Light of the Universe : Essays on Hindustani Film Music

Contents: Introduction. 1. Noor Jahan: portrait of a female Indo-Pakistani artist. 2. Lyrical griefwork: the genius of Sajjad Hussain. 3. Shailendra: the lyrical romance of suicide. 4. Baiju Bawra: musical reaction or revolution? The female voice in Hindustani film songs.

Starting with the premise that Hindustani cine-song and cine-music has been the main narrative, rather than a pleasant diversion, for the movie-loving public, the author has undertaken a journey into the enchanting world of singers, musicians, lyricists and assessed their contribution as powerful creators of popular culture, as interpreters of the subcontinental ethos, people’s aspirations and desires, and as bold painters on the canvas of time. These narratives capture the very processes of histry and struggle within cultures that have shaped our lives in last one century.