It is tough not to have fun when you are in the company of so many music lovers and so many people who have been part of the mosaic of Indian Film music. We were privileged to be under one roof in Kandivili, Mumbai on 18th Jun, 2011. The music lovers started descending at the venue from  3PM although show was about to start at 4PM. There were some delays in arrival of Mubarak Begum Ji because of famous Mumbai traffic and the music lovers used the time to get introduced to each other.
Everybody got up as Mubarak Begum Ji entered the venue. As she settled down on the sofa, we got a collar mike for her so that she finds it easy to talk to all of us. We were initially planning to have a question/answer style interview but she preferred to treat us to some lovely songs. Despite her age and bad health, her spirits were soaring and her voice made so many of us feel nostalgic about good old times. She also narrated incidents related to her foreign trips and her interaction with Geeta Bali and Noorjehan. She was well versed in lot of Urdu shayari and was kind enough to share with us. Music lovers gifted her a nice watch and also presented her with cash and cheques.
After Mubarak Begum Ji left, the karaoke started and everybody participated in it. From bathroom singers to semi-professionals, everybody had a great time. Then we switched to a very innovative Antakshari which tested everybody’s knowledge. I did manage to come first in that but from bottom. We switched back to karaoke again and we had a variety of songs not only in Hindi but also in Marathi. Kids also pitched in with some lovely songs for the evening.
We had some very interesting set of folks who added to the glitter of the evening. We had Raja Sevak who has worked in lot of TV serials and also writes. He was equally good at singing and sang few songs which made his wife fall in love with him all over again. Another person who stole the limelight was Narahari Savoor. He is percussion artist who has recorded lot of songs with the boss – RD Burman. He was quick to find a mineral water bottle and convert it to a musical instrument with the help of two spoons.  We also had the pleasure of company of Bablou Shailendra who is the son of legendary song writer Shailendra who gave Raj Kapoor movies a different meaning. He was kind enough to share humble beginnings of his family and also share with us the stories behind the songs he wrote.
We ended the evening with a lovely Mumbaiya dinner where everybody mingled with each other. Overall a fun evening and something all of us will remember for a long long time.
wonderful sir…am an avid BBG Follower and having base at Kandivali, Mumbai but presently living in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia!! Really feel on hvng missed out the event given that it was at K’vili however three cheers to such meets!! Lets hv some photographs nxt time!!
Warm Wishes
Sunitha
Congratulations on organising this event so successfully. I could not be there in person, but the photos and reports have made it all come alive for me.Thank you!
I wish to be a member of BBG,PLEASE LET ME KNOW as to how to get enrolled or whatever formalities are to be done. Thanks!
Thank you for a very nice description of the evening’s activities. Amazing preparation must have gone into the arrangements for the meeting, and I am sure, had I been there, I would have loved every second of it, and bagged the Antakshari prizes too. Kudos to BBG.
What about a Delhi and NCR BBG meetup?
Its a great effort. I understand that you are organising another event in Mumbai n Couple of weeks..
What’s the Budget for such events and who foots the bill?