Keeping old Hindi melodies alive
If you are in a mood for some retro Hindi music then head to Kaviko auditorium in Mylapore on June 29 at 4 p.m. There are no tickets for this show. A motley bunch of music enthusiastic promise to make it a nostalgia fest for lovers of old Hindi songs. Lata Mangeshkar and Mohammed Rafi's melodious presentation of love in Saaz e dil chhed de from Passport will be the highlight of the evening.
Twenty passionate singers make up ShreeDhwani, a music group that meets to rewind to good old Hindi songs. It started in 2013 when Mohan Krishnan and V. Sivasubramaniam met at a friend's son's wedding reception. The host wanted some old Hindi melodies to be sung and this music journey began with fanfare but quiet determination.
'The two of us managed to sing for close to three hours as requests after requests poured in from guests. That is when we thought: why not bring like-minded people together?' says Mohan Krishnan, who retired as general manager from Reserve Bank of India.
In the initial years, the group would rent an auditorium for the performances. (Now, they meet at a school)
ShreeDhwani continued without any hindrances until the pandemic, when the routine was disrupted.
In 2023, ShreeDhwani was revived with a renewed focus.
'The coming event is special as it is the first anniversary of ShreeDwani 2.0,' says Mohan, who has a database of 500 songs and also anchors along with singing. Since this year, the group has started raising funds for a cause. The proceeds from the February show was given to Dignity Foundation's Dementia Day Care Centre. 'So far we have not raised funds through sale of tickets but we get sponsors. We plan to raise funds for old age homes and organisations working towards autism awareness,' says Mohan, a resident of RA Puram and a professional storyteller.
Legendary singers
Renditions of songs by Hemant Kumar, Mukesh, Kishore Kumar, Asha Bhosle and Geeta Dutt feature in the performances. Among themes based on musicians include an RD Burman show, artistes from Bengal and Mohammed Rafi (two events are held a year in his memory).
The eclectic mix of the group makes the performance rich. 'We would have met either at a performance or on a common platform, and most of us are either retired or reaching retirement,' says Mohan, adding that they take karaoke support.
There is Badrinarayana who retired from the Indian Institute of Fashion Technology; Sukanya, a student of Carnatic musician M.L. Vasanthakumari; Neeta, a medical administration professional; and Vishwa Padmanabhan, a practising chartered accountant.
A. Surya Narayana Rao, an octogenarian and correspondent of Jawahar Vidyalaya Schools, and a connoisseur of music, gives the team infrastructure support by offering a space at the school at no cost.
Sixty-two-year-old V. Sivasubramaniam says there is so much learning and sharing in the group and that makes every event special. 'I was not well-versed in Hindi when I started singing. I had the lines written in English. It was Mohan who mentored most of us,' says the cost accountant who retired from the Southern Railway.
Sheettal Rayathatha, a storyteller-cum-psychologist, who is taking part for the second time, says the motivation that she got from the group when she sang her first song was a big moral booster to join the platform and quench her thirst for Hindi melodies.
To connect with the group members, call 9840322236/ 8610888056/ 9840091290
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
5 hours ago
- Time of India
Chennai emerges as the capital of board game cafes in india
It's 10 pm, the eatery on the ground floor has closed, but the night has only begun on the third floor of The Board Room cafe. The tables are packed, and groups are setting up for hours of intense 'gaming'. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Only, in place of joysticks and consoles are meeple, dice, and tokens on a board. Phones are forgotten here. The game could go on till 5 am, but it doesn't matter to the players. "There is no limit to imagination in board games. It can become more immersive than video games," says Ashish Venkat, a hardcore board gamer. For many, the progression from video games to board games was natural once they got to know the variety and range, but others such as Ashish just walked into one of the cafés one day and got hooked. "During Covid, I got some free time and attended an online game session for beginners at The Board Room. Soon I started visiting the café every day. I'd play for eight hours a day, at times till 2 am," says the 34-year-old. In 2019, Chennai had just a couple of such cafes where a small group of regulars used to congregate. But today, there are more than 20, the highest in the country, says Phalgun Polepalli, founder of Mozaic Games and TTOX, one of the major board game conventions in the country. "The board game cafés in Chennai are also the most occupied in the country," he says. "The city has about 5,000 hardcore players today, and the games are available even in grocery and bookstores," says Suwetha Sundar, senior game guru at The Board Room, supposedly among the largest of such cafes in the country. "After Covid, youngsters wanted to connect in person, and to do something that doesn't involve screens," says Thara Srinivasan, game master, Dungeons and Dragons. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Masters are an indispensable part of a game café as they explain rules and often join teams. While it's mostly hardcore gamers and young adults who throng the all-nighters, in the daytime, the cafes see families coming in with children, solo players, beginners, and tourists who want to experience something new. Board game birthday parties are becoming the rage too. Most players are in the 16-35 age group — IT folk, lawyers, students — but there are also those who get introduced in their 40s, says Suwetha. "Adults want to get away from workplace stress, for young people it's mostly a form of bonding, as they don't have a space to meet up every week. " It was Carnatic vocalist Sanjay Subrahmanyam and wife Aarthi who introduced stand-up comedian Aravind S A to the world of board games, and now he does the same to new "minions" he says. "Sanjay has 1,000-plus games at his home and he's a patient teacher as well, which I'm not. So I take the newbies to cafes to get them acquainted with the rules, and then we all play together at my home. And no, these aren't Monopoly or Uno which most millennials grew up with but a massive range of 30 categories. Nature-themed games are among the most popular now, such as WingSpan where you set up bird trays, place the dice in the bird feeder, and play with egg tokens and bird cards, learning about species as you play. In Evolution, you score points by feeding rare species, boosting population as you progress. Gameistry, Egmore, and The Board Room have more than 1,000 games each, mostly imported. "People are also interested in strategy games these days," says Prashaunth Kamalakannan of Gameistry. The games can be expensive if one tries to buy them, costing from Rs 5,000 to Rs 26,000, which is a reason many prefer to pay the hourly rates at cafes, at Rs 150 per person. For example, 'Foundations of Rome' has 3D miniatures of Roman architecture, which users have to construct, is among those which costs above Rs 20,000. The cafes have now diversified to include workshops, quiz nights, events, and all-nighters. Also, Chennai is unique in that there's a culture of teaching games at these cafes, says Sriram Mahalingam, co-founder of The Board Room. They started out as a restaurant serving as a free meet-up group in Adyar renting out board games and conducting online gaming sessions. "There wasn't much of a game scene until 2019, but soon the community started growing, and today, we have three branches. " It takes 45 minutes or more to teach the rules for a new game, which is difficult in café hours, and that's when they hit upon the idea of an all-nighter, around two years ago, says Sriram. "We began hosting one every other week and it evolved into a community event. Many also use the workspace option to work and play." The best part of these cafes, says Thara, is the open table concept. "You don't need to bring your friends for teammates; you can pick them from the community. " Gamers get notifications on WhatsApp groups on what will be played where and when, and form teams before they arrive. "Board games are a great socialisation tool but work best for introverts too. You don't need to make small talk or open up about your life. You're all there for the love of the game," says Thara.
The Hindu
6 hours ago
- The Hindu
Keeping old Hindi melodies alive
If you are in a mood for some retro Hindi music then head to Kaviko auditorium in Mylapore on June 29 at 4 p.m. There are no tickets for this show. A motley bunch of music enthusiastic promise to make it a nostalgia fest for lovers of old Hindi songs. Lata Mangeshkar and Mohammed Rafi's melodious presentation of love in Saaz e dil chhed de from Passport will be the highlight of the evening. Twenty passionate singers make up ShreeDhwani, a music group that meets to rewind to good old Hindi songs. It started in 2013 when Mohan Krishnan and V. Sivasubramaniam met at a friend's son's wedding reception. The host wanted some old Hindi melodies to be sung and this music journey began with fanfare but quiet determination. 'The two of us managed to sing for close to three hours as requests after requests poured in from guests. That is when we thought: why not bring like-minded people together?' says Mohan Krishnan, who retired as general manager from Reserve Bank of India. In the initial years, the group would rent an auditorium for the performances. (Now, they meet at a school) ShreeDhwani continued without any hindrances until the pandemic, when the routine was disrupted. In 2023, ShreeDhwani was revived with a renewed focus. 'The coming event is special as it is the first anniversary of ShreeDwani 2.0,' says Mohan, who has a database of 500 songs and also anchors along with singing. Since this year, the group has started raising funds for a cause. The proceeds from the February show was given to Dignity Foundation's Dementia Day Care Centre. 'So far we have not raised funds through sale of tickets but we get sponsors. We plan to raise funds for old age homes and organisations working towards autism awareness,' says Mohan, a resident of RA Puram and a professional storyteller. Legendary singers Renditions of songs by Hemant Kumar, Mukesh, Kishore Kumar, Asha Bhosle and Geeta Dutt feature in the performances. Among themes based on musicians include an RD Burman show, artistes from Bengal and Mohammed Rafi (two events are held a year in his memory). The eclectic mix of the group makes the performance rich. 'We would have met either at a performance or on a common platform, and most of us are either retired or reaching retirement,' says Mohan, adding that they take karaoke support. There is Badrinarayana who retired from the Indian Institute of Fashion Technology; Sukanya, a student of Carnatic musician M.L. Vasanthakumari; Neeta, a medical administration professional; and Vishwa Padmanabhan, a practising chartered accountant. A. Surya Narayana Rao, an octogenarian and correspondent of Jawahar Vidyalaya Schools, and a connoisseur of music, gives the team infrastructure support by offering a space at the school at no cost. Sixty-two-year-old V. Sivasubramaniam says there is so much learning and sharing in the group and that makes every event special. 'I was not well-versed in Hindi when I started singing. I had the lines written in English. It was Mohan who mentored most of us,' says the cost accountant who retired from the Southern Railway. Sheettal Rayathatha, a storyteller-cum-psychologist, who is taking part for the second time, says the motivation that she got from the group when she sang her first song was a big moral booster to join the platform and quench her thirst for Hindi melodies. To connect with the group members, call 9840322236/ 8610888056/ 9840091290
Hindustan Times
6 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
‘Maar na': Shubman Gill tells Rishabh Pant to hook bouncer for six, his reply: ‘Respect karna pada tagda'
Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant's stump mic chatter was as entertaining as their batting during the India vs England first Test at Headingley. In between their solid defence and attractive boundary that made England's bowling attack appear ordinary, Pant and Gill constantly chatted while standing at the striker's and the non-striker's positions. Sometimes, it was teasing each other, sometimes related to what the bowler was trying to do, and sometimes it was just pure fun. And all of that was in Hindi. India's Rishabh Pant and Shubman Gill(Action Images via Reuters) They were so entertaining that they also caught the attention of legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, who termed it a strategy to confuse the English fielders. Among many episodes between Gill and Pant during their mammoth 209-run partnership for the fourth wicket, Gill teasing Pant to go after Brydon Carse was perhaps the best. It happened in the first session of Day 2. The over number was 94. Carse was trying to test Pant's backfoot play by banging the ball in. In the fourth ball of that over, Carse bowled a well-directed bumper at Pant's body. The Indian keeper-batter ducked under it. As Carse was going back to his mark, Gill told Pant "maar na," which translates to "Hit ma, no." Pant generally likes to take on the short ball, but this one from Carse was a bit too short. His reply to Gill was pure gold. "Bada ball daal dia yaar. Respect karna pad gaya bohut tagdaa. (He bowled a good one, man! I had to give him a lot of respect)." Rishabh Pant and Shubman Gill's remarkable 209-run partnership was the highlight of India's first innings in the opening Test against England. Resuming on 359-3, with Gill unbeaten on 127 and Pant on 65, the pair displayed a compelling mix of composure and aggression that pushed India firmly towards a commanding position before an unexpected collapse. Gill, captaining India for the first time after Rohit Sharma's retirement, played with maturity beyond his years. He brought up his highest Test score of 147 with elegant strokeplay, surpassing his previous best of 128. His innings, laced with 19 boundaries and a six, was a masterclass in timing and placement. His off-drive against Chris Woakes to reach the milestone was particularly memorable, showcasing his growing stature as a leader and batsman. At the other end, Pant unleashed his trademark attacking style. Resuming on 65, he brought up his seventh Test century—and fourth against England—in thrilling fashion, lofting Shoaib Bashir for a one-handed six. The celebration that followed, a somersault, was as energetic as his 134-run knock. His 146-ball innings featured 10 fours and four sixes and kept the scoreboard ticking briskly. Together, Gill and Pant added 209 runs in just 49 overs, steering India to 430-4 and seemingly toward a total in excess of 500. Their contrasting styles complemented each other perfectly: Gill anchored the innings with finesse while Pant injected momentum with his fearless hitting. However, the end of their partnership triggered a dramatic collapse, with India losing their final seven wickets for just 41 runs. Still, the stand between Gill and Pant stood out as a blend of flair and focus, a vital foundation in India's innings that showcased the next generation of Indian batting brilliance.
