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Hamara Forums _ Geeta Dutt _ Geeta's Daughter

Posted by: asad May 5 2005, 10:15 PM

I don't know if you all have seen this article. It was published in Indya.com.
here's the link.

http://music.indya.com/features/nonfilm/ninamemon_in.html

The article is also posted below...except for her lovely photograph...which I couldn't copy and paste.


A singer named Nina Memon is about to cut her first album. So what's new in this age of Indipop? Nothing, except that Nina is the daughter of legendary playback singer Geeta Dutt, who immortalised songs like Mera naam chin chin choo and Aaj sajan mohe ang laga lo with her sensuous renditions and golden voice.

Nina was ten when she lost her mother Geeta Dutt. An early marriage to Mehmood's nephew Naushad and subsequent motherhood propelled Nina to put her singing ambitions on the backburner. Now, Nina is ready to make her foray into the music world with her first album Kaisa hai ye pyaar.

College friend Tutun Roy, a talented guitarist and a music programmer, has composed eight numbers, which include a hardcore rock and roll and a rap duet with Lucky Ali's younger brother Mansoor Ali. Tutun Roy describes Nina's voice as "unique, and very deep". indya.com met Nina on her recent visit to Mumbai. Excerpts from an interview.

What motivated you to think of singing as a career today?
My main inspiration is my husband. In fact, since my marriage to Naushad 13 years ago, he has been urging me to take up music professionally. Though I love music, I didn't do it as I wanted to give enough time to my kids. Today my daughter Nafisa is twelve and my son Aman is eight. Now I feel I have the time and the space to do something for myself. Music has naturally been my first choice.

Was your mother Geeta Dutt your first teacher of music?
No. My mother passed away when I was just ten. She was tied up with a lot of work. So I couldn't learn from her. She did arrange a music teacher for me at one point, but I really picked up music only in my teens.

What are your strongest memories of your mother?
There was a lot of mischief in my mother. She was fun loving. She loved to have friends around her. I do not remember ever seeing my mother alone. She was an in-doors person and liked to be at home. She'd be cooking and then ever so often she would pull out the harmonium and sing both Hindi and Bengali songs. A tabalchi named Debu would accompany her.

What are our memories of your father, Guru Dutt?
My father died when I was just two. I know him just as the world knows him, as a great filmmaker. I have no personal memories.

One can see, you have eyes like your mother's and some of her other features. Would you say your style of singing is like hers?
No. My voice is huskier than my mother's. Probably an expression here and there may remind one of her style, but I don't attempt to sound like her. I hope mom's fans will give me a chance. I know comparisons are inevitable.

What kind of music appeals to you?
I am all for melody. My top favourites among my mother's songs are Waqt ne kiya and Chale aao. I don't care much for the likes of Punjabi pop. Tutun and I have ensured that my first album has a lot of melody.

What are your future plans?
I am open to doing any kind of music, even playback singing, provided I feel I have the space to do it well. I would like to do a tribute to both my father and mother. In fact, I am working on a collection of my mother's songs. But I would like to release that later. First, I want people to hear my voice and accept me. I guess, they would then be easier on me.

Munmun Ghosh

Posted by: abbasi011468 May 6 2005, 03:28 PM

Is this album available any where or someone have the songs?

Posted by: Nikita Choudhary Feb 20 2007, 07:18 AM

Didn't hear anything on this since last year or so..Did Neena release that album ?

Any one knows anything, please share

Niki

Posted by: parag_sankla Apr 1 2009, 01:34 AM

QUOTE(asad @ May 5 2005, 09:45 AM) *

I don't know if you all have seen this article. It was published in Indya.com.
here's the link.

http://music.indya.com/features/nonfilm/ninamemon_in.html

The article is also posted below...except for her lovely photograph...which I couldn't copy and paste.


A singer named Nina Memon is about to cut her first album. So what's new in this age of Indipop? Nothing, except that Nina is the daughter of legendary playback singer Geeta Dutt, who immortalised songs like Mera naam chin chin choo and Aaj sajan mohe ang laga lo with her sensuous renditions and golden voice.

Nina was ten when she lost her mother Geeta Dutt. An early marriage to Mehmood's nephew Naushad and subsequent motherhood propelled Nina to put her singing ambitions on the backburner. Now, Nina is ready to make her foray into the music world with her first album Kaisa hai ye pyaar.

College friend Tutun Roy, a talented guitarist and a music programmer, has composed eight numbers, which include a hardcore rock and roll and a rap duet with Lucky Ali's younger brother Mansoor Ali. Tutun Roy describes Nina's voice as "unique, and very deep". indya.com met Nina on her recent visit to Mumbai. Excerpts from an interview.

What motivated you to think of singing as a career today?
My main inspiration is my husband. In fact, since my marriage to Naushad 13 years ago, he has been urging me to take up music professionally. Though I love music, I didn't do it as I wanted to give enough time to my kids. Today my daughter Nafisa is twelve and my son Aman is eight. Now I feel I have the time and the space to do something for myself. Music has naturally been my first choice.

Was your mother Geeta Dutt your first teacher of music?
No. My mother passed away when I was just ten. She was tied up with a lot of work. So I couldn't learn from her. She did arrange a music teacher for me at one point, but I really picked up music only in my teens.

What are your strongest memories of your mother?
There was a lot of mischief in my mother. She was fun loving. She loved to have friends around her. I do not remember ever seeing my mother alone. She was an in-doors person and liked to be at home. She'd be cooking and then ever so often she would pull out the harmonium and sing both Hindi and Bengali songs. A tabalchi named Debu would accompany her.

What are our memories of your father, Guru Dutt?
My father died when I was just two. I know him just as the world knows him, as a great filmmaker. I have no personal memories.

One can see, you have eyes like your mother's and some of her other features. Would you say your style of singing is like hers?
No. My voice is huskier than my mother's. Probably an expression here and there may remind one of her style, but I don't attempt to sound like her. I hope mom's fans will give me a chance. I know comparisons are inevitable.

What kind of music appeals to you?
I am all for melody. My top favourites among my mother's songs are Waqt ne kiya and Chale aao. I don't care much for the likes of Punjabi pop. Tutun and I have ensured that my first album has a lot of melody.

What are your future plans?
I am open to doing any kind of music, even playback singing, provided I feel I have the space to do it well. I would like to do a tribute to both my father and mother. In fact, I am working on a collection of my mother's songs. But I would like to release that later. First, I want people to hear my voice and accept me. I guess, they would then be easier on me.

Munmun Ghosh



Any update on this album by Geeta ji's daughter?


Posted by: hildebrand Apr 2 2009, 03:16 AM

I couldn't find anything on the net regarding the album.
But I did find another snippet http://www.hindisong.com/Snip/Snip.asp?SnipTypeID=175:-

QUOTE

Tribute to Geeta Dutt: Late singer Geeta Dutt's daughter has decided to give the perfect gift on her mother's 75th birth anniversary. Nina Dutt Menon will be remixing two of her mother's hits and hopes that people will appreciate the effort. She is still in the process of choosing the two songs to remix from a huge number. Geeta Dutt would have been proud and touched.


Another http://www.india-today.com/itoday/20001009/eyecats.shtml talks about her searching for buyers.

QUOTE

Nina Memon was a toddler when she lost her parents, legendary singer Geeta Dutt and filmmaker-actor Guru Dutt. But though she doesn't remember dad, and memories of mum are "misty", the world can't forget. It makes things easier as she approaches music companies these days with her debut pop album. The 38-year-old, by the way, "didn't want to do the usual thing: make a demo, then do as the company says. I wanted to give them a finished product". Lady, you've got goodwill and guts on your side.


Also found http://www.india-forums.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=177152which has her partial interview.

QUOTE

Composer Bhupenda Hazarika, Nina Dutt-Memon and Arun Dutt
Sometimes, it's a mixed blessing to be born to legendary parents because it's a tough task to move out of the stellar orbit to gain an independent identity. At the same time, initial audience acceptance proves easier, thanks to the famous family connection.

This is the case with the late Guru Dutt and his late wife Geeta Dutt's children. While brother Arun Dutt is busy working on animation movies, sibling Nina Dutt Memon is recording her pop-album.

No Geeta clone

"As a fond tribute to my mom, I will be singing two of my favourite numbers, Mera naam chin chin chu and Babuji dheere chalna from her vast repertoire arranged by Parikshit Sharma. Fortunately, my voice is husky and has a sensuous bass element to it, very different from my mom's resonant high-pitched voice.

So I have not even tried to imitate my mother's voice. I do not wish to be compared with her.

We are retaining the flavour of the original numbers with some extra electronic sounds by Anuj M to connect with today's generation," discloses Nina, happily married to Naushad Memon, currently creative director with the F C Mehra banner who is also the producer of the album.

But wasn't she trying to establish her image as a pop-singer? "Of course, in my album Pal — Moments of My Life, there are six original compositions composed by Tutul Roy. There are varying moments and moods for each song, designed to appeal all ages," she assures.

No acting

Considering that she is Guru Dutt's daughter, did she ever dream of getting into movies as an actress ? "Honestly, I don't think acting is my cup of tea.
Of course, by default, I may have to be part of the music video of Chin chin chu. As a little kid, my mother would make me repeatedly sing Allah tero naam, ishwar tero naam and she had hired a music instructor to train me
Later, I was under the tutelage of Malayda Chakraborty for classical vocals.

The album Pal would be my cherished gift to my mom and dad whose awesome music-sense is evident in all his film songs," elaborates Nina.

Family first

What was the reason for remaining out-of-focus for all these years ?

"Since my family and the upbringing of my kids has been my only priority, I never got to dabble in showbiz except for some occasional live concerts.
And we kept moving to Canada and then to Pune. I have religiously kept away from the glare of limelight.

Keeping a low-key is what keeps me content," she justifies. Considering the melody throbbing in her genes, it shouldn't come as a surprise if Nina, proves to be a chip off the old (melody) block.


Another detailed one http://www.screenindia.com/old/print.php?content_id=12071 Nina talks about the album.

QUOTE

To mom, with love


Geeta Dutt’s daughter pays tribute to her mother with remixes of two of her evergreen chart-toppers that Nina has lent her voice to in her debut album Pal. The video of ‘Mera naam Chin Chin Choo...’ will also feature Guru and Geeta Dutt’s granddaughter Nafeesa and will be directed by her father, Naushad

screen
She’s Guru Dutt’s daughter and admits she doesn’t remember him at all because he passed away when she was just two. Nina got to spend 10 years more with her mother but even Geeta Dutt went away too soon leaving her with the lingering taste of her crab curry. “My mother was a fabulous cook and I could always tell when someone else had made my favourite crab curry and would inevitably throw a royal tantrum,” Nina laughs. MIDBANNER

She also holds on to the precious memory of music sittings with the top-ranking singer. “Ma would sit on the harmonium with me and make me croon ‘Allah tero naam...’ after her,” Nina reminisces. Though Geeta was often ill during her growing up years, her daughter remembers her as a gentle but jovial person who loved being with her friends, was rarely mayoos and never lost her temper.

Today, it’s these remembrances and some unforgettable melodies that is all Nina has left of her mother. ‘Waqt ne kiya kya haseen situm...’ is her chosen gem from Geeta Dutt’s treasure trove. Incidentally, it’s also her 17-year-old daughter, Nafeesa’s best-loved song of her nani’s though it’s a “rather sad melody”. “I guess ‘Waqt ne kiya...’ has grown on Nafeesa because she’s heard me humming it all the time,” Nina points out. This classic from Kaagaz Ke Phool does not figure in the video album that mother and daughter will be coming out with soon.

Pal is a compilation of eight numbers. Six of them are original pop songs depicting moments from a woman’s life at different stages and in a variety of moods. They have been penned by Manoj Kapadia and composed by Tutun Roy. The remaining couple of songs for which also Nina has lent her voice are remixes of two Geeta Dutt hits, ‘Babuji dheere chalna...’ from CID and ‘Mera naam Chin Chin Choo...’ from China Town. The latter will be filmed on Nafessa and the video will be directed by her father, Naushad Memon.

Nina admits that her husband has been pushing her to cut an album for years but while the kids were growing up there was no time to spare. Now that Nafeesa is in college and her son in the 8th standard, Nina could let the germ of an idea blossom into what has already become a talked about project.

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The decision to include ‘Chin Chin Choo...’ stems from the fact that it’s a fast-paced peppy numbers and both Naushad and Nina felt that with a new sound and a more contemporary look it could be used to target the youth.

“I’ve loved the song since I was five years old and must have heard it over a 1000 times by now. It’s got a very catchy beat,” raves Nafeesa. The Home Science student who’s only last year posed for her first photo shoot for designer clothes and jewellery, is all excited about appearing in the ‘Mera naam Chin Chin Choo...’video. “It was mom who suggested my name to my dad and I was like ‘Yeah, sure’,” she giggles. They start shooting in 15-20 days and Nafeesa can’t wait to face the camera again.

“The mood is very abstract, the choreography very modern with lots of colour, different dance movements and three changes for Nafeesa. It’s not going to be anything like the ‘Chin Chin Choo’ you’ve seen before because while you can recycle an old hit using technology to give it a new sound, you can’t go back to the same period and ape its picturisation,” points out her director father, adding with a smile, “So, I’d say our ‘Chin Chin Choo...’ is an old tune in a new package.”

Moving on to his singer-wife Naushad admits that Nina’s voice is very different from her mother’s. “There was a sharpness to Geetaji’s voice, Nina’s is more husky. That’s why I advised her not to ape her mother. Not only would she find that difficult but given the fact that Geetaji was a remarkable singer, it would be difficult for Nina to reach anywhere close to her. People remember the song but today in the age of remixes, I’m sure they would be open to a new sound and style given the fact that the singer is Geetaji’s own daughter,” he reasons.

Despite his assurances and reassurances Nina admits that at the recording studio she was in jitters. “I have a very base voice so it was quite an effort to raise my scale to that of my mother’s which was way to high for me,” she confesses candidly. “All through the recording I was telling myself...telling her rather to ‘be with me’.”

However, compared to ‘Babuji dheere chalna...’, Nina asserts, that ‘Mera naam Chin Chin Choo...’ was really a cakewalk. “‘Babuji...’ is a song with a lot of expressions and as you can imagaine, it’s not easy to imitate mom. I had to ensure that the “feel” of the song came through.”

Pal is Nina’s tribute to her mother. She points out that a lot has been done to keep the memory of Guru Dutt and his movies alive. Nasreen Munni Kabir who penned the popular Guru Dutt—A Life in Cinema has recently released another book of 37 previously unpublished letters that Guru Dutt wrote to Geeta including a few postcards he sent to his sons, Tarun and Arun, Yours Guru Dutt—Intimate Letters of a Great Indian Filmmaker. Kabir has also done a TV series on him, In Search of Guru Dutt. A DVD compilation of his golden classics has also been brought out along with a commemorative stamp. In comparison, though Geeta Dutt’s songs still play on radio channels, little by way of shradhanjali has been paid to her memory which was the reason Pal was conceived. “May be if this experiment is accepted we can work on more of mom’s songs including my favourite, ‘Waqt ne kiya...’,” Nina maintains.

You wonder if Kaagaz Ke Phool ranks amongst her favourites from her father’s repertoire too and you’re surprised to hear that that’s the film Nafeesa loves to rewind to. “It’s so true-to-life. I love that scene in the studio when my granadfather’s old. I never knew him but may be that’s how he would have looked had he lived,” the 17-year-old says wistfully. She also loves Subhash Ghai’s Taal and yes, Guru Dutt’s Shahib Biwi Aur Ghulam with Meena Kumari’s heart-wrenching ‘Na jao saiyaan chudake baiyaan...’.

Sahib Biwi Aur Ghulam ranks on the top of Nina’s list too. “All the characters stood out and I also love the zamindari ambience. I guess, it’s because I’m half Bengali,” she laughs. Another favourite is Chaudavin Ka Chand for its story and narrative flow. “You don’t stop to think till the film is over,” she says softly.

Given Nafeesa’s interest in modelling and her dance lessons with Shiamak Davar one wouldn’t be surprised to find Guru Dutt and Geeta Dutt’s granddaughter in the studio one day in front of the arc lights. Is Nina prepared for this? “My children have always been very independent and I like it that way. I want them to try everything they wish to do. You have one life so enjoy it. That’s why we didn’t stop her when she wanted to model or dance. If acting is what she wishes to experiment with next, we’ve no problems with that either. My parents were from the film industry and so’s my husband. So why should I not want my daughter to be a part of the family too?” Touche!

Also found http://www.india-forums.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=858061&TPN=2 of Nina's daughter also.

QUOTE

After all, the late filmmaker Guru Dutt's blood does run in the veins of his grand-daughter. Isn't it? Nafeesa Memon, the 17-year-old grand daughter of Guru Dutt and Geeta Dutt, makes her acting debut in a video album, "Pal." Dedicated to Guru Dutt and Geeta Dutt, the album has Geeta Dutt's songs sung by their daughter Nina, Nafeesa's mother. One of the songs, the evergreen "Mera Naam Chin Chin Choo," will be filmed on the budding model-actress Nafeesa. A home science student in Pune, Nafeesa is already a leading model. She did her modeling course with Bunty & Prashant, a leading modeling agency in Pune, and is now being trained in dancing by Shiamak Davar and groomed for a career in acting in films. With an aunt such as Kalpana G. Lajmi and uncle like Shyam Benegal, it should be smooth sailing as far as her goal of acting in films is concerned for young Nafeesa.

Nafeesa
When singer Nina Dutt Memon finished recording her pop album, Pal, dedicated to her parents Guru and Geeta Dutt, she needed a vivacious model for the video of the remixed Mera Naam Chin Chin Choo.

Nina's search began and ended when she realised that her 17-year-old daughter, Nafeesa (a budding model—actress), was the right choice for the song.

Trained dancer

Not surprisingly, Nafeesa, a home science student in Pune, is maha—thrilled. "It's an honour to be part of this musical tribute to my grandparents. Very often, I used to wish that I was born during the golden era of haunting Guru Dutt melodies. And Chin Chin Choo happens to be my favourite song," gushes Nafeesa, who is being trained in dancing by Shiamak Davar.

Bollywood calling

Is she planning to act? "Why not? I feel I am cut out for both modelling and showbiz. Since my dad, Naushad, is the creative head of a reputed film production house, he is also supportive about my acting career," discloses Memon, whose favourite actors are Hrithik Roshan and Shahid Kapur.
"They are so-o-o cute," she smiles, tossing her curly tresses.


Looks like the album was made and video was also made. It also seems Geetaji's granddaughter is a model who is an aspiring actress.

Search on net only finds the album of the same name by K.K.
I am beginning to wonder if she did find buyers or not? All articles are only in the future tense.

Posted by: hildebrand Apr 2 2009, 03:56 AM

Found another http://www.expressindia.com/news/ie/daily/20000925/ien24057.html which is as old as 2000 with Nina trying to market her "debut" album now called Nina. I doubt if she managed to sell it at all. The other articles some seemed dated 2006.

QUOTE

MUMBAI, SEPT 23: She's like a breath of fresh air in the world of music. Daughter of famous singer Gita Dutt and legendary director actor Guru Dutt, Nina Memon is on the lookout for someone to buy the rights of her maiden album, tentatively titled Nina, which contains eight Indipop songs.

Born and brought up in Mumbai, 38-year-old Nina and husband Naushad shifted to Pune six years ago, with daughter Nafisa and son Aman.

Speaking about her slightly late entry into the world of music when everyone else seems to be cutting albums left and right, Nina claims she has had no time to do so until now. ``Marriage and motherhood took up most of my time, and music is something which requires single-minded dedication and time, which I couldn't spare till my children grew up a bit. I've always loved music, had formal training in it, though it's not a classical base that I have.''

Nina says the lyrics for her album have been written by Mumbai-based copywiter Manoj Triparia as she wanted a young, contemporary touch. Others in the team are Naushad, and her teacher Rajendra Kandalgaonkar. Under Tutun Roy's direction, the songs were recorded at Trinity, Mumbai.

``They are basically frothy, light numbers, some romantic, some folksy. There's an experimental number called Baarish which is very different from the standard definiton of a song. This song stretches up to a point without relief and then climbs half a scale higher. Then there's Friends are forever, which describes the constant nature of friendship in an ever-changing world, Pal or moments of life; there's even a beach and rap number.''

Being a celebrity kid has its advantages and pitfalls. But how does one get over losing a father at the age of two and mother at 10? ``My brothers and I got over it quite fast, and for this I must give full credit to my uncle -- producer-director Atma Ram -- and his wife. We went to live with them after my mother expired. They had a little daughter, we blended in wonderfully, and it was a blissful, normal, non-filmi childhood.''

About her parents, she says, ``I don't remember Dad at all, since he passed away, when I was two. All I know of him is that he was a legend. I heard and saw him only through his films, his family and friends. Memories of mom are misty too, but we remember spending our evenings with her, popping in and out of her room, as she went about her riyaaz. She'd hired a teacher for me, but that was all the link I had with the world of music then. I never accompanied her to recordings and shows. We were kept away from the glamour world and spent a lot of time in my naani's home at Linking Road, playing the usual childhood games, climbing badaam trees and so on,'' she says.

``An outstanding memory of childhood is one of the time we spent with my mother somewhere near Mathura. The details have blurred but I remember sitting on an open terrace with my brothers and her. She was a beautiful woman, my mother: generous, spontaneous, affectionate, someone who truly loved people.''

Regarding the inevitable comparisons with a singer of her mother's awesome calibre, she says, ``I guess I can take them in my stride. But I have a very bass kind of voice, unlike her. I sang quite a few of her numbers, including Waqt Ne Kiya and Chale Aao in school and college, and when you sing someone else's numbers it's natural to try and sound like them, but I am a different voice altogether.''

Copyright © 2000 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.

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