STRINGS-bound by faith

2007-06-03T11:45:00.000-07:00

This is the poem published in 1969 by National Poet Baba Nagarjuna.I have used these lines as metaphors and images in form of music in my film 'Strings-bound by faith'. Presently suffering SUPER-CENSORSHIP by Sadhus of Allahabad and fighting over an P.I.L at High Court, Allahabad.Film is Censored by Central Board Of Film Certification,Goverenment Of India.Music is composed by Zubeen Garg.You can enjoy the Poem on-line here.

मंत्र कविता / नागार्जुन

ॐ श‌ब्द ही ब्रह्म है..

ॐ श‌ब्द्, और श‌ब्द, और श‌ब्द, और श‌ब्द

ॐ प्रण‌व‌, ॐ न‌ाद, ॐ मुद्रायें

ॐ व‌क्तव्य‌, ॐ उद‌ग‌ार्, ॐ घोष‌णाएं

ॐ भ‌ाष‌ण‌...

ॐ प्रव‌च‌न‌...

ॐ हुंक‌ार, ॐ फ‌टक‌ार्, ॐ शीत्क‌ार

ॐ फुस‌फुस‌, ॐ फुत्क‌ार, ॐ चीत्क‌ार

ॐ आस्फ‌ाल‌न‌, ॐ इंगित, ॐ इश‌ारे

ॐ न‌ारे, और न‌ारे, और न‌ारे, और न‌ारे

ॐ स‌ब कुछ, स‌ब कुछ, स‌ब कुछ

ॐ कुछ न‌हीं, कुछ न‌हीं, कुछ न‌हीं

ॐ प‌त्थ‌र प‌र की दूब, ख‌रगोश के सींग

ॐ न‌म‌क-तेल-ह‌ल्दी-जीरा-हींग

ॐ मूस की लेड़ी, क‌नेर के प‌ात

ॐ ड‌ाय‌न की चीख‌, औघ‌ड़ की अट‌प‌ट ब‌ात

ॐ कोय‌ल‌ा-इस्प‌ात-पेट्रोल‌

ॐ ह‌मी ह‌म ठोस‌, ब‌ाकी स‌ब फूटे ढोल‌

ॐ इद‌म‌ान्नं, इम‌ा आपः इद‌म‌ज्य‌ं, इद‌ं ह‌विः

ॐ य‌ज‌म‌ान‌, ॐ पुरोहित, ॐ राज‌ा, ॐ क‌विः

ॐ क्रांतिः क्रांतिः स‌र्व‌ग्व‌ं क्रांतिः

ॐ श‌ांतिः श‌ांतिः श‌ांतिः स‌र्व‌ग्व‌ं श‌ांतिः

ॐ भ्रांतिः भ्रांतिः भ्रांतिः स‌र्व‌ग्व‌ं भ्रांतिः

ॐ ब‌च‌ाओ ब‌च‌ाओ ब‌च‌ाओ ब‌च‌ाओ

ॐ ह‌ट‌ाओ ह‌ट‌ाओ ह‌ट‌ाओ ह‌ट‌ाओ

ॐ घेराओ घेराओ घेराओ घेराओ

ॐ निभ‌ाओ निभ‌ाओ निभ‌ाओ निभ‌ाओ

ॐ द‌लों में एक द‌ल अप‌न‌ा द‌ल, ॐ

ॐ अंगीक‌रण, शुद्धीक‌रण, राष्ट्रीक‌रण

ॐ मुष्टीक‌रण, तुष्टिक‌रण‌, पुष्टीक‌रण

ॐ ऎत‌राज़‌, आक्षेप, अनुश‌ास‌न

ॐ ग‌द्दी प‌र आज‌न्म व‌ज्रास‌न

ॐ ट्रिब्यून‌ल‌, ॐ आश्व‌ास‌न

ॐ गुट‌निरपेक्ष, स‌त्त‌ास‌ापेक्ष जोड़‌-तोड़‌

ॐ छ‌ल‌-छ‌ंद‌, ॐ मिथ्य‌ा, ॐ होड़‌म‌होड़

ॐ ब‌क‌व‌ास‌, ॐ उद‌घ‌ाट‌न‌

ॐ म‌ारण मोह‌न उच्च‌ाट‌न‌

ॐ क‌ाली क‌ाली क‌ाली म‌ह‌ाक‌ाली म‌ह‌ाक‌ाली

ॐ म‌ार म‌ार म‌ार व‌ार न ज‌ाय ख‌ाली

ॐ अप‌नी खुश‌ह‌ाली

ॐ दुश्म‌नों की प‌ाम‌ाली

ॐ म‌ार, म‌ार, म‌ार, म‌ार, म‌ार, म‌ार, म‌ार

ॐ अपोजीश‌न के मुंड ब‌ने तेरे ग‌ले क‌ा ह‌ार

ॐ ऎं ह्रीं क्लीं हूं आङ

ॐ ह‌म च‌ब‌ायेंगे तिल‌क और ग‌ाँधी की ट‌ाँग

ॐ बूढे़ की आँख, छोक‌री क‌ा क‌ाज‌ल

ॐ तुल‌सीद‌ल, बिल्व‌प‌त्र, च‌न्द‌न, रोली, अक्ष‌त, ग‌ंग‌ाज‌ल

ॐ शेर के द‌ाँत, भ‌ालू के न‌ाखून‌, म‌र्क‌ट क‌ा फोत‌ा

ॐ ह‌मेश‌ा ह‌मेश‌ा राज क‌रेग‌ा मेरा पोत‌ा

ॐ छूः छूः फूः फूः फ‌ट फिट फुट

ॐ श‌त्रुओं की छ‌ाती अर लोह‌ा कुट

ॐ भैरों, भैरों, भैरों, ॐ ब‌ज‌रंग‌ब‌ली

ॐ ब‌ंदूक क‌ा टोट‌ा, पिस्तौल की न‌ली

ॐ डॉल‌र, ॐ रूब‌ल, ॐ प‌ाउंड

ॐ स‌ाउंड, ॐ स‌ाउंड, ॐ स‌ाउंड

ॐ ॐ ॐ

ॐ ध‌रती, ध‌रती, ध‌रती, व्योम‌, व्योम‌, व्योम‌, व्योम‌

ॐ अष्ट‌ध‌ातुओं के ईंटो के भ‌ट्टे

ॐ म‌ह‌ाम‌हिम, म‌हम‌हो उल्लू के प‌ट्ठे

ॐ दुर्ग‌ा, दुर्ग‌ा, दुर्ग‌ा, त‌ारा, त‌ारा, त‌ारा

ॐ इसी पेट के अन्द‌र स‌म‌ा ज‌ाय स‌र्व‌ह‌ारा

ह‌रिः ॐ त‌त्स‌त, ह‌रिः ॐ त‌त्स‌त‌

[रचनाकार:नागार्जुन - 1969]

jhaji.

2007-03-03T04:31:00.001-08:00

HAPPY HOLI

Happy Holi to all from india.

2007-02-19T00:09:00.000-08:00

पटना, जागरण ब्यूरो : फिल्म फेस्टिवल में स्टि्रंग दिखाये जाने के पूर्व फिल्म के निर्देशक संजय झा दर्शकों से मुखातिब हुए और कहा मेरे लिए यह भावुक क्षण है क्योंकि अपनों के बीच अपना काम दिखाने खड़ा हूं।
संवाद कार्यक्रम के तहत स्टि्रंग पर हुई चर्चा के क्रम में संजय ने कहा कि यह फिल्म स्वतंत्र सिनेमा के तौर पर बनी है। हम जैसे लोग जो अपनी विद्या को अपने ढंग से जीते हैं उनके लिए यह फिल्म है। उन्होंने कहा कि वह अपनी अगली फिल्म का निर्माण इसी कड़ी में करेंगे। यह फिल्म न तो किसी कामर्शियल दबाव में बनी है और न ही अपना दर्शन लोगों पर थोपने की कोशिश की गयी है। श्री झा ने कहा कि उनकी यह कोशिश है कि इंडिपेंडेंट सिनेमा जिंदा रहे। उन्हांेंने कहा कि इलाहाबाद जैसे शहर में उनकी फिल्म में मंत्र कविता का इस्तेमाल किए जाने पर जनहित याचिका दायर की गयी है जबकि ट्रायल में एक साधु तक नहीं पहुंचे। संजय ने कहा कि फिल्म में धर्म कहीं नहीं है बल्कि उन्होंने आस्था को दिखाया है जो व्यक्तिगत होती है। उन्होंने कहा कि इस फिल्म का निर्माण मेरी लिए चुनौती से भरा था। मैंने इस क्रम में बहुत ही ईमानदार कोशिश की है। चर्चा में सूचना एवं जनसंपर्क विभाग के निदेशक सुनील कुमार सिन्हा, एनएन पांडेय व विनोद अनुपम शामिल थे।

2007-02-19T00:03:00.001-08:00

ओम डालर, ओम रुबल, ओम पाउंड.. और फिर नासिक का कुंभ
पटना, जागरण ब्यूरो : अंतिम चरण की ओर बढ़ रहे पटना फिल्म फेस्टिवल के पांचवें दिन संजय झा द्वारा निर्देशित व निर्मित स्टि्रंग आकर्षण का केंद्र रही। स्टि्रंग का देखना लोगों के लिए कई मायने में अद्भुत रहा। फिल्म निर्माता ने फिल्म को बाबा नागार्जुन को समर्पित किया है। बिना किसी सेट के बनी इस फिल्म में बाबा नागार्जुन की कविता मंत्र को गीत के स्वरूप में फिल्माना भी फिल्म का बड़ा पक्ष है। बाबा नागार्जुन की कविता ओम डालर, ओम रूबल, ओम पाउंड, ओम साउंड.. पर इलाहाबाद में जनहित याचिका भी दर्ज की जा चुकी है। लेकिन फिल्म में इस कविता को जिस परिपेक्ष्य में उपयोग किया गया है वह विवाद से परे है।
फिल्म में कई जगहों पर कामर्शियल सिनेमा का टच भी है। बारिश में फिल्माया गया गीत रिमझिम-रिमझिम बारिश.. को भी दर्शकों ने खूब सराहा। फिल्म का संगीत जुबीन गार्गट का है। फिल्म पटना के सिने प्रेमियों के बीच पहली बार दिखायी गयी थी। कहानी वारेन हेस्टिंग्स नाम के एक ब्रिटिश युवक के नासिक के कुंभ में आने से शुरू होती है। वारेन के दादा अंग्रेजी हुकूमत में भारत में थे और उनकी डायरी को पढ़कर वह नासिक चला आया है। नासिक में वह एक पुजारी के घर ठहरता है। पुजारी की बेटी कृष्णा से उसे प्रेम हो जाता है और एक दिन दोनों के बीच.। फिल्म में कुंभ के कई दृश्यों को काफी बेहतर अंदाज में फिल्माया गया है। नागा साधुओं के स्नान और शोभा यात्रा के दृश्य देखते ही बनते हैं। इसी तरह मेले में घूमने वाले बहुरुपिए को भी बड़े ही रोचक तरीके से दिखाया गया है। धार्मिक दृष्टि से महत्वपूर्ण शहरों का यह संस्कार की छोटे-छोटे लोग किस अदा में विदेशी पर्यटकों से अंग्रेजी में बात करते हैं, भी फिल्म में बखूबी दिखा है। यूं कहे हनुमान जी भी अंग्रेजी बोलते हैं। फिल्म फेस्टिवल में सोमवार को तेलगू फिल्म शंकर भरनम भी चर्चा में रही। इसके अतिरिक्त विमल राय की बंदिनी भी दिखायी गयी।

http://epaper.jagran.com/main.aspx?edate=2/14/2007&editioncode=42&pageno=2#

2007-02-07T10:08:00.000-08:00

STRINGS has been invited to PATNA FILM FESTIVAL.
For the first time my home state will view my film. I wish Allahabad High Court dismisses the P.I.L lodged by the sadhu's of Allahabad on the poem 'MANTRA' by Baba Nagarjun, and I am able to release the film through out the country.

Hope the holy dip in the river Ganga in Allahabad-kumbh recently has strengthened the Sadhu's spritual quests to review the understanding of the poem .

the journey continues...

2006-12-31T00:11:00.000-08:00

happy new year to all blogger friends
cheers
jhaji.

2006-10-27T08:40:00.000-07:00

mise- en- scene of independant cinema in india

My blogger friend Michael made my morning by informing the DVD overseas release of my film -STRINGS.[ thank you Michael ]

This was awaited news from 'HMV-Sa Re Ga Ma' people but it seems they are still busy with their yearly festival holidays.
In the process of making this DVD master i had to go through the same grind of power and politics of, 'buying and selling marketing stratergies' etc, etc... Again as an independent film maker,I was reminded severely that my film has no 'STARS' and takers etc...

When we did this DVD agreement with HMV,it was always clear that mastering will be done in my supervision. First they told me it will be done in Madras,later i was informed by my partner producer to check the mastering done at a very small studio in Mumbai itself with no proper adequate equipments and skills.I found the work was a complete disaster-
[A.] they had no clue about the subtitles,they just couldn't follow any dialogues and in the 'Mantra'[OM] poem words were not only copied literally but also words were missing from what was rendered forget the translations.It was all inspite of me giving them a DVD copy of the film which i had made for the CANNES and other film festivals which had correct subtitles...
[B.] they had used wipes of graphical 'OM' symbol between the chapters in DVD-I had a big objection to it because this was never an idea right from conceptualisation of the film to bring any religious symbols into it.In fact i am suffering in theatrical releases till date because of a PIL lodged by Sadhus of Allahabad on one poem used by me in the film which has word 'OM'...
[C.] due to the absence of a proper converter used in changing the telecine of the film from PAL to NTSCE for mastering DVD the pigmentations of the colour of the film was drastically distorted.
When i expressed my objections to HMV they made me feel guilty for having made a film without a star and sadly my partner producer got sold to this very CLICHE idea of film making and came in the way. so we lost a lot of time and days in debate.later in pressure of the D-line from the corporate desk they released my DVD with the same disasterous mistakes harming the film and violating my rights as a writer,producer and director of the film.

I felt very hurt and disturbed,never thought that passion could be crushed.I was alone in this fight.When i gave them an ultimatum of going into legal disputes they stopped the process of printing[as they claimed] and i hope so. But by the time they had released 2000 copies of the DVD's for the domestic market,they also ended up creating a lot of misunderstanding between me and my partner.
Later on a very compromising note i went to do my DVD mastering at shemaroo on my own. Completed the work by paying ourselves.HMV did take the new master from us but i am not sure which version is where...
and i don't know the accountability of those 1999 copies released earlier [i have one which i bought from the local shop in a mall]
Hope they have released the correct version with meaningful subttitles and without any religious signs in the index of the DVD.

This film took me three years to come to this stage and we have yet to recover our money.

LONG LIVE INDEPENDANT CINEMA IN INDIA

2006-09-17T03:19:00.000-07:00

wonder and surprise...

i just wonder, baba nagarjun being such an important poet of india, when his poem 'mantra' in my film 'strings' faced such strong 'super censorship' today,why no literary person raised a voice against it...

poem being in public domain almost for 35 years today and with due rights taken, and being composed musically, i feel so let down and lonely with the discouragement shown towards this effort specially by hindi literary circle by not raising a voice against such an attack on the rights of expressions of a poet.

PIL is filed in Allahabad High court by Hindu Sadhus against the text of the poem 'mantra' written in 1969 by baba Nagarjun.

my film 'STRINGS' has no takers just because no multiplex theatre wants to take any risk of any damage by fanatics around. distributers want film to be free from all legalities. PIL in Allahabad High court has been frozen as Hindu sadhu's have realised that there are no super stars in my film,hence they will not gain any publicity.i am stuck...

in total there are only two reports in hindi on the poem and 'super censorship' till date ...
one in hindi 'outlook'and other in hindi daily 'amar ujala' in Bareli.

2006-09-03T20:05:00.000-07:00

'Strings', Bollywood's first commercial travelogue

Tuesday, 06 June 2006 http://www.nerve.in/news:2535003861 channel: India

"The 94-minute-long movie, with both Hindi and English generously used in it, was shot at the 2003 Kumbh Mela near Nashik in a 25-day schedule. "

By Harish C. Menon

Mumbai, June 6 - Director Sanjay Jha's latest venture 'Strings', starring ramp model and veteran actor Kabir Bedi's son Adam Bedi, is an experiment at amalgamating the format of a travelogue with commercial cinema.
The film is set to release this month and the director is confident that the film will find acceptance among audiences.''Strings' is the first commercial travelogue from India as far as I know. I believe we have matured as an audience and there is immense potential for such experiments. Secondly, it is also an opportunity for people like me to try out new things,' Jha told IANS.'I believe the mushrooming of multiplexes in the country has led to the refinement of audience tastes and thus they are ready to accept some original stuff.'It has just thrown open various arenas for small-towners like me. I do not have a Yash Johar or a Yash chopra banner to back me,' Jha opined.
Jha, who started off his career in direction with the multi-starrer 'Pran Jaye Par Shaan Na Jaye' (2003) with Raveena Tandon, Divya Dutta, Dia Mirza and Rinke Khanna along with Mahesh Manjrekar, Aman Verma and Vijay Raaz, is now out to prove a point.'Pran Jaye...' with a record number of expletives on the soundtrack had got into serious trouble with the censor board.A crossover film, 'Strings' is woven around Warren Hastings (Adam Bedi), a British youth who is persuaded to experience the Mahakumbh Mela at the behest of his e-mail friend Maya (Sandhya Mridul) - a cosmopolitan and urban Indian girl. 'The film is about Hastings' travel through India, particularly his experience at the Mahakumbh and his understanding of the mysticism of India, which till then was beyond his realm of imagination,' Jha said.The 94-minute-long movie, with both Hindi and English generously used in it, was shot at the 2003 Kumbh Mela near Nashik in a 25-day schedule.
'It (the movie) helped me grow as an actor as most of the shots had to be spontaneous as we were in the midst of some two million people, whose movement obviously could not be controlled,' said Bedi.

2006-08-23T06:48:00.000-07:00

Kumbh Mela to be showcased in US

Hindustan Times/Indo-Asian News Service New York/Jodhpur, August 22, 2006

New York: The sadhus with matted locks and ash-smeared bodies might not be there but India’s biggest faith jamboree is going global. The Kumbha Mela will be held for the first time in the United States on September 10 at Bren Centre, University of California Irvine.
The aim: ushering in world peace by infusing collective positivity. The highlights of the celebrations include a Vishwa Shanti Yagna, an abhishekam, or offering of water from 21 holy rivers of India to all the deities, and a grand procession with participation by various spiritual organisations from across the US. Yagnas and aartis will add to the daylong rituals.
The event is being organised under the auspices of Paramahamsa Nithyananda, Nithyananda Foundation; Swami Ishwarananda, Chinmaya Mission; Swami Sarvadevananda, Vedanta Society; Dr Acharya Yogeesh, Yogeesh Ashram; and the Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/
news/181_1774620,001100020016.htm

Wednesday, August 23, 2006 09:58 IST
HindustanTimes.com » Infotainment » Lifestyle » Art & Culture » Story

2006-08-16T23:23:00.000-07:00

An eclectic sound mix
Music review: Strings

Rate: **1/2
by :Piyush Roy

Irreverence is the tone in Strings

An interesting mix of sounds, that’s the feeling a first time listening of Strings – Bound By Faith, evokes in you. Clue in a bit more to its lyrics and you can’t miss the tone of ‘youthful irreverence’ writ large on its tracks. How else could you get away with equating the celestial chant ‘Om’ to anything and everything under the sun from a ‘dayan ki cheekh, chitkar, petrol, kranti, khargosh ke singh’ to even a ‘buddhe ki aankh, chori ka kajal’ and sign off calling it simply ‘bakwas.’
But if the theme of the Sanjay Jha film is a travelogue love story with Nashik’s Mahakumbh forming a spiritual backdrop, music director Zubeen Garg does justice to its music by packing in a range of diverse sounds and beats from the hinterland, with a contemporary zing in line with the sensibilities of the film’s lead protagonist - a young discoverer.
My pick of the album is the opening Piya milan ko jana a very 2000-isque interpretation of Pankaj Mallick’s evergreen gem of a song from Kapalkundala (1939). Music director Garg, who happens to be the singer of most of the film’s songs, registers an impact, especially with the spiritual Ramo Ramo.
Go for the album if you ok with contemporary beats, but beware its rebellious irreverence, while fun at large, could rub the fanatics the wrong way.

***** Burn the dance floor ****Rocking ***Easy Listening **Off-key *Jarring
PAGE 9: HT Style Mumbai, Friday, June 23, 2006, http://www.hindustantimes.com/

2006-08-16T06:11:00.000-07:00

Kabir Bedi gets emotional at ‘Strings’ music launch

By Taran Adarsh, June 13, 2006 - 01:49 IST

The music release of Jolly Verghese’s Sanjay Jha-directed STRINGS – BOUND BY FAITH by Saregama, took place at Landmark at Infinity Mall, Versova on June 9.
Adam Bedi’s debut venture opposite Tannishtha Chatterjee and Sandhya Mridul, STRINGS is set against the backdrop of the Maha Kumbh and is India’s first travelogue film.Dad Kabir Bedi and sister Pooja Bedi were at the music launch to cheer Adam as was his girlfriend Nisha Harale. “It feels wonderful to be part of the celebrations of Adam’s debut film,” said a visibly emotional Kabir Bedi. Added sister Pooja, “I am here for my brother Adam. It’s a great feeling.” Director Sanjay Jha talked about how the idea of crafting India’s first travelogue film cropped up in his mind, and how egged on by his friend Jolly Verghese, he went about completing it.
Music director-singer Zubeen Garg was the hero of the day with the crowds cheering to his live performance at the mall. Zubeen rendered his STRINGS numbers as well as the super-hit ‘Ya Ali’ at the mall to loud cheers and “once mores”.

http://www.indiafm.com/news/2006/06/13/7281/

2006-08-14T23:12:00.000-07:00

Review on: Bound by Faith - Strings

When Pakistan hijacked Saigal
By: preran Jul 10, 2006 05:38 PM

Pros: Melodious, Unpretentious and refreshingly original
Cons: Why didn't they ask Gulzar for the lyrics?

Close your eyes, open your soul and let the music take over your senses. Strings-Bound by faith is a musical journey that will sweep you in its magic if you give yourself to it. Everything about this album is different, new and wonderful. I had no expectations when I caught up with these tunes at raaga.com. Now, I not only plan to buy the CD but gift it to a lot of people too.
Zubeen Garg (of Strings and Ya Ali fame) does himself proud in this album that introduces quite a few singers. Along with them, Zubeen has carved out an album that exudes
spirituality unlike Himesh Reshammiya’s higly pretentious Benares. So, while you read my review, I am going back to listen to the album. Happy reading folks!
_______________________________________
Album: Strings: Bound by faith
Music Director: Zubeen Garg
Singers: Zubeen Garg, Shashwati Phukaan, Anandita Paul, Brishti Saikia,Anagarang Mahanta, Souran Chowdhary
Lyrics: Don’t Know.

Piya Milan Ko Jaana
Singer : Zubeen Garg (Chorus)
Category: K L Saigal meets Sufi-Pop
Major Instruments: Guitar, Dholak, Tabla

I have nothing against remixes as long as they are done well and this song is a prime example. A remixed version of K L Saigal’s song by the same mukhda, Piya Milan Ko Jaana conveys the Joie de Vivre in the next-gen format. Without mimicking the earlier version, Zubeen takes this song up by several notches. Hardcore Saigal fans will disagree though.

Kaise Kahoon
Singers: Zubeen Garg, Shashwati Phukaan
Category: Romantic (sublime)
Major Instruments: Jaltarang (?), Dhol

Shashwati Phukaan, take a bow! With a very minimal orchestra to aid her, Shashwati rises above the music and lyrics to deliver a knockout performance. Geeta Dutt’s bass voice meets Lataji’s vocal proficiency in this lady’s rendition. In an industry surviving on Lata and Asha clones, Shashwati Phukaan is fresh air and a very fragrant one too. I do not know why but I felt that this ditty would have fit very well in a Subhash Ghai movie. Wonder why.

Ishq
Singer: Zubeen garg
Category: Sufi
Major Instruments: A variety of percussion, Keyboards

Just as I thought that I had it with Sufi numbers come these refreshing notes. Zubeen Garg does an efficient job without overdoing it which is more than you can say for all the Sufi songs (of late) put together-if only the lyrics were as good. Not that they are bad but they still have that "I have heard this before " feel to them.

Ramo Ramo
Singer: Zubeen Garg
Category: Sufi
Major Instrument: Stringed Instruments, Percussion

We now come to the piece de resistance of the album. Perfect lyrics, wonderful singing and an orchestra that knows its job very well. Before you know it, you will be singing

Bheeni Bheeni Bhor Bhole Bhajo
Ramo Ramo Ramo Ramo
Maange yahi var sabhi ko gale se lagaaye

I have fallen head over heels in love with this number. I just cannot have enough of it! If you want to buy this album for a song, it has got to be this one!!! Believe me, you will not regret it. Sample these lyrics

Jisne rache dharti ambar yahan
Jisne Rache parbat sagar yahan
Jis Brahm se moksh hai Hum usi mein samaaye...

After a load of crap, even these minimilastic lyrics sound like Ghalib to me.

Rimjhim Rimjhim
Singers: Anandita Paul, Brishti Saikia,Zubeen Garg
Category: Folk
Major Instruments : Ektara, Dhol

Maybe it is just the fact that the other numbers are so good or maybe this song plainly isn’t good enough. Despite the spirited singing, this is not something that you will want to listen to unless you are too bored to press the forward button. Good but not good enough.

Mantra (OM)
Singers: Anagarang Mahanta, Souran Chowdhary, Zubeen Garg
Category: Sanskrit Rap!
Major Instruments: Guitar, Tabla, Violins (Very Ecletic)

This is an AR Rahman meets R D Burmanesque composition. I am not a big fan of these types but I have to admit that it has got something very catchy to it although it is an extremely difficult sing-along. It could have fit into very well in Rang De Basanti. All said and done, this song will definitely not bore you. If not anything, the spirited singing will have you reaching for the rewind button.

Final Verdict: Three out of five. If the lyrics had been good enough, this album would have scored an easy four. If you are bored of Himesh Reshammiya (is there anyone else who isn’t by now?) and want to listen to some fresh voices, new instruments and melodious music which you can play anytime during the day, go and grab this album. Music in 2006 may not get better than this. I hope that I will be disproved.

http://www.mouthshut.com/review/
Bound_by_Faith_-_Strings-104976-1.html

note from jhaji:thank you for the review preran.i would like to correct some factual info. mention in the above review.
Zubeen Garg is an Indian.opening line of the song PIYA MILAN KO JANA is Pankaj Mallick’s,from Kapalkundala (1939).''mantra"understood as title"om" is a poem written by poet baba nagarjun,published in 1969. i appriciate your musical understanding,musical instruments are varied.cheers!!!

2006-08-14T22:32:00.000-07:00

Review on: Bound by Faith - Strings

Strings definetly strikes a chord with the soul
By: kashyap_uttara Jul 31, 2006 08:47 AM

Pros: Orginal and refreshing
Cons: Average Lyrics and little known artists

Absolutely Melodious- Modern melody blends immaculately with classical. Thankfully, this album is very indifferent to mainstream Bollywood. If you’re back packing on a voyage to soul searching- make sure to pack this one.

"Ramo Ramo" opens the doors to your own soul like the first rain after a scorching summer.

"OM (Mantra)" drenches thereafter with its power. There is a weird but very welcome sense of rebellion in the song.

Shashwati’s vocals in "Kaise Kahoon" are a perfect recipe to pamper your heart- she is the perfect alternative to producer’s who no longer can afford to write cheques in the order of Shreya Ghoshal.

Zubeen’s “Ishq” is revering, yet there are subtle currents of pain which will keep you in rendezvous with your own memories.

While what you paid for these four songs is way too less for what you’ll eventually experience- the other songs are more than good enough to tune into when you’re heating up your coffee or opening a can of beer- but reserve the pleasures of your drink for these four top notches.

Shortcomings- virtually unknown artists unfortunately may remain under the radar because of lack of promotions. Hopefully, the noise of Bollywood clique music will not drown Strings. And Finally, Zubeen Garg- thanks for letting us know we deserve better than what we are mostly subjected to with the modern day Bollywood clones (or tunes). -Kashyap. New York, USA

http://www.mouthshut.com/review/
Bound_by_Faith_-_Strings-106342-1.html

2006-08-14T22:18:00.000-07:00

Friday July 14, 12:50 PM

Movie Review : Strings
By Taran Adarsh

A majority of films appeal across all demographic groups. A few hold interest for the multiplex junta. And a tiny segment caters to a niche audience. Director Sanjay Jha's new outing STRINGS belongs to the third category.
After attempting a film on the life of middle class people living in chawls [PRAAN JAYE PAR SHAAN NA JAYE], Jha tells the story of an Englishman who arrives in Nasik, India to partake in the Maha Kumbh.
Interesting storyline, for sure. But interesting ideas don't necessarily translate into interesting films.
The problem with STRINGS is that it rests on a paper-thin plot and the backdrop of the Maha Kumbh is of no significance to the storyline. Even otherwise, STRINGS comes across as a documentary on Maha Kumbh, than a love story between an Englishman and a traditional Indian girl.
To sum up, STRINGS is more for the pseudo-critics than an ordinary moviegoer. It eyes the Festival circuit mainly, not even the multiplex crowd.
Warren Hastings [Adam Bedi], a British youth, arrives in Nasik with Maya [Sandhya Mridul], an urban Indian girl. Warren is plagued by a sort of unfulfilled quest, for an understanding of the mysticism of India, beyond his realms of imagination.
Maya puts up Warren at Krishna's [Tannishtha Chatterjee] residence. Krishna is the only child of a temple priest [Vineet Kumar], a widower. Warren and Krishna soon realize that they love each other and one day, Krishna sheds her inhibitions and succumbs to her feelings. In the end, Warren and Krishna realize that a deep bond has developed between them.
Come to think of it, STRINGS acts more as a showcase of the Maha Kumbh than a love story. Sure, it's a brilliant idea to place the story under the backdrop of the Maha Kumbh, but frankly there's no dum in the story in the first place. In fact, there's nothing in the film that would prompt the viewer to stay glued to the screen for the next 90 minutes, except for some visuals of the Maha Kumbh.
While there's no movement in at least three-fourths of the story, the turning point in the narrative -- when Warren and Krishna indulge in pre-marital sex -- also doesn't really come as a jolt or catch the viewer by surprise. Casual sex amongst youth holds no shock-value today, so the subsequent portions -- the girl starts feeling guilty and avoids the guy -- looks very strange, very weird.
Director Sanjay Jha focuses more on making colorful frames than packing in solid content. However, the guerilla style of film-making [form of film-making in which scenes are shot quickly at real locations without any warning] is what stands out the most. The other redeeming feature is Rajeev Shrivastava's cinematography. The locales of Nasik and the Maha Kumbh are a visual delight. As for the music, it looks completely forced in the narrative and has no relevance to the plot.
None of the performances are worth noting. Adam Bedi has miles to go before he can be called an actor. Tannishtha is too ordinary. Even the extremely efficient Sandhya Mridul doesn't work. Vineet Kumar tries too hard, but doesn't deliver.
On the whole, STRINGS is a poor show.

Rating :- *

http://in.movies.yahoo.com/060714/24/65vzx.html

2006-08-14T19:41:00.000-07:00

Film Review

Subhash K Jha

Language :ENGLISH/HINDI
Director: Sanjay Jha
Producer: Sanjay Jha, Mathew Varghese
Cast: Adam Bedi, Sandhya Mridul, Tannishtha Chatterjee, Sanjay Kumar, Deepak Kumar, Vineet Kumar
Music: Zubeen Garg
Cinematography: Rajeev Shrivastava
Editor :Hemanti Sarkar

Good intentions often don't translate into cinema of true worth. Sanjay Jha's Strings takes its young protagonist Warren Hastings(Adam Bedi) through a voyage into the mythic spirituality of the Hindu ethos.
The journey is at the most a half-baked seriously vapid attempt to capture the chants and visuals of the Kumbh Mela in a presentable package. The film fails miserably in keeping the faith alive. It instead strangulates the most cherishable aspects of the Hindu religion, turns it into a bundle of ineffectual energy and weans our attention into scenes that are woven into awkward pastiches of parodied spirituality.

Jha's film is like a pilgrimage to a holy place where the gods have fled. God-forsaken and utterly devoid of any robustness Strings is like a vapid fling with feelings with which the director doesn't know how to get connected .

Instead Jha relegates the rhythms of religion to a scratch-level exposition of the aromas of the agarbatti and the screech of the conchshell. Alas the scent of the incense incenses. The spiritual reality that Jha courts is a comic –book existentialism seen through the eyes of a tourist who thinks the 'soul' of Hinduism lies in the eyes of the temple belle whom he courts while another female companion(Sandhya Mridul, as feisty as ever) fumes over the growing relationship between the two.

The namby-pamby voyage of the doped has Bedi moving in with a pundit(Vineeth Kumar) and his daughter(Tanishtha Chatterjee). The story of the gora British guest and the chirpy pujari's daughter is so hackneyed , this could qualify as the stalest spiritual search since the invention of time.

The 90-minute exercise in utter futility is further encumbered by a couple of poorly choreographed music-video style songs which are meant to reveal the gay abandon of souls finding their métier in the melee of religiosity.

Rajeev Shrivastava captures the sights and sounds of the Kumbh Mela with brave lenses. But there's nothing to capture here beyond the touristic heaves and lurches of characters who seem to have been put in the religious milieu only because the director wanted to undertake an expedition into exotica.

Sanjay Jha could have spared himself and the audience the ordeal. The performers try hard to smother their giggles in a masquerade of sobriety. But you can't fight the inevitable. By the time the pundit's perky daughter says , 'I do' to the effeminate Britisher(whose accent keeps slipping into a yankee twang) the narrative has gone into a stage of advanced torpidity. Tragic waste of time and space.

http://sify.com/movies/bollywood/
review.php?id=14250346&ctid=5&cid=2425

2006-08-10T22:46:00.000-07:00

PIL against use of "Om"

Friday, July 14, 2006 Subscribe to Newsletter Allahabad (UNI):

Allahabad High Court asked Uttar Pradesh government, Central Censor Board and others to file a counter affidavit within 10 days in a PIL seeking stay on the exhibition of a film titled Strings.
The petitioner claims in this film the pious word 'Om' had been misused and it hurt the sentiment of crores of Hindus. A division bench comprising Justices S R Alam and Sudhir Agrawal yesterday, however, did not grant relief to the petitioner so far as stay on the exhibition of the film was concerned.
The PIL has been filed by Swami Angad Giri of Allahabad. He said the film was being released today.
The court also issued notices to film producer Mathew Varghese, director Sanjay Jha and Zubeen garg in this case to file their reply.

http://jhaji-jhaji.blogspot.com/

http://entertainment.oneindia.in/movies/
bollywood/news/strings-140706.html

2006-08-10T20:56:00.000-07:00

Hindu pilgrims protest Bollywood movie song

Holy men torch CDs and posters over song said to offend faith
The Associated Press (apwire)
Email Article Print Article
Published 2006-07-17 23:43 (KST)

ALLAHABAD, IndiaDozens of Hindu holy men in saffron robes torched CDs and posters for a new Bollywood film in northern India on Monday, saying one of the movie's songs has language offensive to the faith and should be banned.
Some of the holy men have asked a court in the Allahabad, a Hindu religious hub in Uttar Pradesh state, to pull the film from theaters. A hearing is set for July 25.
The protesters were mostly sadhus -- Hindu pilgrims who vow to be celibate and renounce material possessions, then wander the country visiting shrines in hope of atoning for their sins.The film, "Strings," is about a British man who tries to learn Indian spirituality by joining the sacred Kumbh festival, a massive regular gathering that often draws millions of Hindus."This film song has a lot of rubbish. It insults 'Om,' one of our holiest chants, and lampoons our national and religious icons in the filthiest language," said one sadhu, Suresh Maharaj, as he read out parts of the song that allegedly mocks Hindu practices and deities."If this film is not banned, it will create religious tension," said another protesting sadhu, Harishchandra Patel. "Our protests are only going to increase."
The sadhus shouted slogans against the makers of the film, directed by Sanjay Jha and featuring Adam Bedi.
They set fire to soundtrack CDs and posters promoting the movie.
Many critics have panned the film, which was released in theaters on Friday.
More than 80 percent of India's 1.06 billion people are Hindus.

The country also has large numbers of Muslims, Christians and followers of other faiths.

http://jhaji-jhaji.blogspot.com/

http://english.ohmynews.com/ArticleView/article_view.asp?no=305787&rel_no=1

2006-08-08T21:59:00.000-07:00

EDITORS NOTE
Strings
Hemanti Sarkar, Editing 1994. F.T.I.I

When Sanjay Jha told me he had shot an English film during the 2003 Kumbh Mela at Nasik and wanted me to edit it, my first reaction was, "Oh no! Another bit of spiritual mumbo-jumbo for the phirangs."
But when I started editing, I realised that it was one of the most challenging projects I‘ve ever worked on.What Sanjay had: Scenes shot to a bare narrative about a Brit called Warren (Adam Bedi) who comes to the Kumbh after reading his great grandfather's diary. Warren hopes to find the India his great grandfather was so enamoured with, and unearth the hidden strings binding him to this place. He stays with a priest and his daughter and develops a relationship with her – in other words, just another love story. But along with this, Sanjay had about three and a half hours of candid footage of the Kumbh Mela attended by over 2,00,000 devotees. Sanjay had a strong belief that somehow all this footage could be incorporated into the narrative. A love story against the backdrop of war, famine, riots or a sinking ship can be created and shot to requirement, but a Kumbh Mela of millions cannot (at least, not for an 80 lakh budget). Besides the Kumbh Mela is not a calamity but a spiritual experience for the protagonist. The pilgrimage is as much an internal journey as an external one, and that is what it should be for the viewer.
This was indeed a daunting task for both Sanjay and me. What worked in our favour was that none of the actors were known faces, so Sanjay had managed shots of the different characters walking or taking part in the Kumbh without people looking into the camera. And the film had looser scenes of Warren and the others just walking and visiting other places which could be shuffled around to get the desired structure.As we started working we realised that the Kumbh had become a strong silent protagonist, who influences all the other characters.
Initially when the Kumbh begins, it's just wide shots of faceless millions milling towards the river, as seen by Warren from the window. By the time the second song starts (Piya Milan ko Jaana), a sceptical Warren in his designer suit steps out to attend ‘India’s grandest festival'. We see incredulous naked sadhus and the old bunkum co-existing with equally frivolous rock groups, and millions taking their first dip. All this becomes part of the eternal circus which is the spirit of the Kumbh – a festival celebrating creation itself.As the film progresses Warren begins to join the circus, as in the rain song. As Warren, Krishna (the priest's daughter played by Tanishtha Chaterjee) and Maya celebrate the rain, baharupiya as Shiva takes shelter only to join back as Hanuman, (this constant interchange between gods and the concept of many gods and one god is a repeated theme in the film).
Amazingly, Sanjay had this footage of thousands of devotees braving the rain as they wait to take a dip, or others bathing in the drizzle. These we incorporated, giving the rain celebration a wider dimension. The song ends on shots of flash floods at Nasik where the river is in spate. Elsewhere, when Warren comes closer to Krishna, the Kumbh reveals a more human face. I could use early morning footage of common people at the Kumbh, some drying clothes, some praying, an old woman cautiously drawing a tilak. This built up the perfect ambience for Krishna meditating on the temple steps. Her faith blends with the faith of the common people and moves Warren. It is with her that he too merges with the millions as they roam the Kumbh. Soon their love song starts.By the time the second cut was done, we realised that the backdrop had given the film such a realistic travelogue texture that a typical lip synched love song just wouldn't work so we re-edited using shots of Warren and Krishna at Tribakeshwar. The challenge also was to interweave the Kumbh to express the mental state of the characters. As Warren gropes to find his great grandfather's India he does not connect to the maniacal naked sadhus taking a dip at 2 am. When things fall apart for Krishna and her father and their faith is shaken, they cannot blend and the Kumbh becomes alien.I don’t really know whether what we‘ve tried has worked or these are just thoughts in my head, and would like feedback in that respect once people see the film. Of course the film has a roughness that cannot be overlooked but I had enjoyed experimenting and editing a fiction film more in a documentary style, shuffling and changing things around to make the structure work.

http://www.graftii.com/ezine12.aspx

2006-08-07T08:10:00.000-07:00

Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Film director calls for dismissal of Censor Board

Staff Reporter
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: T.V. Chandran, film director, has called for the `dismissal' of the Censor Board.

He was speaking after inaugurating a seminar on `Censorship and super censorship,' organised as a part of 11th Trivandrum International Film Festival here, on Sunday.

"Film festivals and seminars are conducted with the intention of encouraging good films. However, the Censor Board has been playing a detrimental role in this," Mr. Chandran alleged.

E.N. Sajith, Censor Board member, highlighted the issue of `super censorship' imposed on films by pressure groups in society after their release.

K. Ramachandran Babu, cinematographer, alleged that politicians were stalling the screening of certain films for "political gains."

Sathyajith Mathippe, director from Sri Lanka, was of the view that the freedom of expression of film makers in the island nation was often curtailed on political and religious grounds.

The director Sanjay Jha, whose film Strings is featured at the festival, said his film had to face `super censorship' from religious leaders in North India. According to him, there should be a discussion on the guidelines required for making a film.

http://www.hindu.com/2006/08/01/stories/
2006080102020500.htm

2006-08-06T11:31:00.000-07:00

MOVIES AND MUSIC

Love in the times of a mela
Utpal Borpujari

Poet Baba Nagarjuna’s writings were revolutionary, to say the least. They had inspired and continue to inspire millions with their non-conformist thoughts, and one among these millions is Sanjay Jha, a former assistant to Hindi cinema’s three biggies— Mahesh Bhatt, Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Vidhu Vinod Chopra. So inspired was Jha, an alumni of the National School of Drama, that when he decided to make a film with the mental and physical travels of a few characters surrounding a real-life situation, he decided to zoom in on the last Maha Kumbh mela at Nashik with the underlying theme of the philosophical strains of Baba Nagarjuna’s poems, some of which have been used in the lyrics of the songs.

The result is Strings : Bound By Faith, which, though not a high point in marrying philosophies about life and relationships with the visually rich, verdant locales of Maharashtra’s Nashik area, is a sincere attempt at doing something different from the run of the mill. Compared to Jha’s first film Pran Jaaye Par Shaan Na Jaaye, which borrowed heavily from the theatrical style of presentation only to fall flat both in the box office and in front of critics, his fresh attempt is much more refreshing in the selection, treatment and execution of the storyline, which on the surface, is a simple boy-meets-girl-falls-in-love-with-a-few-twists-in-between narrative, but actually tries to bring in a lot more in terms of looking at Indian way of life through a young westerner’s eyes.

Shot in the midst of the last Maha Kumbh at Nashik and the sea of humanity it beckoned, Strings is quite a courageous effort by the young director, whose shoots had to depend literally on the tumultuous crowd’s mood. Luckily for him, Jha has chosen a cast that does not comprise any stars, and the actors could very easily merge with the crowd, making it much easier for him to handle the shoots.

Kabir Bedi’s son Adam, with his true-blue western looks, quite fits the gangly Warren Hastings he portrays. This Warren Hastings, of course, has nothing to do with the character with the same name from the pages of Imperial India’s history. He is, instead, a young Britisher who, intrigued by the diary of his grandfather who had served in this country, arrives at Nashik just as the Kumbh is about to take off. Through his friend Maya (Sandhya Mridul in another lively performance after Page 3), he meets Krishna (convincingly portrayed by Tannishtha Chatterjee, who has only recently acted in Oscar-winning German director Florian Gallenberger’s Bengali film Shadows of Time), the simple-but-aware daughter of a local temple priest. And slowly, their friendly relationship turns into mutual admiration and then into love as the Kumbh mela reaches its crescendo.

With just six major characters, Jha manages to keep up a smooth flow in the narrative, punctuated with sometimes unnecessary but nevertheless mellifluous music by Assamese heart-throb Zubeen Garg, for whom this is the first go at composing music for Hindi films after having sung a number of songs in films like Fiza and Kaante, apart from composing for around 30 Assamese films and over 100 modern and folk music albums. Having had its global premiere at the recent Osian’s Cinefan, the 7th Festival of Asian Cinema, in New Delhi, the film’s makers— Jha along with Mathew Varghese has produced it under the banner of Phoenix Productions (India)— are looking for a distributor to release this “totally independent” venture at least in the multiplex circuit at which it is primarily aimed.

http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/nov62005/
finearts143562005115.asp

2006-08-06T00:38:00.001-07:00

BOLLYWOOD FILM UNDER ATTACK ON THE NAME OF RELIGION

for 'OM' song

Staying with Uttar Pradesh, the Guardian carries a short AP report about some unhappy Hindu holy men (link added):

Dozens of Hindu holy men in saffron robes torched CDs and posters for a new Bollywood film in northern India yesterday, saying one of the movie's songs has language offensive to the faith and should be banned.

Some of the holy men have asked a court in Allahabad, a Hindu religious hub in Uttar Pradesh state, to pull the film from theatres.

...The film, Strings, is about a British man who tries to learn Indian spirituality by joining the sacred Kumbh festival.

Further details were provided by IndiaFM News Bureau a few days ago:

The song called 'Mantra' originally is a poem written by Baba Nagarjun 1969. It was however, banned for sometime in 1977...The lyrics though controversial, speak about the drawbacks in the democratic set-up.

Baba Nagarjuna was an Indian writer and convert to Buddhism and Marxism who died in 1998; his obituary in the Indian Tribune can be read here. The song contains the sacred word “Om”, which has caused particular upset; it can be heard on the website of composer Zubeen Garg.

The controversy will no doubt boost interest in a film which reviewers have found lacklustre. From IndiaFM:

The problem with STRINGS is that it rests on a paper-thin plot and the backdrop of the Maha Kumbh is of no significance to the storyline...STRINGS is more for the pseudo-critics than an ordinary moviegoer. It eyes the Festival circuit mainly, not even the multiplex crowd...None of the performances are worth noting...a poor show.

The New Kerala concurs:

The journey is at the most a half-baked vapid attempt to capture the chants and visuals of the Kumbh Mela in a presentable package.

The film fails miserably in keeping the faith alive. It instead strangulates the most cherished aspects of the Hindu religion, turns it ineffectual and weans our attention to scenes that are woven into awkward pastiches of spirituality… so hackneyed that the film could qualify as the stalest spiritual search since the invention of time.

IndiaFM describes the actual plot (square brackets in original):

Warren Hastings [Adam Bedi], a British youth, arrives in Nasik with Maya [Sandhya Mridul], an urban Indian girl. Warren is plagued by a sort of unfulfilled quest, for an understanding of the mysticism of India, beyond his realms of imagination.Maya puts up Warren at Krishna's [Tannishtha Chatterjee] residence. Krishna is the only child of a temple priest [Vineet Kumar], a widower. Warren and Krishna soon realize that they love each other and one day, Krishna sheds her inhibitions and succumbs to her feelings. In the end, Warren and Krishna realize that a deep bond has developed between them.

A short bio of the film’s director, Sanjay Jha, can be seen here.

http://blogs.salon.com/0003494/2006/07/18.html

2006-07-09T22:57:00.000-07:00

STRINGS
A Travelogue love story

This largely English language film is set, oddly enough, against one of India’s mega events of the Hindu faith, recognized as the world’s largest for its magnitude. The biggest Indian Spiritual showcase of Indian heritage “MAHA KUMBH” is the backdrop of the film – “Strings”. The film is actually shot during the event itself.
The pilgrimage city of Nasik plays host to the “Maha Kumbh” held once in twelve years depending on the cosmic position of the Sun, Moon & Jupiter in a particular formation according to the almanac. According to the Hindu mythology there was a battle for “Amrut” a sort of nectar granting immortality, between the Gods & the Demons. Nasik had the privilege of being one of the places where nectar fell from the urn whilst the battle was on. Over 50 million people come to the “Maha Kumbh” to pay homage & sustain within themselves a hope to achieve immortality. It has a ritual of bathing in the river that absolves the devotees of their sins. It is one of the biggest events that over whelms one by its sheer magnitude with respect to numbers and faith of the devotees who come together to experience “the great fair of the vessel of immortality” the “Maha Kumbh”. Strings is the story of an English man Warren, Krishna the daughter of Pandit Dinanath & Maya his friend.

Strings follows Warren Hastings (introducing actor, Adam Bedi), a British youth who has been persuaded to experience the Mahakumbh at the behest of his email friend, Maya (Sandhya Mridul), a cosmopolitan and Indian urban girl. Warren has another mission though. Warren is plagued by a sort of unfulfilled quest, for an understanding of the mysticism of India, beyond his realms of imagination. This has been nurtured within him by the writings of his grandfather in a personal diary written during his posting in India. Warren is a sensitive person & hence has set upon a journey to unravel the secrets. His quest is provoked by the reasoning of his grandfather as written in the personal diary.

Warren then meets Krishna (Tannishtha Chatterjee), the only child of a temple priest Pandit Dinanath (Vineet Kumar). Pandit Dinanath a widower has brought up Krishna since the loss of his wife at child birth. Krishna is filled with a sort of guilt & remorse because of her mother’s death for which she unconsciously blames herself. Pandit Dinanath by his teaching & logic has freed Krishna from her guilt. Krishna has grown up with an essence of Indian culture & its values, holding firm opinion & respect for her culture & religious traditions.

Krishna is a blend of having imbibed the richness of Indian culture while fitting in with contemporary life and thinking. Warren & Krishna meet in the backdrop of chaos & conflicts. Their diversity soon brings them close to each other, and is soon privy to the orchestrations of love. For her to accept the feelings she has for Warren and gives in to a forbidden love, is difficult. She does so define the tenets of her upbringing. Their life is blissful & stands tall to the power of togetherness until one day Krishna sheds her inhibitions & succumbs to her feelings. It is the tale of a girl who stands tall to the virtue of love and who is ready to shed her ethos even to the extent of defying her father, who has sacrificed his whole life for her happiness. The most hurtful aspect is the need to question her father, who has been her single minded support in life. An intriguing thought definitely is from where Krishna gathers this inner strength.

Strings is the story of life & relationship beyond the seen & foreseen.

http://stringsmovie.com/

2006-07-09T22:46:00.000-07:00

Director's vision

Stretching the ties that bind...

“Om shabd (word) hi Brahma (divine) hai …shabd aur shabd aur shabd”. These words by the poet Nagarjuna give an immense internal power of imagery that is divine. “Om Bimb (image) hi Brahma (divine) hai.Bimb aur bimb aur bimb.”

It was in the days of monsoon that I conceived the theme of this story which was visually rich & spiritually deep. Being a travelogue film, it is about a man’s journey with the backdrop of Maha kumbh as the setting of the film which is bound in a documental style. The story involves realistic characters and situations but intermittently becomes a dramatic musical with surreal theatricality. Unlike my debut film, in which I had adopted the theatrical approach, this film has a cinematographic approach that fits the story and gives the visual style. I had a great crew and lot of luck. The movie is full of shots that prove it. My music director (Zubeen Garg) is the biggest ‘jugaad’ (the word doesn’t have a literal translation in English, closely it means making a rocket out of a bicycle) who blessed me with his Assamese music compositions.

I want the audience to also feel the event and journey within and also to share the same experience as the character does in the story.

I was seeking an experience of a spiritual journey in the film. The film has helped me to appreciate the fear that is felt by a number of new comers worldwide and to continue to survive as an independent filmmaker.

My aim was to make a beautiful film out of an unbelievably dire existence of support. We pulled in every favor we could get and people were supportive. But I had a true friend Mathew Varghese who believed in me and it is only with his support that I am able to share my vision. “We dare you to dream” is the logo for his Phoenix Productions and he believes in it completely. I vouch he does.

I am content with the knowledge that I have made, with the help of theatrical and sensual honesty, a unique genre film-a travelogue film of 2005 in Bollywood, India.

P.S.
This note will only be complete when I am able to market this film one day..
Journey continues..

I would also like to thank all those numerous individuals whose constant support and enthusiasm kept my vision alive.
To the making of ''STRINGS''we have devoted three years of our lives.Every minute has been worth it!!
Love always.
jhaji.

http://jhaji-jhaji.blogspot.com/