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Journalism of Courage
Runa Laila of Dama dam mast qalandar fame begins her second innings with a Punjabi wedding album
Runa Laila,during the seventies and eighties burst into the limelight with her swinging hit,dama dam mast qalandar! The Bangladeshi singer was a favourite with Indian listeners who crooned her hip-swinging singles like Mera babu chhail chabeela ,and Bollywood was quick to rope her in Do deewane sheher mein from Gharaonda were instant hits. In the nineties,however,she hit a trough and seemed to stay there. Now,the iPod-swinging children of the generation who listened to Laila on cassettes have a chance to understand her magic; the 64-year-old has sung eight tracks in the album The Great Big Punjabi Wedding . . This is her first recording in 10 years,and shes bubbling over with excitement.
Laila first came to India from Dhaka in 1974 when the ICCR invited her to do shows in Delhi ,Mumbai and Kolkata. The crowds loved her,and she soon became a fixture at Doordarshan. Smitten by her voice,Bollywood music directors Kalayanji-Aanandji offered her the playback for Ek Se Badhkar Ek ,including the title track and the iconic Dama Dam . Both struck a chord with the audience, she recounts. But what thrust her into the limelight was Gharaonda ,starring Amol Palekar and Zarina Wahab and the songs composed by Jaidev. Do deewane sheher mein ,a ghazal with Bhupendra Singh,and a solo Tumhe ho na ho from this film cemented her reputation.
The past isnt sepia-coloured for her,it is a vivid memory. She recalls her first meeting with actor Sanjeev Kumar at a post-awards party. He was surprised at the small helping that I took while having dinner and said aap itna hi khayengi ? Actor Rakesh Roshan,who was also present,piped in that if Sanjeevji ate like me,he would be thin in two months. Sanjeevji and I had a bet on this if he lost weight in two months,I would pay him Rs 500. Unfortunately,he fell ill soon after and lost a lot of weight. He sent a message asking for the money, says Laila with a laugh.
Shes waiting to return to Bollywood. There are a lot of new directors who are using new voices. I am working on a few projects which should be out next year, says Laila,naming AR Rehman and Shankar Ehsaan Loy among her favourites. Shes also keeping her fingers crossed about The Great Big Punjabi Wedding .. Its been too quiet for some time,I can only hope the album will appeal to people, says Laila.
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