HG Insider

Volume 2 Issue 2 – April 2013

From the Editor's Desk

Welcome to the Spring Edition of HG Insider! We wish you all a season of new beginnings, renewed hope, and unlimited possibilities! Although Spring officially starts in March in the US and is often associated with the many moods and inclinations of specific groundhogs, I associate Spring with the many celebrations that is typical in India. Right from Makar-Sankranti, Pongal, Lohri, Uttarayan (Kite Festival) and several other festivals, where we celebrate the harvest season, to the joyous welcome of Basant, where nature is at its bountiful best, the colorful and lively festivities signify optimism, growth, passion, purpose, joy, new learning and many discoveries! The splash of color that we see in nature then transcends the wonderful colors of Holi. What an incredible season to celebrate! A significant aspect that adds flavor to these celebrations is the khazana of music, filmi and non-filmi, that captures the emotions and colors of these festivals and seasons. Rang de Basanti! We wish you all many, many joyful and blissful moments enjoying soulful renditions of the many Basant-based raagas and hindi films songs that we associate with this delightful season! My all-time favorite Spring song, written by Bharat Vyas and sung by Mukesh is a special ode to Spring and Mother Nature: haree haree vasundharaa pe neelaa neela ye gagan ke jis pe baadalon kee paalakee udaa rahaa pawan dishaayen dekho rangabharee, chamak rahee umang bharee, ye kis ne phool phool pe kiyaa singaar hai! ye kaun chitrakaar hai, ye kaun chitrakaar ye kaun chitrakaar hai.. .. And an all-time favorite Holi song: None other than the very best! Any guesses?? Enjoy!

Speaking of new beginnings, we would like to congratulate and welcome our newest additions to our Core Group: Ujwala Chinni, Girija Murali, & Mahendra Solanki, who are joining our previous representatives, Rajesh Chandrashekaran & Ramana Subramanian. We look forward to many new, successful ventures under your leadership! We would also like to thank Pragnya Purohit, Bharat Parulekar & Rajesh Kulkarni for their valuable time, and contribution serving on the Core Group in 2012.

Also, a warm welcome to a new voice and delightful person, Krithika Govind, as she joins the Hidden Gems this spring! In this issue, we feature two Gems who contribute immensely behind the scenes. Whether it is volunteering at events or sharing their creativity in numerous ways, Malathi & Raju are invaluable members of the HG team! Ever wondered how some movies would have turned out if a different actor was cast? Bharat Parulekar shares some interesting trivia about the Almost Casting 'Ouch! We also have a special feature: a Theme Song, written by our very own Chitra Kumar, that signifies how Hidden Gems came to be and what we are about! This issue also sees the start of a new Guest Column. Rekha Musale, our first guest writer, shares an interesting article on her love for and discovery of one of PanchamDa's Hidden Gems! We hope you enjoy this issue. With every passing day, I am more and more thankful and proud to be part of this awesome group of talented, creative, and giving individuals. Thank you all!

Yours sincerely, Anandi Nagarajan hginsider2012@gmail.com

ABOUT HIDDEN GEMS Hidden Gems is a group of passionate track singers who seek to channel their energies to the service of those amongst us who are under-privileged, facing tribulations, and who may have been hit with hardships due to circumstances beyond their control. Since coming together in January 2005 to raise funds for victims of the 2004 Tsunami, Hidden Gems has successfully performed several fund-raisers for a variety of other causes such as Katrina, Asha for Education, South Brunswick Public Library and CRY. In addition, Hidden Gems has performed numerous private events. Our uniqueness lies in the fact that most of our proceeds are donated to charity.

http://www.hidden-gems.org

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Established in February 2005 Founder members: Rajesh Kulkarni & Mahendra Solanki Publisher: Hidden Gems Editor: Rajeshree Kulkarni Asst Editor: Anandi Nagarajan

QUICK CONTACT

PR and Event Coordinator Bharat Parulekar Phone#:732-762-7101 Email: bhapar@yahoo.com

Advertising & Marketing Rajesh Chandrashekaran Phone#:732-977-6836 Email: vrontheweb@att.net

Webmasters: Abhin Parkhi & Vrinda Khatu

Treasurer : Tejoo Bambulkar

Core Group Members Ramana Subramanian, Ujwala Chinni, Rajesh Chandrashekaran, Girija Murali, Mahendra Solanki

HG Insider, a quarterly magazine

The next issue will be published in July 2013.

If you would like to send in your articles for inclusion in the April issue, please send them to us

at hginsider2012@gmail.com by June 1st. Editor’s decision will be final!

Some Organizations we have supported through the years:

Visit us at www.hidden-gems.org

WE DO IT ALL From retirement parties to holiday parties From public shows to private parties From fundraisers to crowd pleasers From graduation parties to farewell parties From sweet sixteen parties to home coming parties From parties for a cause to parties just because!

If you've got the purpose, we've got the passion!

Come; discover what

we can do for you!

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Meet the ‘Gems’!

Malathi Parathasarathi

Mankind (and womankind, and basically most kinds) is weighed down by an exaggerated sense of self-importance. We are, but miniscule specks in this infinite and wonderful universe. Looking at life in a lighter vein and not taking ourselves too seriously can make our life experiences more joyful and fulfilling. In order to take the focus off yourselves, here is something you can do. Zoom in to ME!! I feel uncomfortable when others appreciate my talents and offer me compliments. I prefer to take on that delightful chore myself. Here are some of the awards and titles I feel honored to bestow upon myself. I have many more, but I don’t like to brag too much about myself.

The “Coolest Loser” award – for being able to get lost in the smallest place in the universe, in under 2 minutes. The “Exterminator” award – for being able to turn a huge room into a black hole just by opening my mouth to sing. The “Wizard of Oz” award – for being able to simulate a tornado struck room in a matter of macroseconds. The Swami Cleanananda at my home can attest to this. The “Non-stop Nonsense” Award – for having the ability to spout nonsense without stopping for a breath. The “Fabulous Fashionista” Award – for continued success in embarrassing my teenage daughter with my fashion choices. Some questions I have been asked… What did you want to be when you were young? What do you mean “when you were young”? I still am. I haven’t decided what I want to be when I grow up. Always wear your seatbelt? Only when I’m in the car Do you sing? Of course I do! Do you dare to listen? Favorite Pizza Topping? Another pizza

Favorite cuisine? Does chocolate count as a cuisine? What kind of vehicle do you drive? A car with 4 tires, seats, and a steering wheel. And it also has doors and windows which I can open and shut at will! Cool! (although my windows have a mind of their own sometimes. Can’t blame them. If you had a boring life like theirs, you’d look for some excitement too.) On a more serious note, I am blessed with a wonderful husband and two terrific daughters who cheerfully put up with my idiosyncrasies. I work in the Children’s section of South Brunswick Public Library. I enjoy being around books and children and am fortunate to have a job I absolutely love! I also feel incredibly blessed to be part of the tremendously talented Hidden Gems family who selflessly volunteer their time, talent and efforts to serve a greater cause. (Malathi was also the co-editor of HG Insider in its first year of publication. An incredible asset to every event and venture she participates in, her genuine warmth and sincere efforts rarely go unnoticed. Thank you Malathi for all that you do and yes, for the incredible laughs too-- Hidden Gems:)

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Meet the ‘Gems’!

Rajesh Chandrashekaran (a.k.a. Raju)

Professor of Marketing by day and avid cinema watcher at night, Raju is one of the non-singing volunteers at Hidden Gems who is responsible for creating marketing materials for Hidden Gems. Professionally, Raju is a passionate academic who teaches graduate and executive courses in marketing at Silberman College of Business, Fairleigh Dickinson University. Recently, he was presented with the 2012 Teacher of the Year award by the University. Raju has an incredible passion for creativity that keeps him up late at night. When he is not getting his high by designing t-shirts and flyers for Hidden Gems, he is drowning himself in reading/writing screenplays and dreaming of directing (short) films. One of his films, A Ghost Story (2009) was judged Best Short Film at a film competition in Philadelphia. He is on the programming committee of NJISACF - a cine fest that promotes South Asian Independent Cinema from across the world.

A conglomerate of talent and passion and personality, right? Let's find out a little more about him.

Why Hidden Gems? Hmm, that’s an easy one. I love being associated with Hidden Gems because I am in awe of their singing talent, and also inspired by their passion and commitment to making a positive difference in this world by supporting numerous worthy charitable causes around the world. I owe a big thank you to my cousin, Partha, for introducing me to the group.

I love: those three little words – Lights, Camera and Action! Films and film songs have always been a very important part of my life. I especially like Indian films - commercial as well as non-commercial/independent films in Hindi and other regional languages like Tamizh, Kannada and Malayalam. I grew up watching and dreaming of meeting my favorite hero, Amitabh Bachchan. I fondly recall visiting many film sets with my father and witnessing numerous song recording sessions with my mother at All India Radio. These experiences helped shape my own dreams. I strongly believe in chasing dreams and in enjoying the journey regardless of the end result. I thank my family for understanding and unconditionally supporting my passion. As of now, I am working on writing and editing short films. However, I hope that one day I will be able to write and direct my own feature film. Until then…until then…I will keep on chasing my dreams and I will keep on enjoying the journey!

Most memorable film: Oh boy, there are many, but if I have to name only one, then it will have to be Sholay (of course)! I have lost count of the number of times I have seen this film. Thing I am passionate about: (Other than family of course!) I am very passionate about using my imagination to create things, however little, that bring me joy. Whether it is a research paper or a class presentation or a design for a t-shirt or editing a video or contributing to a silly email chain – I try to immerse myself in the moment and enjoy it completely. The fact that others may also like or appreciate what I do is always a bonus. I love to laugh - often at the smallest things - and to make others laugh. Things I am thankful for: My family and friends. I am also thankful for being given the opportunity to do the things that I love. Thing I hate: Rules (especially the ones that make no sense to me). I smile when I look at my first grade report card that has a remark by my teacher. It says, “Rajesh must learn to follow rules.” What I miss the most: My brother and best friend, Pramod, who died in 1999 at the age of 31 due to complications related to cancer.

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Book that has had a major impact on my life: There are many, but I will name a few. Richard Bach’s Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah and Jonathan Livingston Seagull. An author I like (fiction): John Grisham. I simply love the way in which he weaves his stories (especially his earlier ones like The Firm and A Time to Kill). Interestingly, I was first exposed to The Firm and realized only much later that A Time to Kill was actually his first novel! Favorite Quote: Too many to list. My most recent favorite one is attributed to Paolo Coehlo (re-used by John Lennon, and recently made popular by the film The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel): “Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay it's not the end!” However, the ones that most accurately describe me are the two things I often tell my kids and students - “Love what you do, do what you love”, and “Learn to appreciate the little things.” Mi Familia: I am married to Vidya, an IT professional who works for United Healthcare. We have two wonderful children, ages 13 and 10. We live in South Brunswick, NJ.

Gemela 2013

The Hidden Gems celebrated its 8th year Anniversary at our Annual Get Together in February: Gemela'2013. It was a festive evening of optimism, and exhilaration as we looked back on the wonderful times and work we have done over the course of the years, and looked ahead at the unlimited possibilities that await us in the future. Enjoy the many memories that were created!

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Gemela 2013

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Gemela 2013

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Gemela 2013

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Movie Masala

The (Almost) Casting 'Ouch

Ever wondered what makes a movie a hit? I'm sure you'll list a number of factors: the story, direction, acting, cinematography, music and perhaps an integration of all the above and more.

Ever wondered about how picking the right actor to play a character can either make or break a movie? In this article, Bharat Parulekar shares a compilation of Filmi Gyaan related to the "Almost" Casting 'Ouch in Hindi Cinema.

Just imagine what would have happened if some of these initial casting ideas were actually put into action!

Tumsa Nahin Dekha (1957) Music by OP Nayyar Directed by Nasir Hussain Shammi Kapoor must have thanked Dev Anand for giving his career a new lease of life. Dev Anand was supposed to play the male lead but he opted out of the film, following which Shammi came into the picture.

Anand(1971) Music by Salil Chaudhry Directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee When Hrishikesh Mukherjee thought of the story idea for ‘Anand’, he initially wanted Shashi Kapoor to play the lead role. Shashi though wanted to focus on romantic roles, and hence refused it. HrisihiDa was also keen on casting Kishore Kumar for the role of ‘Anand’, but due to some misunderstanding they did not collaborate.

Zanjeer (1972) Music by Kalyanji Anandji Directed by Prakash Mehra Big B became the angry young man only because Dev Anand refused to do ‘Zanjeer’. At a function some years back, Jaya Bachchan even thanked Devsaab for turning down the Prakash Mehra film.

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Movie Masala

The (Almost) Casting 'Ouch

Deewar (1975) Music by RD Burman Directed by Yash Chopra In Deewar, Amitabh’s role was offered to Rajesh Khanna. Owing to lack of dates, the role went to Big B. The late Navin Nischol was offered Shashi Kapoor's role of Ravi. However, he turned it down since he did not want to play second fiddle to Amitabh Bachchan. Also, Nirupa Roy's character of the mother was initially offered to Vyjayanthimala.

Sholay (1975) Music by RD Burman Directed by Ramesh Sippy The makers of ‘Sholay’ were keen on casting Danny Denzongpa as Gabbar, but since he was already busy with Feroz Khan's ‘Dharmatma’, Amjad Khan got lucky.

Mr. India (1987) Music by Lakshmikant Pyaarelal Directed by Shekhar Kapoor One of Bollywood’s biggest blockbusters, Shekhar Kapur’s ‘Mr. India’, was offered to super stars Amitabh Bachchan as well as Rajesh Khanna. Both turned it down since they couldn’t relate to the invisible hero plot.

Amitabh Bachchan refused the role in ‘Slumdog Millionaire’, where he had to play himself, host of the game show ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’. Like with Mr. India, the role again went to Anil Kapoor.

More casting "ouches" coming up in the next issue. If you have any ideas, write to us at hginsider2012@gmail.com

Credits for Photo-shopping Images: Anandi Nagarajan

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HG Theme Song

Written and Sung by Chitra Kumar

Aathe Jaathe, Hansthe Gaathe Sochaa Thha Humne Mann Mein Kayi Baar

Woh Tsunami Magar, Kar Gayi Asar Usne Kiyaa Hum Sabko Beqaraar?

Ruk Ke Sochen, Kuchh Karke Rahen

Na Jaane Humen Tha Kiska Inthezaar? Bas Woh Yaqeen Kahin Kam Tho Naheen

Lagthaa Thha Yehi Kyon Humko Baar Baar?

Aathe Jaathe, Hansthe Gaathe Sochaa Thha Humne Mann Mein Kayi Baar Hotthon Ki Haseen, Kaheen Yun Kho Gayi

Yeh Hum Pe Hua Hai Kiska Ikhtiyaar?

Hum Kaun Hain? Bathla Tho Dhen Kyun Karne Lage Sab Hum Pe Aitbaar? Khaamosh Rahen Yaa Kuchh Kar Dhen

Yaa Karlen Hum Chupke Se Yeh Sweekaar?

Subah Huyi, Phir Se Nayi Ek Raasthaa Humko Hai Yun Dikhhaa

Sooraj Ugaa, Thab Lgne Lagaa Kyaa Karnaa Hai Ab Humko Yeh Pathaa

HUM GAAYENGE, POORE MANN SE

SAHAARA BANENGE JINKI HAI WAJAH SUNENGE SAB, AUR DHENGE DUAA

BADDHAAYENGE DUNIYA MEIN YUNHI PYAAR

Yehi Sach Hai, Hum Hain Hidden-Gems! Haan Haan, Bane Hum Hidden-Gems!

SING WITH PASSION-SUPPORT A CAUSE: HIDDEN-GEMS Haan haan, WE ARE, THE HIDDEN-GEMS!!

Click here to hear the Theme Song.

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"Introducing" The Guest Column

Rekha Musale is one of the many supporters of Hidden Gems and enjoys attending our shows and sessions. She is an IT professional who thoroughly enjoys music, especially Hindi film songs and Ghazals. She lives in Monroe, NJ with her two sons and husband, who shares her love for music!

I have been a avid fan of Pancham's music for many years and like many other RD fans, know a lot his songs by heart. But recently I came upon an RD composition, that I had not heard before only because it is not from any movie and it somehow never got it's due. PanchamaDa had originally composed this tune for a Bengali song, and used it as a theme tune for the movie 'Saagar'.

The original Bengali song is an absolute treat, and even though I don't understand the language, the brilliance of this composition took my breath away. Everything about this song is mesmerizing: from the arrangement of the instruments, where synthesizer starts the music with chords, saxophone joins in crooning longingly and the guitar kicks in to build the bridge from low notes to the high, to the point where Pancham's voice picks up the song. The delivery of his words vibrates with such high emotions, you can hear the words as if floating on the waves. Just amazing... When Asha's voice synchs in to compliment his in the "antara", you will definitely identify the tune from Saagar. Truly, language is no barrier when it comes to appreciate good music.

Original Bengali song: Tumi koto Je Dure

There's an interesting story about how this original Bengali song was adapted in Hindi. When Anuradha Paudwal was working on her music album "Aaja Meri Jaan", she had requested RD to compose the music. There were some 8 songs composed for this album and RD used the same composition from the Bengali song for the title track of this album. When RD wanted to record this song for the "Aaja Meri Jaan" album, he called SPB to sing it. During the recording, when SPB realized that the song does not have a musical bit in the starting and the lyrics start with guitar chords as the cue, he thought it was difficult to catch the beginning beat (the drums or beat doesn't start in the song until after the actual lyrics start) . RD replied ,"Bloody fellow! That's why I called you. You can do it". The song in Hindi is also remarkable and SPB did a great job with it, with accompaniment from Anuradha Paudwal.

Hindi Song By SPB: Aaja Meri Jaan

Unfortunately, this album did not see the light of day as the music company scrapped this album, but used one of the songs from the album as the title track for the movie by the same name. (Aaja Meri jaan , starring Kishen Kumar). The other songs in the movie were done by Amar-Utpal and the credit for music went to the duo. RD who had seen many highs with his hits could not come to terms with such humiliation at the hands of the industry in his later life.

Pancham Da - your brilliance is unmatched and continues to enthrall music lovers all over the world. Thank you for the many, many heart-tugging melodies that will fill our lives forever!

HG Insider welcomes our guest readers and audience of Hidden Gems to share their views in our newsletter. Typically, we will try to publish at least one article in The Guest Column every issue. If you are interested in submitting an article, please email us at: hginsider2012@gmail.com.

Guest Session

First Friday of Feb, Apr, Jun, Aug, Oct, Dec

If you would like to attend our guest sessions, please send us a mail hginsider2012@gmail.com