Science and commerce is killing Arts

Date: 25-Mar-2014

Every day we start radio and then switch to our collection of old melodious music, and say “Why don’t we have good music today”. What have we lost is soft music which doesn’t overshadow meaningful lyrics and beautiful voice of singers. How come we do not have such good singers now, how we do not have good music now? It’s so difficult to understand. Every now and then we say this new generation is so smart, and yet what we see is outcome is quite disappointing. Question still unanswered why?

And then it took me to my school days when we were not allowed to use calculators till college. Once you start using calculators you almost lose how to add or multiply those numbers in your head or even on paper. So is this new technology a reason? Being an Engineer it feels sad to blame it on technology (Science). But whatever I have heard is there is a lot that can be improved by Sound Engineering. Earlier singers had to sit and riyaz (practice) for years to improve; now you have machines to do this job, easy way out. And with new generation, comes more smartness less patience. No one will allow a delay of day to record a song ‘coz singer or music director is not completely satisfied. They will go ahead, record and then improve it. You don’t even need to sing in live shows, that all can be managed ;). Now who will waste their time in Riyaz, they will use that time for grooming and marketing.

Now let’s talk about lyrics (close to my heart), where are they. It is so difficult to even notice and remember ones. Why? Simply ‘coz good soft meaningful songs are not saleable entity. Who has time for in-depth emotions expressed through lyrics? Come-on this is a generation who knows how to get over a break-up in 30 mins, who will listen to:

Tu is tarah se meri zindagi mein shameel hai
jahan bhi jaun yeh lagta hai teri mehfil hai

Yeh aasman yeh badal ye raastey ye hava
har ek cheez hai apni jagat thikane pe
kai dino se shikayat nahin zamane se (my favorite line)

What sells in today’s time is a hit number. I never understood why it’s called number, I am old fashioned and still call it song. May be it makes sense if you understand commerce. You have one hit dance number, which can be played in parties, you have cracked it. Youngsters want to watch that one song on big screen to copy those dance steps in party. Easiest promotion of movie, isn’t it? Does now calling a song as number makes sense…..

For the whole movie business, it’s all about science and commerce now. It’s all about one weekend business, 3 nights 2 day package. What gets audience to theatre is just promotion. After 3 days pirated movie recordings are all over the internet. No word of mouth publicity, no great reviews can help. So why would producer bother for it. Half of movie’s budget is spent on promotion. Other half is on bankable stars (not actors or artists), who work a lot in gym for six pack abs and zero figures, wear good designer clothes, recipe for a perfect blockbuster masala movie.

I am still not cynical about it. Though Science and Commerce is everywhere now, I am optimistic that Arts will still make it’s way. Some good movies sometimes do well at box office and we call it Commercial art movie J. Yes new definition is whenever there is a story and some acting in a movie it is called as Art Movie.

Umeed pe duniya kayam hai. Let’s hope for some good lyricists to take time out and write soulful songs, some music director to arrange music to enhance lyrics and some singer to just sing it with simplicity and emotions to touch audience hearts. Till then, we will listen to old melodies and say

Woh din kabhi to aayega……………………….