Ilayaraja arrived quietly in Mumbai from Chennai with 30 of his musicians to record additional music for Bhavna Talwars Pankaj Kapur film Happi. Four woodwind players had been specially flown in from Budapest to join Ilayarajas orchestra,which had congregated for this recording at the Nysa Recording Studios in Mumbai.The requirements were such that I had to be in Mumbai for this recording. The producers have made sure that the musicians I require are here. Otherwise why should I leave my studio in Chennai for the recording? Those who want me will come there, said the legendary composer,who has been recording the music for Happi for the past one year. Vital portions of the music were composed and recorded in Budapest and the last bits were done in Mumbai with these musicians from Chennai and Budapest. Dr L. Subramaniams featDr. L. Subramaniam was the first Indian to peform at Beijing's new National Center for Performing Arts. The venue,recently opened,is considered one of the best in the world. He was invited to collaborate with the nation's top orchestra,the Beijing Symphony Orchestra. The orchestra,conducted by Maestro Tan Lihua,performed Dr. Subramaniam's composition Shanti Priya. Dr. Subramaniam's previous visit to China was in 2000,where he had performed for then-Indian President K.R. Narayanan and Chinese President Jiang Zemen. Actor-singer turns composerActor and singer Arun Bakshi,who has also turned music director with the recently released Ashok Chakra,has been given an award for excellence in all the three departments of acting,singing and music direction for the same by Anjan Goswami of Aap Ki Awaaz on June 5.Said Anjan,It is indeed a rare case for an actor to play a villains character,that too of the terrorist Asaab ( inspired by Kasab) and also compose a deshbhakti song Vande Mataram and sing it too. The lyrics are written by stalwart Manoj Kumar,himself a great patriotic and legendary filmmaker and actor. Hence Aroon Bakshi deserves this award for a triple achievement in a single film.
