REVIEW MOST FOUL
I was shocked to read the review of the music album, Zubeidaa written by Rajiv Vijayakar (SCREEN, November 17). The review was extremely caustic and immature and gives me the impression it was motivated by anti-Rahman feelings. I would not be surprised if the author happens to be a close associate of one of the Mumbai-based music directors who waste no opportunity to badmouth Rahman. The author’s motive behind writing such an appalling review is suspect.

I suggest that such reviews which blatantly demean great artistes who’re regarded as the pride of the nation should not be published, especially in a magazine like SCREEN.
Ashwin Krishnamoorthy
Ithaca, New York

ILL-INFORMED ACCUSATIONS
YOUR columnist Rajiv Vijayakar seems to have an obvious anti-Rahman bias. He talks of the degradation of Hindi film music. Who does he reckon have been upgrading it? Anu Malik, Nadeem Shravan, Jatin-Lalit and Co?

Without question, it is Rahman who has elevated film music to a level where it commands the respect of music maestros both in India and abroad. People like Bhupen Hazarika, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Andrew Lloyd Webber, no mean talents, themselves, have spoken highly of his music and agreed to collaborate with him. It is out of respect for his music that the virtual who’s who of Indian classical music have agreed to perform under his direction.

He talks of the period after Bombay when Rahman was “at his repetitious worst, helplessly techno-oriented and completely southern in his ethos.” Actually, it is then that he created the music for Dil Se, Taal, 1947, Takshak and Pukar... each different from the other. The first two are absolute classics and their tracks are anything but southern in ethos. And numbers like Ai Ajnabi, Ishq Bina and Bheeni Bheeni are the finest examples of songs based on Indian melodies.
Utkal Mohanty
Malleswaram, Bangalore

LACKING IN TASTE
I just can’t understand what prompted your music reviewer to criticise the soul-stirring and haunting music of Zubeida so harshly. Is it some kind of personal animosity or the sheer lack of good taste?
In these day’s of ‘inspired’ composers, who churn out mediocre fare in the name of music, it’s nothing short of pig-headedness to comment harshly on the immensely talented AR Rahman.
Sayed Kamruddin
Jogeshwari, Mumbai

IN QUEEN’S COUNTRY
Apropos “TV bigwigs go channel switching,” (SCREEN, November 10). There are a number of categories among idiot box couch potatoes, according to a recent survey in Britain. Some are channel hoppers, who keep changing channels without viewing a programme fully. Others are insomniacs who stay up all night to watch television. Still others are those who spend almost their entire waking hours before the idiot box.
Mahesh Kapasi
Gulmohar Park, New Delhi

MEDIA MADE HITS
Big banners producing films with the top stars no longer depend on box-office collections to recover investments. Even before the films’ release, sometimes even before the launch, they not only recover costs but make huge profits by selling music, overseas and satellite telecast rights which fetch astronomicl sums these days.

Nevertheless, the big producers would very much like their films to be known as box office hits, for the prestige value alone. If the films do not become hits, they feed the theatres. A more modern and cheaper option is to persuade the media, both print and visual, to declare the films as hits regardless of the actual collections. I think there have been a couple of such media-made hits in recent times — Taal, for instance, or Hum Saath Saath Hain.
V Srinivas
Ashok Nagar, Chennai

MISSING FIREWORKS
The much awaited Mohabbatein has been released and what a response it’s had. Amitabh Bachchan as the strict principal is great to watch but the fireworks we all expected doesn’t happen. The three newcomers are also good. Both the Big B and Shah Rukh have good roles but they are more like guest appearances. I think Aditya Chopra should have had more of Big B in the film. After all, he is the biggest hero Indian cinema’s ever had.
Sonia
Wembley, Middlesex

ON THE SIDE OF TRUTH
I hate flogging a dead horse but since Mitali Swain has questioned (SCREEN, November 10) what I said about Josh, I am forced to reply. It is not me that needs to verify the truth, but Swain herself. According to Film Information, Josh is in the ‘coverage to commission’ bracket which is below the commission earner category, and thus, hardly worthy of hit status.

I think some of Shah Rukh’s fans are doing him great disservice by trying desperately to find a hit for him. Shah Rukh is a top star, has had hits before and will no doubt have more in the future. Meanwhile it is quite unnecessary for his fans to cry foul when some of his films don’t do well. And there is no need at all to embarrass him by foisting non-existent hits on him.
RK Sarma
RA Puram, Chennai

LINKS WITH THE PAST
As V Srinivas says in his letter ‘Lady Sobers’ (SCREEN, October 13), Ashok Kumar did indeed consider Madhuri Dixit as the best all-round actress in seen in Indian cinema. Dada Muni should know. He has seen them all, and acted with most of them, right from Devika Rani.

It occurs to me that we care more time the first, Devika Rani, to the last great actress, Madhuri Dixit, in just four steps — each step being a screen pairing: Devika Rani and Ashok Kumar; Ashok Kumar , Mala Sinha and Jeetendra; Jeetendra and Madhuri Dixit. Can Screen readers give other such examples linking the 30s to the present?
K Raghunath
St Thomas Mt., Chennai