MUMBAI: How did a sixty-year-old man compose a youthful track like Mere Sapno Ki Raani? Why the Nightingale of India, Bharat Ratna Lata Mangeshkar choose Hemant Kumar for her first song after her brief, yet fatal illness in the 60’s? What makes Rahul Dev Burman – a composer, whose tracks are the most remixed? Answers to these questions and many interesting anecdotes will bring out the personalities of four most iconic composers of Indian music namely, Salil Chowdhary, Sachin Dev Burman, Hemant Kumar, Rahul Dev Burman, at The Bengal Tigers. The show named is so, due to the happy coincidence that all these stalwarts were Bengalis.

Conceived and curated by music composer Rahul Ranade, proves why there is a difference between a musician creating a show and an event manager putting up a show. “The concept of ‘Orchestra’ is marred by the sheer disorganized approach in India. I mean to bring a lot of discipline to the format.  Usually, when we attend an orchestra, we see the compere brandishing bunch of papers and just announcing the next song. First and foremost, I personally do not endorse the term compere. The Bengal Tigers doesn’t have a compere but a host. We are glad to have someone like Sumeet Raghavan, who will be the host for the show. He will build a narrative around the classic melodies and interesting stories about these legends.”

Continuing on the same, he says, “Also, the new trend of an orchestra is to display the original visuals, while the singers are singing live at the show. I have removed that too, as the focus deviates from the song.”

While the trivia is available on the internet, there are many behind the scene stories that will hold dear to any music lover. For instance, the unique relationship between Kishore Kumar and S D Burman and how S D Burman would catch his singers off-guard is not available on the internet. But, would this information be authentic? Well, the show will have one of the living legends, who have worked with all four of these maestros to share her experiences. The evergreen Asha Bhosale, will grace the show and open her trunk of memories with these music composers. “Asha Tai is one of the few living legends, who has worked with all four of them. Therefore, beyond her blessed presence, her sharing experiences will make the show a treat for the audience,” comments Rahul.

The show will feature some of the best talents in the music industry- Shailaja Subramanian, Anindita Paul, Adish Telang and Hrishikesh Ranade on vocals and a troupe of 15 musicians on melody and percussion instruments, conducted by one of the most revered names in music fraternity Kamlesh Bhadkamkar.

“I wanted to eliminate the whole part, where the singers read the lyrics and sing during a live show and my team had started practicing the same way. However, when we got the confirmation of Asha Tai’s presence, the singers requested to have cue cards, as they didn’t want to take any risks. But this team is amazing as they know their work just right and are committed to what they are doing,” shares Rahul.

Rahul reveals the intention to curate an event of this scale, “We are running towards mediocrity today. As a musician myself, when I hear the music created by legends like these, I suffer an inferiority complex. It also makes me wonder if such body of work could be equalled, leave alone, surpassed by musicians of my generation or the coming one?”

For someone who treasures history of India film music, The Bengal Tigers is a must-attend event, which will showcase the history, body of work and profiles of the four pillars of Indian film music.

Event: The Bengal Tigers

Where: Sri Shanmukhananda Hall, Sion (E)

When: September 01, 7.00 PM Onwards

Tickets available on Bookmyshow.com