The Bulla Effect-Part I
It was the mid-nineties; the disco brigade of the 80s had run out of steam, and cable TV was beginning to open up in India after the liberalization policies of the government. Music companies realised that a new revolution had to be created (sorry to break your bubble Ms Naïveté, revolutions in music are manufactured, they do not `occur’). Someone was required who could con millions of fools to part with their dad’s hard earned money by buying a worthless piece of plastic disc, that was as intelligent as the ones buying it. Alisha Chinai, Shweta Shetty, Sunita Rao et al all jumped onto the bandwagon. The music industry reached a crescendo around 1998, when Daler Mehndi was the next biggest thing after the internet. And then, to slightly alter a phrase, all of a sudden, all was quiet on the music front.
Circa 2001-A lesser known song from the Marathi funnyman Dada Kondke’s films with double-meaning lyrics-Dhagaalaa Laagli Kala, remixed by TImes Music sells like hot cakes. At the peak it sells something like 10,000 copies everyday, only matched by Daler Mehndi’s sales. Somewhere down the line someone realised that, wait — this could be a money spinning venture — brain-dead teens with lots of free time and money are a prized catch indeed. It’s like the town slut, if you don’t, then someone else will, then why not you? But wait. Some things had to be cleared up first. Already existing ditties? Check. Gals willing to shed their clothes? Check. The DJ? Keep the DJ, looks cool, man(with had cap turned backwards of course). Add some naked girls, garish make-up, finally garnish with brain-numbing special effects and vocal distortions; and voila we have some pseudo- blasphemic gruel that we’re gonna force down the throat of pimply teenagers in India, while slyly becoming millionaires. The corporate world is so intelligent, ain’t it?
Enter an unlikely hero. A Sardar and a guitar. Now there’s two words you don’t take in the same breath very often. The first time I saw this video was right on New Year’s Day. One of those failed artistes in US/UK, and trying to make it big here, I thought. But it wasn’t to be. I was absolutely hooked on to it from the first time I saw the video! Within a week, everyone I knew of and certainly the whole nation was singing the song. It’s a typical Sufi song which believes in no religion other than humanity, originally written by the poet- saint Bulla Shah in the 18th century. The song swings beautifully between high pitch and low pitch backed by an amazing video. Rabbi is seen to roam around with a guitar in the streets, in the markets, on the beach and in the wild. He looks at the people passing by, he looks at people who peep without expression into the camera. The translation of the somewhat indecipherable lyrics flashes on to the screen as he sings it. The video has come out spectacularly, though the style is not novel but has complimented the song as if this style was tailor made for it. Rabbi has a wonderful soulful voice which touches you right at the heart. This song and the video have been a great relief from those pathetic, run of the mill remixes being served to the public depicting all those barely clad, “ready to drop all clothes in a wink” kind of Punjabi girls, where you wonder whether sometime in the near future one could do away with other forms of pornography completely. Shashank Ghosh, the director of Waisa bhi hota hai Part II, wanted Bulla in the movie, but Rabbi refused to part with his pet song. Ghosh then replaced this song with Kailash Kher’s Allah ke bande which became a huge hit, but Rabbi, however, played a cameo role as himself in the film and sang, ahem, “Laundiya ki pallo mein”(Something that he probably doesnt want to be reminded of!). No record company was willing to take this song in, and it was in cold storage for four year. Luck shined upon him, and Mumbai-based Phat Phish records signed him for their first album, and the rest is history.
More in Part II, but next time(My ass hurts!!!)
