Lovers of Indian film music are in for a special treat on May 19. A group of local artists will celebrate the life of Mukesh at an event titled “Suhana Safar” at the Keefe tech auditorium in Framingham. Reachable at “Suhana Safar-A Tribute To Mukesh” of Facebook, the event has evoked strong response from aficionados. Tickets are going really fast. 

The event will carry you on a ‘Suhana Safar’ through the golden age of Indian films from 50s/60s and 70s when a distinctive genre of music was created.  Soul stirring melodies and exquisite poetry were brought to life by singers with yet-to-be matched skill and dexterity.  Mukesh stood out amongst them with rich tenor and heart-melting renditions that moved movie-goers. Mukesh was the voice of the legendary actor Raj Kapoor. 

It will feature some of his most-famous hits and also challenge you to fetch old gems from the tucked-away recesses of your mind. Get ready for an evening of melody, lyrical beauty and a lot of nostalgia from films like Awara, Sangam, Madhumati, Milan, Anand and many more .  Remember to look at your fellow-audience members tap toes, hum tunes and celebrate a Bollywood great with fondness.

Net returns of the event will benefit the following not-for-profit organizations –

1. Saheli - Friendship for South Asian Women is a group dedicated to helping South Asian women in Boston and surrounding areas. Saheli was founded in 1996 as an affiliate of the India Association of Greater Boston (IAGB). It provides friendship, support, guidance and resources in the areas of career and economic empowerment, physical and mental health, legal and immigration issues and support for families.

2. O P Nayyar Memorial Trust is a non-profit registered under Trust Reg. No: E-5046 dated December 29, 2008 approved by Charity Commissioner, Region Thane, Mumbai. The Trust provides financial and in-kind support to aging and forgotten singers, musicians, dancers and others engaged in the performing arts, a continuation of the work that the legendary composer used to do in his lifetime.

Start your journey by meeting the “Suhana Safar” team.

The Performers:

Mohan Subramaniam

Mohan comes from a family of musicians and is a frequent performer of Hindi film music in the New England area. Mohan has received training in Hindustani classical music from Smt. Kumkum Sanyal and studies Karnatak classical music on the violin from Smt. Tara Anand. In his many performances Mohan has sung songs of several singers including Rafi, Talat, Mahendra Kapoor and Manna Dey. Mukesh however has a special place in his heart and he is delighted to devote an entire program in honor of this great master.

Shraddha Agrawal

Shraddha has acquired extensive training in Hindustani classical and light classical vocal music. She started learning in Mumbai at a young age under Pandit Jialalji Vasant and later his senior disciple, successor, Shri Suresh Wadkarji. Shraddha holds a Sangeet-Vishaarad with distinction from Prayag Sangit Samiti, Allahabad.  In Boston, Shraddha acquired in-depth classical vocal training under the guidance of the renowned vocalist Smt. Kumkum Sanyal. Shraddha is a frequent performer in the New England area for classical/light classical and Bollywood music.

Anuradha Palakurthi

Anuradha Palakurthi's singing repertoire ranges from classical Carnatic where she performs Arangetrams to film songs where she was recorded playback.  In 2010 she returned to stage after a 22 year hiatus during which she enjoyed being a mother of three children. Anuradha’s indelible childhood memories include listening to her mother hum Mukesh songs along with Vividh Bharti broadcasts. Beyond lyrics and melody, she remains deeply touched by the soulfulness of Mukesh’s renditions.

Ujjwal Parikh

Ujjwal is trained classically under the able guidance of the eminent vocalist Mrs. Kumkum Sanyal. Ujjwal has been performing classical, semi-classical, and film music for past few years at local New England events. Ujjwal is a vocalist for the New England band Aaroh and is a software engineer by profession. Ujjwal remembers growing up totally mesmerized by the pathos in Mukesh's songs. All his songs to him were true gems and Mukesh’s special rendering always “tugged at his heart”.

Suzana Naik

Suzana started her formal training of Hindustani classical music 8 years ago under the guidance of the esteemed Smt. Kumkum Sanyal, a prominent hindustani vocal artist in the USA.  Suzana is a singer with “Aaroh”, a group of musician who perform light Indian music locally, mainly in support of various charities.  Professionally, she is the Sr. Director of Finance for the International division of a leading QSR group.  Suzana’s exposure to Mukeshji started at a very young age and she has a very special fondness for his songs.  As a child, Suzana would listen to her father hum “Tum bin jeevan..”,  “Aasoo bhari hai….” , “Ek pyaar ka nagma hai….”.  The first songs she sang as duets with her father in public were Mukeshji classics. 

Guest singer is Selina Banerjee and a beautiful dance will be performed by Muneeza Nasrullah.

Jawed Wahid

Jawed Wahid is one of the most experienced sound engineers in the Boston area. He is on the board of Learnquest Music Academy and is a founder of “Baithak” a popular music forum that regularly organizes Hindustani classical music programs. 

Dr. Manju Sheth

Dr. Sheth is an internist with a passion for music and women’s causes. She is actively involved in community service and was awarded the coveted “Woman of the Year” title for her numerous contributions to the community.  She has organized several programs including spectacular tenth year anniversary of Lokvani. Saheli is especially close to her heart; she co-chaired their first successful fund-raiser. She is the ideal bridge between the Suhana Safar team and Saheli.

Preetesh Shrivastava

Preetesh is the dynamic president and founding member of Hindi Manch. He is a multitalented person who is an author, actor, stand-up comedian, community leader all rolled up in one person. He is on the Board of many organizations including IAGB and LearnQuest. He is always ready to give a hand to any event and his ever smiling face has endeared him to all.

Eshani Shah

Eshani Shah is an institution by herself among the Gujarati community in the Boston area. For many years she has been successfully organizing several popular events such as Gujarati plays. She is an astute event planner and is brimming with creative ideas. She is involved with many community service projects and is always ready to help a cause with enthusiasm.

Dr. Meera Subramaniam

Dr. Meera is pediatric pulmonologist and loves Hindi film music and Ghazals. She has helped organize light music functions like Dard-e-dil and a Madan Mohan show in the Boston area. She is particularly drawn to the cause of Saheli as she believes Saheli does a lot of good for the cause of women, yet is often under appreciated.

Siraj Khan

He thinks of himself as a world citizen who lives a life without boundaries. He is a connoisseur of film music and continues to build bridges through culture and art. He is on the Board of OP Nayyar Memorial Trust and manages web www.opnayyar.org. He is a regular writer and contributor for Aman ki Asha and creative director of many musical events. In addition, he has also been the past President of PAGB.

Jharna Madan

An interior designer by profession, Jharna has been actively organizing Indian events for the last few years. She is involved with a number of charities and believes that if we all work together we can make the world a better place. She is constantly motivated and inspired by her husband and daughter.

The songs will be introduced by a talented star studded cast that includes Harish Dang, Preetesh Shrivastava, Dr. Manju Sheth, Eshani Shah, Siraj Khan, Jharna Madan, Kumkum Malik, Ranjani Saigal, Javed Zaidi, Ali Rizvi, Gauri Chandna and Swathi Subramanian.

Other members of the team include the host committee Sharda Jha, Sapana Aggarwal, and Jaya Pandey. The team is fortunate to have dedicated volunteers, Villoo Banerjee, Abhijit Banerjee, Tanya Mayadas, Bindu Chamarthi, Kishan Mallur, Jay Patel and friends from Saheli. We also wish to thank Lokvani for supporting all community causes and appreciate the help they have extended to Suhana Safar.

Please join us in continuing this beautiful journey and join us on May 19 for Suhana Safar. Tickets can be purchased at lokvani.com.

|