Bollywood & Entertainment
First credits for QCE in Indian Music
7 Hills Entertainment proudly presents PLUS...17th October
By Shen Flindell
THEJAN Elankayer of Pacific Pines, Gold Coast, has become the first student in Queensland to have Indian music exam results credited towards his Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE). The Indian Music and Dance examinations held by Pandit Ram Sahai Sangit Vidyalaya (PRSSV) were officially recognised by the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA) earlier this year. Thejan achieved a Distinction in Grade 6 Tabla in the exams held in July. Asked about tabla and PRSSV exams, Thejan said “Tabla has been a source of pleasure for me more than half my life for a number of reasons. For example, when I am distressed, I often play Tabla as it seems to have an uplifting effect. The PRSSV Tabla exams work effectively in providing a source of perspective and accomplishment. The vast pool of knowledge that is entwined within Tabla is practically boundless. When comparing what I have learnt to that pool, I often feel that what I’ve learnt is insignificant and can sometimes go so far as to be discouraged. The PRSSV Tabla exams are a great help in that area as each year I am constantly working towards the next grade. Upon finishing each exam, not only is there a sense of accomplishment bestowed within me, I also begin to feel that I am one step closer to that vast pool of knowledge.” “I have 3 goals for my near future in Tabla, the first is of course complete the grade 8 (year 12 equivalent) PRSSV exam. My second goal would be to be awarded the Rising Star Award and perform at Sangeet Mela. My final near future goal would be to travel to India for a bit and absorb some of the culture and music straight from the roots. In
PLUS – 5:40pm at Event Cinemas, Westfield Garden City
regards to the long term for Tabla I would like to take as many opportunities as I can to further expand and enhance my relatively trivial amount of knowledge on the subject. I would also like to try my hand at teaching Tabla later. All in all, I plan on continuing working with this skill that I’ve worked on for the past 8 years.” The next round of PRSSV Tabla Examinations are planned for late January 2016. As well as tabla, the recognised courses include Bansuri, Carnatic Vocal, Dhol, Harmonium, Hindustani Vocal, Kathak Dance, and Sitar. Music and dance teachers who are interested in presenting their students for PRSSV exams are requested to contact Shen Flindell by email at shen@ethnosuperlounge.com.
The “Once Again” Concert Review By Rahim Zullah
USTAD Ghulam Khan presented his 21year old son Ghulam Hassan Khan at concerts in Gold Coast and Brisbane in September last month. Both the concerts were of a very high calibre. The audience who had the good fortune to listen to the artists were mesmerised at the very high standard of presentation of ghazals and classical items. Although Ghulam Abbas had performed at various concerts in Australia on many various occasions, the surprise packet was his 21-year old son, Ghulam Hassan. Ghulam Hassan has trained under his Grand-father, the renowned Ustad Ghulam Sadiq Khan of the Rampur Seswan Gharana (Schoof of Music) and is the
eighth generation of singers to come from this famous musical family. Ghulam Hassan is without doubt the most promising upcoming classical artist in India at the current time. His ability to perform classical ragas and thumris in its purest forms, with lightening-like taans and sargam syllabus, added a great charm to his performance and the audience kept asking for more, something rare at our concerts. Ustad Ghulam Abbas presented some of his newer compositions and as well as many requests from his earlier CDs.
Both the artists were very ably accompanied on tabla by Brisbane’s own Dheeraj Shrestha. The three of them were simply superb at all the concerts and kept the audience in raptures.
52 — THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, October, 2015
PLUS (Kannada: ಪ ್ ಲಸ್) , also known as +, is an upcoming Indian Kannada suspense drama film directed by Gadda Viji and co-produced by Yogaraj Bhat. It stars Anant Nag as the lead protagonist with an image makeover. The other cast includes Sudharani, Shalini Vadnikatti, P. Ravi Shankar and Chetan Chandra. Actress Shruthi Hariharan has appeared in a special song sequence. The music is composed by Bharath B. J. and Ravi Basrur scored the film’s background music, and Bharath composed for its soundtrack. The lyrics for the soundtrack were written by Yogaraj Bhat, Goravi Aalduru and Nagesh Prasanna. The soundtrack album consists of ten tracks.It was released in Bangalore on 4 July 2015 in the form of pen-drives. • Shruthi Hariharan as herself in a special appearance • Puneeth Rajkumar in a cameo appearance Tickets: Adult $15 / Child $12 / Family $50 (2 Adults, 2 Children) For more information contact Preetham 0402 537 209 / Praveen 0410 830 562
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India’s last few Oscar entries were embarrassing: Irrfan Khan
ANNOUNCEMENT of India’s official entry to Oscars are often followed by debates over the better films missing it. Be it the Gujarati film The Good Road (2013) or Ranbir Kapoor-starrer Barfi (2012), their credibility is mostly questioned. This year, however, the nomination of Chaitanya Tamhane’s debut Court went undisputed. Now, Irrfan Khan has said that India’s last few entries sent to the Oscars were “embarrassing” and added that Court is better than them. “Court is a good film. I don’t know about the other films. Unlike a few years back, the kind of films that were sent, they were embarrassing. This is better than them,” Irrfan said. Irrfan’s Paan Singh Tomar and The Lunchbox were two films that were in the forefront of being chosen as India’s Oscar entry, but ultimately Barfi! and The Good Road • Aishwarya Rai Bachchan strikes a pose with Irrfan were selected by a jury appointed by Khan during promotion of Jazbaa in New Delhi on October 5, 2015. (PTI PHOTO) the Film Federation of India. Irrfan, who has done his fair share Asked if Hollywood is still looking for of work in international entertainment clichéd Indian films, which have song and world, feels there should be a body “which dance sequences, Irrfan said: “They are not should be really concerned about choosing looking for anything from Bollywood. They the right film and sending it to a platform have a perception of Bollywood films havwhich is very important”. “We can’t judge ing songs and dance sequences in it. But if what it will do and how it will be perceived. we do films like The Lunchbox, Court and There (at Oscars) they have big competi- Slumdog Millionaire, then the perception tion, so it depends on Court...with which will change. Somewhere that perception is films it is competing. Also, there’s the luck changing, but that’s very little bit. Like factor. We can only try to send the best Talvar, it’s a film with no song and dance. (film) we have made,” he said. It’s doing very well.” Having starred in films like the Oscar-winDirected by Sanjay Gupta, Jazbaa is slated ning entertainers Slumdog Millionaire and to release on Friday 9 October. The film Life of Pi, Irrfan surely has an idea of how also stars Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, the foreign market perceives Indian cinema. Shabana Azmi and Jackie Shroff. HT
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