Mesmerising melodious spell by Gurdas Maan at lit festival

SD Sharma

Chandigarh, December 6

Retaining his sparkling dynamism and youthful freshness, celebrated Punjabi music maestro, Bollywood actor and lyricist Gurdas Maan provided the befitting grand finale to the three-day Military Literature Festival 2018 at the Leisure Valley here today.

Supported by over a dozen accomplished musicians and vocalists Maan, attired in yellow costume, sang with fervour while dancing straight to the hearts of inquisitive audience in the august presence of elite Army officers and personnel.

Expressing gratitude to GOC Surinder Pal Singh, the Punjab Tourism Department as also the Tribune group of publications as media sponsor for the cultural spectacle the legendary singer opened up with an invocatory composition ‘Ikk onkar simar mit jaen sab kalesh’ before doling out his master hit ‘Chhalla’ interspersed with a romantic number ‘Hauli hauli chall kudiye tera paer tilak na jave,’ besides kalams of Sufi mystics.

Maan expressed deep anguish on the drug menace in Punjab during rendition of yet another super hit ‘ Ki banu duniyan da’.

Demands started pouring in from intrusive audience, but Maan rendered his popular songs ‘Dandan chitteyan da ki kariye’ and ‘Cycle’ weaved with humour and satire. He doled out magical melodies replete with meaningful poetic couplets from the Sufi saints, regional folklore and songs exuding romance and didacticism penned by himself. During interaction with audience he rued the frequent use of words ‘bandooks’, ‘fires’, and ‘qatls’in Punjabi lyrics.

Departing from ecstatic mood Maan presented a sad Hindi number ‘ Raaton ko uth uth kerr’ before his boisterous song ‘ Dil da mamla hai’, which had introduced his genius to music world.

Paying rich tributes to the supreme sacrifices of Sri Guru Gobind Singh he rendered the concluding song ‘Sarbans daniya vey’ with due reverence. The audience kept swelling up braving the chilly weather and kept dancing as Gurdas Maan, gifted with melodious voice and majestic presence, virtually translated the cultural soul of pastoral Punjab during his his memorable concert leaving the audience craving for more.