in Rajasthan. In fact, his interest in acting sprouted under his maternal uncle’s influence who was a theatre artist. After completing his Masters in Jaipur, he enrolled himself into the National School of Drama despite his parents’ disapproval. His initial years in the industry were challenging. All through diploma films, television serial amongst other things, he has struggled in his life.

His first successful film was Maqbool in 2003. Next, his villainous role in ‘Haasil’ got him a Filmfare Award. In 2007, his role in ‘Life in A Metro’ was highly impressive. His next hits in Bollywood included Paan Singh Tomar, The Lunchbox, Piku and Hindi Medium. He is well-known even in the western industry having acted in international films like The Amazing Spider-Man, Life of Pi and Slumdog Millionaire.

Irrfan Khan will live on forever, for legends never die.

Dance is perhaps the most natural expression known to mankind. It’s simple to understand and at the very least, simple to do too. Just let your body loose and the rhythm gods guide you to new realms of happiness. That is the simple essence of it. Just move and the rest will take care of itself. 

This year may not have given us many reasons to dance and celebrate, but we must be grateful. Grateful to be in a world which is so instantly connected and accessible. Many artists and performers have done their level best to bring themselves to us in our time of need. The events of this year will surely give many future students a hard time in their history exams, so we need to do our best to leave them with a worthy souvenir. And so, we proudly bring to you five dance performances that we simply couldn’t resist. 

1. O re piya- Naina Batra

Watching this gives the same feeling as that of peaceful meditation. The graceful Kathak moves of Naina Batra, Radhika Kalra and Juhi Mehta wonderfully captured each beat. Of course, to perform to such a well-known song is a challenge, but they aced it. It’s a true ode to the culture of India.

2. Kannanule- Lavanya Tripathi and Umang Gupta

This dance cover stunningly employs clever photography and locations to highlight the moves of Lavanya Tripathi and Umang Gupta. The duo has been dancing for a long time and become pretty successful in the field. And the colours in this video only add to its charm! A must watch.

3. Illegal Weapon 2- Deepak Tulsyan

And now for a more modern and contemporary feel, we have these amazing children led by their teacher. This performance is one that is bound to get your feet tapping and the sheer talent in these performers is remarkable of course.

4. 52 Gaj ka Daman- Kashika Sisodia

With over 12M+ views, this performance is as enthusiastic as the song it is based on. Kashika Sisodia lets herself go in the beats and lets the music guide her. It’s a fun watch for anybody who’s looking to add extra energy into their lives. 

5. Mona Kon Bakhor- Sumi Borah

This delightful performance marries tradition with modernity. The scenic beauty of both the landscape and the performer makes it an unforgettable experience. Dance is all about expression and she brings it in spades. Have fun!

That’s a wrap! Happy New Year to All! Here’s looking towards a better tomorrow. 

The power of music explodes on many levels, it soothes the ears, calms the mind and heals the soul. This year, we all needed that more than ever before. Listeners craved for something which could get them through endless hours of struggle and discontent. And we are proud to say that all Indian Artists definitely delivered. Many of them went discovered new creative outlets and added whole new dimensions to their music. IIn the end, it helped in solidifying the belief that we may come and leave, but art perseveres. Art is essential. 

While 2020 may forever remain a painful spot in our memories, it also gave us a chance to look at the silver linings. An exodus of artists, both upcoming and established gave us tunes that we can never forget. But don’t worry, if you couldn’t get the chance to listen to them, we have brought you a fun list to take you back! Better Late Than Never, Right?

1. Zara Zara Behekta Hai-Jalraj

In this era of cheesy remakes and reused talent, it is a rarity to find a piece which provides an entirely novel experience to a fan-favourite song. JalRaj did this brilliantly with a superb male version of the popular song ‘Zara Zara Behekta Hai’ From the Feature film ‘Rehna Hai Tere Dil Mein’. And, It is the highest viewed music cover of this year and quite rightfully so!

2. Roja Jaaneman/Kaadhal Rojave- Nandini Shankar and Mahesh Raghvan

With a fantastic blend of Instruments, Nandini and Mahesh released this two-minute-long cover of the evergreen song ‘Roja Jaaneman’. Its production quality, matched with the ambience it created is one-of-a-kind. Truly Brilliant! The Cinematic feeling it inspires is enough to transport you to your ‘happy place’.

3. Audience Choice Mashup Part 2- Get Nithyafied

Now, this is something unexpectedly brilliant. Being Indian usually entails that any average person could be bilingual. Now imagine singing in 13 languages. Nithyashree has done this not once, but twice! In the second part to her Audience Choice Mashup, she gloriously sings a mashup of 15 different songs. Extraordinary!

4. Zara Zara (Bengali Version)- sayAn

Did I mention that some songs are just immortal? This is definitely one of them. sayAN brought us a remarkable cover of this beloved tune. The twist? It’s in the beautiful Bengali language. In three-minutes, every Indian no matter where they hail from will feel like the proudest Bengali. Don’t miss it!

5. Lemonade- Sanjana Devarajan

From her EP ‘mood’, ‘Lemonade’ just goes to show how flexible Indian Music really is. There is simply no boxing the immense talent in Sanjana Devarajan. Reminiscent of the good old 90s English Pop, the song is catchy and peppy. Sanjana is an upcoming artist who is sure to leave her indelible mark on the Indian Landscape!

That’s it for the Melodious Recap Folks! Stay Tuned.

From the days when jesters entertained the regent to the present when they can be reached by the click of a button; comedy certainly has come a long way. The Indian landscape witnessed a meteoric rise in more and more comedians making it to the scene. The Internet including streaming services have contributed a lot to this. Many comics are now household names in our country, with their clips being shared in countless Whatsapp groups and family gatherings.

This year has proven to be a real test for the comedian. How does one intice laughter with so much despair around? How does one cater to the gnawing need of laughter especially when they are heightened in these dark days? These five brilliant Indian comedians have succeeded in adding a tinge of humour into our sullen lives. The following videos were some of the most viewed ones this year. 

1. Anubhav Singh Bassi

In this massively popular set, Bassi shares some classic hostel-life anecdotes which go seamlessly throughout the video. Shenanigans and antics abound this one will get you cracking like nothing else.

2. Zakir Khan

A well-known name, Zakir delivered flawlessly once again. In this clip, he talks about his group of friends and how they would make even going to hell interesting. With over 10M views, this is unmissable

3. Harsh Gujral

With a fun and holistic outlook on his hometown of Kanpur, Gujral brought us some of the most socially-driven funny comedy. It takes a real champ to weave in social messages with humour and do it in style! 

4. Rahul Subramanian

Interaction is never easy, to hit the right spot and keep it going is key. Thankfully for us, Rahul Subramanian is simply amazing at that. Working through a Bangalore crowd provided some delightful moments of unrehearsed fun. It reminds us of togetherness and playfulness.

5. Aakash Gupta

Another gem from India, Aakash Gupta made all our funnybones tingle with his hilarious set on Junior College and Life as a student. Enjoy!