Honouring A Legend Options

[Pradeep]

He aspired to be a singer but thanked the Almighty for creating the tunes for over 250 films in various languages. Padmashree Pandit Ravi Shankar Sharma or simply Ravi to his infinite number of fans was bestowed the Sanskriti Kalashree Award here yesterday. This is the fourth year Sanskriti has been honouring the legends of art and culture. The earlier recipients were AVM Saravanan, S P Balasubramaniam and Vyjayantimala Bali.


Veteran music-composer Pandit Ravi Shankar Sharma being honoured with 'Sanskriti Kalashree Award' at a function in Chennai yesterday.

Saravanan recalled with nostalgia his association with Ravi for two films produced by him.

Sau Baar Janam Lenge was appropriately the evening was coined. Singers of substance rendered the immortal classics of the great music director. Aage bhi jane na tu, a number from the film Waqt was one delight. Those were the days when the threesome combination of B R Chopra, Mohammad Rafi and Ravi were unbeatable. Even a stone would have melted when Suresh Chourararia did justice to the title song Choudahanvi ka Chand.

The living legend owed his gratitude to Hemant Kumar, who took him under his wings, spotting his talent from a crowd of chorus singers. Ravi said he had a special affinity to South, having worked for Venus Productions, Gemini and AVM.

The great man's intrinsic abilities to have the minimum number of instruments for the best effects came in for appreciation in the well read out citation. 'But for Ravi, there would have been no Mahendra Kapoor nor the delightful numbers from Hamraaz and Waqt.'

On calling it quits in the early 70s - career spanning around four decades - Ravi said he had his days and no way he could have slipped into the present scenario. Compromise on his musical score is the last thing he would have done.

Recollecting a few lighter moments, Ravi had the audience craving for more. With the promise of another evening, the octogenarian took leave. It took a long while for the applause to subside.

-- K.V.Vasudevan (http://newstodaynet.com/24jun/ss2.htm)

[desai2rn]

A very well deserved award for Ravi. I believe he did not get enough
recoginition in film industry for his contribution.

Ramesh.