Naren's indie round-up/ March 2025, Ep 2

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR

Pankaj Udhas/ Baithi Ho Kyon Gumsum

Label: T-Series 

Rating: *** 1/2

The song 'Baithi Ho Kyon Gumsum' was released on February 26 to mark a year since ghazal maestro Pankaj Udhas left us. Here, Ananda Shankar's original composition was recreated by Deepak Pandit and Udhas, but the song wasn't released earlier.

The lyrics have also been written by Udhas, who sings, "Baithi ho kyon gumsum, itna bolo na; oh soch rahi ho kya, itna bolo na, tum itna bolo na". The flute by ID Rao and sitar passage by Sunil Das perk up the orchestration, with Pratibha Singh Baghel on a brief backing vocal part.

Arif Khan's video, featuring Ritwik Bhowmick and Tanya, is about a man offering solace to a friend who's lost her husband. It's a simple storyline filled with emotion.

Divya Nigam Dayal/ Yeh Kaisi Hai Zindagi

Label: Self-released 

Rating: *** 1/2

Singer-musicologist Divya Nigam Dayal recently released her ghazal book Sawaalon Ke Parey: Kuchh Aur Zindagi. She chose one of the ghazals 'Yeh Kaisi Hai Zindagi' and converted it into song, which she composed and sang.

The song has philosophical lines like, "Yeh kaisi hai zindagi, yeh safar hai kaisa; sab yahaan par chal rahe hain, manzil ko kisne dekha". Later, she sings, "Kaun kisko dhoondhta hai, kaun kisko maangta hai, zindagi se kya mila hai, zindagi ko kya diya hai, yeh paheli koi na jaane, zindagi ka kya sira hai".

The music has been programmed by Atul Raninga, with inputs from guitarist Sanjoy Das and saxophonist ID Rao. There's a certain melancholy about the orchestration that goes with the song.

Archit Daniel/ Bebasi

Label: Self-released 

Rating; ***

On 'Bebasi', singer-songwriter Archit Daniel tells the story of heartbreak. His voice exudes emotion, and the song builds up in tempo, giving it a power ballad vibe.

The words go, "Main hoon khada bikhara hua, ae rab tu ne yeh kyon kiya, mera jahaan us se judaa, jeena mera mushkil hua". Priyanshu Soni produces the track, which is backed by well-structured guitars and hummed phrases.

The song's plus point lies in the lyrics. It would be best to pay attention a few times to absorb the song.

Vishwa Bhatt/ Indie Beats

Label: Self-released 

Rating: ** 1/2

Here's a song that looks better than it sounds. On 'Indie Beats', singer Vishwa Bhatt attempts to fuse a traditional classical flavour with modern hip-hop and tabla rhythms. The problem is that though it's a short song of less than two and a half minutes, the tune gets repetitive with the line "I Will Groove On The Street" repeated monotonously.

To our relief, the video is colourful, with some well-executed classical dance shots, and backdrops of vibrant streets and buildings with ethnic architecture. The idea of showing the different colours of India is welcome, but wish the music had more variety. It's fine for a club, at best.

Rohit Kulkarni/ Running Away

Label: Self-released 

Rating: ****

A month after releasing the single 'Time Always Flies', singer-guitarist Rohit Kulkarni comes out with 'Running Away'. The first thing that strikes you is the lyrics, as he sings, "Sitting at home, on your self-made throne, men are fighting all day, and I'm running away from things that make me wanna hide".

There are, of course, the prog-rock influence, mandatory guitar interlude, vocal harmonies and tight drumming. The climax is really well-done, as Rohit repeats the 'running away' line.

Besides being behind the Pink Floyd tribute group Think Floyd (later named Think Floydian), Rohit has released the album The Boy Who Dreamed. He's set to release more songs over the coming months, and we're looking forward. 









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