Yede thumbi haaduvenu format is unfair

A month or so back, I had blogged about yede thumbi haaduvenu, a talent hunt show for young singers on ETV Kannada. I was full of praise for the event. About the format. About the way SPB comperes it. About the judging. Organization. And all that. I think I had written that post towards the end of last season. The new season has just begun. And I have a crib. It is not a minor one.

The format has changed. Last time around, it was a “normal knockout”, with round of 16, quarters, semis, final, etc. Each round would have four contestants of which two would progress to the next round and two would get eliminated. It was a nice and clean system – considering that any non-knockout format for a TV show isn’t a good idea.

Now, they have some sort of a serial knockout. Each episode has four kids, of which two get knocked out. The two who survive compete the following week, with two new people. Two out of these four qualify further. And so on.

This might have been an excellent format – if only the players were robots. If only the players didn’t have that human element called “form”. The format as it is right now is heavily biased in favour of kids who join the program in later rounds. Maybe they have been seeded there based on qualification placings. Nevertheless, it is wrong, and puts the kids who join early at too much of a disadvantage.

Kids who join early need to be at their top form for a larger number of episodes than those that join later. Sustaining an above-average performance over a larger stretch of time takes much more effort. You will also need to keep in mind that the pressure to perform in such events is huge. For the kids who join later, however, all it takes is for them to get lucky and produce terrific form for  a handful of episodes and they are through.

I suppose the producers of this event simply didnt’ realize that there is something called uncertainty. They would’ve looked at the format and said “this seems simpler for spectators and anyways the best will have to beat everyone else so this is ok”. I’m sure it the people who came up with this format are a bunch of fools who have no clue about either mathematics or about human tendency. I go back to one of my recent posts and call for the so-called “creative” or “qualitative” industry to cash in on the ibanking bust and take in some quants.

I’m reminded of one of the world chess championship (FIDE) cycles in the late 90s. They had a strenuous knockout tournament for a month to decide the challenger. And the winner of this tournament (Anand) then played the reigning champion Karpov who had been directly “seeded into the finals”. Anand got walloped by Karpov. And he had said something like “this is not fair. I have run the full marathon and in the last 100 meters this guy joins the race. what sort of a contest is this”

The current format of yede thumbi haaduvenu is no different. Now, if only the producers were to have some sense.

Tenure matching and jab we met

ok this is one of those lazy posts. Takes two earlier posts and finds a connection between them. This is the kind of stuff that bad professors do – take two old papers, find a link between them and publish a third paper. I do hope to become a prof one day, but I don’t hope to write such papers.

if you remember my review of Jab We Met (which I wrote about a month back), I had said that I hadn’t liked the ending. I had said that if I’d written the script, I’d’ve made Anshuman a stronger character, and made Geet marry him; and have Aditya walk away into the drizzle. I had said that this was because Aditya and Geet had added as much value as they could to each others’ lives.

So, now, if you look at it in terms of tenure matching, things will become clearer. Both of them had their own problems, which needed solutions. And neither of them had a problem for which the solution involved marriage. Ok wait. Geet did have a marriage problem. She wanted to marry Anshuman, and needed to find an efficient way of eloping with him and marrying him. So looking at it from the scope sense, all she needed was someone to guide her in her efforts to do the same.

Aditya’s problems, too, weren’t something for which marriage was an obvious solution. He had put extreme NED at work, and was on the verge of killing himself. All he needed was someone to guide him out of NED. Someone to show him that life can be beautiful, and happy, and that he shouldn’t take any extreme steps.

Looking at the movie from this context, it is clear that marriage between Geet and Aditya wasn’t warranted. Ok it might have been a “no-so-bad extension” but it wasn’t required. It wasn’t a solution that fit in any way with the problems that they were facing in their lives. Which is why the ending stuck out like a sore thumb (and that excess song-and-dance and loudness and all that contributed in no measure) .

Ok now I realize that I shouldn’t be analysing Bollywood movies from a logical standpoint. but still…

Disco Raaga – Taana – Pallavi

This is one of those posts that I’ve been intending to post for over a couple of months, but each time I think about this, I don’t happen to be in front of a computer, and even if I do, I don’t feel like writing about it. So here I am – finally blogging this. As I write this, I’m listening to the Ledzep Live Album The Song Remains the Same. This post is about this album, and other related stuff.

As you might have figured out from the title of this post, one thing I’ve noticed about this album is about the approximate Carnatic format that the songs in this take on. It may not be in the strict order that Carnatic music prescribes, but these songs are roughly there. I’m currently listening to Dazed and Confused, and after the first few lines of the Pallavi were sung, Page has now gone off into an extended Aalapana of whichever Raaga this song is set in.

Periodically, they return to the song, and play a few more lines. Now, Plant is doing his bit by improvising with a few lines of his own. Jones and Bonham are dutifully doing their background stuff – Bonham will get his footage later in the album – for Moby Dick features a full-blown Tani Avartanam. It ends the same way Tani Avartanams in Carnatic concerts do – with the main line of the Pallavi being sung at the end of it. I know I might be force-fitting some Carnatic concepts into this album; nevertheless, all these improvements make for extremely interesting listening.

A few days after I had first noticed this, Udupa told me that a large number of concerts in the 70s were like this – the musicians would simply jam on stage in the middle of the songs. Created music on the spot. Spontaneous stuff. Unfortunately, Udupa continued, the trend changed a few years back when less informed audiences started demanding that more songs be crammed into the three hour concert, thus reducing the scope for such improvisations.

The best thing about Carnatic concerts is that each one is unique. You might look at two concerts – played by the same set of musicians and with the same line-up of krithis, but there is a very good chance that the two are markedly different. This is because Indian Classical music, in its concerts, encourages the musician to innovate, to play whatever comes to his mind at that point of time – while adhering to the fairly strict rules. It is this element of innovation that makes each concert special, and an experience in itself.

Western Classical music differs in this regard – especially in the orchestra form – since the large size of the troupe leaves little scope for innovation and the musicians are literally forced to play it by the book. In that context, it seems like it was genres such as rock which brought in the spontaneity and innovation into western music.

Nowadays, bands don’t tour as much as they used to a couple of decades ago, which means that whenever they visit a city (which is once in a few years), the fans in the city will want to hear as many songs as possible. And that kills innovation. It is not the bands’ fault – they are simply responding to the market. And I don’t know what it could be that could get them back to their RTP days.

Here is one of my retirement plans. For each song that I like, describe a Carnatic Raaga into which it can approximately fit into. Tinker around with the stanzas, to create a Pallavi-Anupallavi-Charana format. Try to make the raagas as rigid as possible – Vakra scales will be preferred. And then put RTP. Use some Western instruments too – for example, I definitely want the Bass guitar to be a regular feature in Carnatic concerts. I think the result is likely to be phenomenal.

It’s been a few years since I picked up the violin. I plan to do it sometime. And implement what I’ve described here. Hopefully I’ll do a good job. In the meantime, if there are any bands out there which want to implement this concept, they can feel free and do it – I promise I won’t sue them later for IPR.

After a long time – a very decent talent show

I was planning to blog about this, but i’m not sure if I actually wrote about this. The idea for this was generated this September, which was a low-intensity blogging month for me, when I was staying at my relatives’ place in Gurgaon. My cousin used to be a big fan of “reality shows” of various hues (she still is), and on a few occasions I watched them along with her.

I got a taste of several reality and talent shows across various channels. I watched the first episode of the horrible Ek Khiladi Ek Haseena. Tried sitting through a few episodes of Bigg Boss. And then sat through parts of episodes of various talent hunt shows, most of whose names I don’t remember. Some would have an abrasive host, and abrasive judges. Others had viewers voting, which would lead to fairly random results. Even kids aren’t spared, with them being subject to extreme levels of pressure. Overall, it was a horrible watching experience, for someone bred on stuff like Close Up Antakshari, Philips Top 10 and TVS Sa Re Ga Ma. The good old talent hunt show was dead, I thought.

As I write this, I’m watching the finals of Canara Bank Ede Thumbi Haaduvenu (“i’m singing full of heart”). This is a talent hunt show for kids on ETV Kannada, and is hosted by SP Balasubramaniam. He is an excellent host. He seems fairly objective in his evaluation of the kids, and even when he has to offer his criticism, he makes sure that it’s measured and in a tone that the kid will find constructive. He offers the kids constant encouragement. And the judge in this program is usually a respectful senior musician.

This being the finals of the program, the quality of participation is also extremely high. All four little girls are singing really really well, and I just hope they and their voices are suitably well taken care of so that they become successful singers when they grow up. And one other thing I notice is that the voice of each of these girls is very “eccentric” – in the sense that they are far removed from the average voice of a 12-year-old girl, and in different directions. Seems extremely encouraging.

I suppose the current season of this program will end in another five minutes, but I suppose this series will continue. Hopefully there will be more such real  talent hunt programs, rather than the horrible stuff I’ve been seeing on the Hindi channels in recent times. And if you know of any other good programs like this (either in Kannada and Hindi) let me know.

A couple of observations to end:

  • As I mentioned earlier, SPB has been doing a great job hosting this show. In terms of his tone of voice, presentation, language, etc. We also need to keep in mind that he is a Gult, and he mentioned during today’s show that he didn’t speak Kannada too well when he started this program. Given this, the way he has performed here is truly exemplary
  • This program has been so good today that I haven’t bothered switching channels to even briefly check the scores of the Chelski-Arsenal game that is happening right now

PS: program just ended. the finals are not over yet. 2nd part will happen next sunday.

Dreams, daydreams, movie scripts and Jab We Met

The last time a relationship I’d invested considerable time and energy in didn’t happen, my mother told me that it had to do with my dreams. And my daydreams. And the “movie scripts” that I would often make up and tell her. Most of these would have a similar ending. The boy and the girl will end up deciding they will just be friends. And to move on in life. Typically, the movie scripts would end with one of them walking away into the drizzle. Or both of them walking away in opposite directions in the drizzle. It was because of the kind of scripts I would “write”, my mother would say, that similar things were happening to me in life.

Two and a half years down the line, I don’t seem to have changed. I still feel the same about a number of scripts. I don’t daydream anymore, at least not as much as I used to a few months or years ago. I don’t write movie scripts for fun any more. If I think I have an idea for a movie script, I start thinking about it from a commercial aspect. And end up ruining it. And though I continue to dream, and dream heavily, I don’t seem to remember too many of them. However, I’m sure that this kind of script still occurs once in a while in my dream.

I was reminded of this when I was watching Jab We Met earlier this evening. I thought it was a fantastic movie. Though Shahid Kapoor was playing a Lala, I could fully identify with his character. The first half, or maybe three fourths, was brilliant. The way his initial exchanges with Kareena Kapoor have been written is awesome. The entire bit starting from the time he walks away from his car till he is back in his company was compelling. At that point, the movie held so much promise that I was kicking myself for not having watched it for almost a year after its release. (rest of the post below the post. spoilers are there)

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Need stuff

I got a new laptop last weekend. And missed out on a great opportunity on Sunday in Bombay when I met Monkee, Mukka, Madness, etc. to get stuff. Now i’m in gurgaon and don’t know how to get stuff.

I basically need music and movies. Movies of all hues, in all languages (as long as there are subtitles for all non-English, non-Hindi and non-Kannada languages). Music – classic rock for bread and butter. Instrumental carnatic classical. Indian rock (downloaded Avial; too strong). Trance. Anything else you might htink i might like.

As it stands now i wont’ be going out of gurgaon for a month (except for the odd trip to delhi). So stuff should be procurable here. if you know any way in which you have some stuff i may like, and may  be able to give it to me, let me know. put a comment here nad we can figure out.

K Serials

Many people may claim many different things, but I think the main motivation for people to watch so many soaps is schadenfreude.

  • Why do you think most characters in soaps are shown leading such miserable lives? I mean not miserable in the material sense, but everyone seems to have one problem or the other.
  • Assuming that people who watch soaps, on the average, lead not-so-happy lives, I can’t think of any reason why they will want to worsen their state of mind by bringing in more negative thoughts – if anything, by indulging in activities classified as “entertainment” you are supposed to be looking to lighten up your mind blah blah

The only other explanation I can think of is that all these soaps are part of some elaborate joke, and avid watchers are silently giggling as they watch these soaps. That they don’t want to let their secret away so they give reasons such as “it reflects life so we love it” and all such.

When I went to watch a Hindi movie

So on Wednesday I watched a Hindi movie in a theatre after a gap of a year and three months. The previous time too, Ashwin was with me, though the rest of the personnel were disjoint. Anuroop also joined us this time, before he embarks on a mission to sell phones in the seven hills. I had seen Baradwaj Rangan’s positive review of Jaane tu ya jaane na and wanted to see it. And given that there was no other half-decent movie around, we decided to go.

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ArthQuake

?plays bass for this new HindRock band called Arth. They have just released their first demo. You can find both the demo songs as well as the band’s blog here.

They have released three songs so far and they are all excellent, except for the vocals. Lyrics are awful as is the singing. I was telling Hari that they will get a much better response if only they translate the songs to some slightly more obscure language. Anyways, I urge you to listen the songs

chemical brothers and biological sisters…

I was just going through the program list of the classical music season at the Fort High School grounds. What strikes me is that whenever two siblings in the same family are good at this kind of stuff, they pair up and advertise themselves after their town or something.

I don’t know who was the first pairing that started this, but now artistes naming themselves in this way has become way too popular. It almost seems like if one person in the family is good at carnatic music, he/she forces his/her sibling to take it up too – so that they can become a duet and give themselves a cool name.

The interesting thing is it’s always “X Brothers” or “Y sisters”. It’s never a brother-sister combination. Maybe “Velachery siblings” doesn’t sound that good. Other relationships, too, are taboo. There may be say a couple who always perform together, or a father-son pair who are usually a team, but they don’t usually advertise themselves as a team, and prefer to go by their individual names instead. Maybe the lack of elegant names (such as “brothers”) prevents them from doing so.

This trend of brothers and sisters is catchign on so much that soon you’ll have people deciding to become each other’s Rakhi brothers or Rakhi sisters or rakhi brother of a rakhi sister so that they could give themselves names such as this. Maybe the quest for interesting names might even bring in the band culture to Carnatic music (on a more serious note, one of the thrills of Carnatic music is watching people who’ve never met before getting together and creating music). Interesting times lie ahead.

Anyways here is a list of all the siblings that I found on the program list:

  • MALLADI BROTHERS
  • MYSORE NAGARAJ & DR. MYSORE MANJUNATH (sometimes they call themselves Mysore Brothers)
  • HYDERABAD BROTHERS
  • MAMBALAM SISTERS
  • PRIYA SISTERS

Ok. There aren’t too many. But we are getting to a stage where the whole program sheet will be filled with names like this.

On another note, certain entries in the list read something like “WOWCTB and party”. This kind of nomenclature is extremely unfair to the “accompanists” (which is again a derogatory term). The violin and the percussion are as much a part of the concert as what is known as the “main instrument”. Just pick any singer. Any singer. And imagine him/her singing alone without any instruments.You get it right?