Maan, what a show!

Unlike Shahrukh Khan in Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, I did not have to take a flight to reach a village in Punjab to feel the essence of being Punjabi. Instead, all I had to do was attend the Gurdas Maan show in Melbourne. The Punjab Express began from the time I parked my car outside the Melbourne Convention Centre. People in glittery salwar kurtas and colourful turbans could be seen heading towards the new entertainment precinct. Groups of Punjabi speaking youngsters hung around outside the venue talking on their mobile phones. Beautiful Punjabi girls with long hair and short kurtis chatted excitedly, and little kids ran amuck inside the hall. So far, so Punjabi!

Maan employed his various talents as poet, lyricist, musician, singer, actor and composer all rolled into one.

Security was strong and very visible. The hall was buzzing with hundreds of people of all ages and the excitement was palpable. When the king of Punjabi melody finally took centrestage in red lungi kurta (traditional Punjabi outfit), the applause was thunderous. He launched straight into it with a prayer followed by a 15 minute rendition of his famous song ishaq da girdha. The audience was captivated from the first note, as Gurdas Maan employed his various talents as poet, lyricist, musician, singer, actor and composer all rolled into one. He sang all his famous songs and sneaked in a few not so famous ones with great aplomb. Songs like Baabe Bhangra Paunde and Apna Punjab Hove roused the audience to their feet, songs like Cycle evoked nostalgia, while thiyan and challa made many sentimental. Either way Gurdas Maan kept his audience engaged throughout his performance.

Gurdas Maan has held his own despite the influx of Daler Mehndi, Bally Sagoo, Malkit and Sukhbir into the world of Punjabi music. He has recorded over 27 albums and written over 200 songs, a remarkable feat for someone who had no formal training in music. Born to a family of farmers near Faridkot in Punjab, Gurdas

Maan was a sportsman with a black belt in judo before fate offered him an opportunity to sing dil da mamla hai on TV. The song was a massive hit and set the trajectory of his singing career. Today Gurdas Maan’s energy packed shows are enormously popular and he has a considerable fan following across the globe. He has also acted in many Punjabi movies and provided playback to many film songs. His latest movie release Sukhmani, was directed by his wife, Manjit Maan.

Sizzlin Events, who organized the Gurdas Maan show, felicitated Manjit Maan during the show and also donated a cheque of $5,100 to the Royal Children Hospital in Melbourne. Sizzlin Events spokesperson Goldy said, “With shows like these we make an effort to bring home memories craved by Indians living abroad. Gurdas Maan is a magical link to the image of Punjab that many people still carry in their hearts.” The many sponsors were Goldy Homes, Tingling Design, Magic Car Wash,

Jai Ho Indian Restaurant, Nova Institute of Technology, Australian Business and Broking Services etc. All the sponsors were duly acknowledged. There were handshakes, touching feet and hugs all round, another way of manifesting Punjabi emotions. I sat in the audience mostly enjoying the show, but enduring the constant posturing of some men in the audience who seemed to wander aimlessly through corners of the hall (but, thanks to good security, not obstructing my line of vision). I couldn’t fathom why they needed to stretch their legs within the first five minutes of the show, and every quarter thereafter. Note to myself: interview some of them to find out why they feel the need to wander in a show that they were clearly enjoying, judging by their unreserved applause. If you know why, do tell me or I promise to tell you when I find out.

Preeti Jabbal