Two Unlimited

One thing this team refuses to accept is limitation. When Sushmit Bose and Savita Ray got together to form India Unlimited, they knew the...

One thing this team refuses to accept is limitation. When Sushmit Bose and Savita Ray got together to form India Unlimited, they knew they would be reaching for new horizons. Which is exactly what they8217;ll be doing with their introductory album, also titled India Unlimited. Scheduled for release this October, the eight-track album will feature 28 different artists 8212; both established and upcoming 8212; from around the country, including Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma, Hariharan, Remo Fernandes, Louis Banks and S. P. Balasubramanium. 8220;They have all maintained their individual styles but the compositions have come together beautifully,8221; says Bose of the strain that brings these musicians together. Each piece is choral in character and it begins with Gandhiji8217;s favourite bhajan, Vaishnava Janato, arranged by L. Subramanium.

Bose, a committed urban folk singer, strongly felt that the tradition of community singing needed to be revived. But despite having worked on the idea for more than three years, he could find no takers. 8220;Art in India is still more of a trade,8221; he says, but persistence paid off 8212; when he met with Ray, the two just hit it off. 8220;I recognised the purpose behind this project,8221; says Ray, a director with Ushak Kaal, 8220;I knew there8217;d be no problem marketing it, with such big names involved.8221;

8220;Once we agreed on the vision, the rest was easy,8221; continues Ray, who has done her share of social advertising, and adds that any venture they take on will have a theme backing it. 8220;The MTV generation needs to understand the sensitivity and vibrancy of this music. We have to bring back that pride and sense of belonging in today8217;s youth,8221; says Bose, who sings on everything from fundamentalism to nuclear disarmament, 8220;The album deals with the spirit of togetherness, of university in diversity and is especially relevant in times of tension when people get parochial.8221; In fact for the duo, it is almost an advocacy campaign to promote the Indian ethos.

What struck them was the eagerness with which the maestros from various fields agreed to become part of the project. 8220;There obviously was a need for something like this,8221; pronounces a triumphant Bose, adding that many have agreed to perform for free. Ray chips in, adding: 8220;If you have a good concept, creative minds are always willing to go along with it.8221;

But Ray and Bose don8217;t intend this to be a one-off project. Apart from more albums and concerts in towns, metros and abroad, too, they also intend to branch out into other fields. 8220;Each new venture will have a theme,8221; clarifies Ray, 8220;We hope to eventually have a world of united artists, a community of limitless creativity.8221; They also plan to introduce a series of annual awards for an artist at the peak of his or her career; a benefit for an artist who hasn8217;t been commercially successful; and a scholarship for a young artist wishing to study under an established one. 8220;Once an artist associates with us he or she becomes part of the conglomerate and the informal committee that gifts these awards,8221; Bose explains, 8220;And what makes it special is that it8217;s not conferred by a corporate house or a government but a body of artists themselves.8221;

With such ambitious projects in mind, the duo have built up a reliable team which will enable them to tackle all this, and more. Ushak Kaal keeps Ray on her toes, while Bose has his music and documentary films. 8220;Naturally I love being under the arc lights. Every artists is an ego maniac,8221; smiles Bose saying he enjoys being involved in any kind of advocacy movement, 8220;However, the excitement and pleasure of bringing such talent together has been incomparable.8221;