Abhijit Bhaduri’s Blog
I write about careers, skills and the world of work. The cartoons and sketches are mine.
Business Etiquette for the Indian Professional
Upto a certain level in the corporate food chain, our technical skills help us grow. Beyond that it is entirely the soft skills that define success. In a global world even more so. One section I would like to see added to the future editions of the book would be on how to ask precise questions. I always notice how verbose people can be while asking a question that can be asked in less than ten words. Sometimes the questions take longer than answers. A section like that could work wonders to improve communication skills of Indian professionals. Even without that section the book is really well crafted.
The Charm of Raga Bhairavi
Every composer has their favorite raga. A raga that will sneak up regularly in compositions. It is almost like an unfinished task that comes back to haunt you. You attend to it for a bit but there is so much more to be done. If one speaks about Raga Bhairavi, one has to talk about the obsession of the duo Shankar-Jaikishan (called S-J by fans) with the raga. Shankarsingh Raghuwanshi (1922–1987) continued to sign his work as Shankar Jaikishan even sixteen years after Jaikishen Dayabhai Pankal passed away in 1971.
The Charm of Raga Todi
Todi is a morning raga that is sung from 8am to 10am. It has the ability to evoke the same mood of playfulness of a newborn lying in bed content, smiling and playful. In film music, Raga Todi has been largely used in composing songs that depict pathos. Raga Todi or Miyan ki Todi was the trademark composition of Miyan Tansen the legendary composer in the court of Akbar. Raga Todi is also known as Miyan ki Todi, Shuddha Todi and Darbari Todi. All these names essentially refer to the same Raga Todi.
The Charm of Raga Ahir Bhairav
According to musical folklore, the melody of their cowbells is supposed to be behind this raga. Thank you for giving us this gem. Ahir Bhairav is a late morning raga and can be sung from 8am up to 10 am. In my second novel Married But Available, the enigmatic Keya is listening to it at 4am. That only shows that it is possible to enjoy a Raga even if the time is not a hundred percent accurate.
The Charm of Raga Ramkali
Ramkali is also used to evoke the moods of madhur (sweet) or chakit (Startled). The best example of this is the composition by OP Nayyar in the film Phir Wohi Dil Laya Hoon sung by Asha Bhosle in 1963 - Dekho Bijli Dole Bin Badal Ki (Lyrics by Majrooh Sultanpuri) based on Raga Ramkali. The quicksilver mood of the raga is beautifully captured in this dance by Asha Parekh.
The Charm of Raga Bhairav
Raga Bhairav is a raga associated with Lord Shiva. Some musicians also call it Raga Bhairo or Bhairon. Bhairav is considered to be an incarnation (Avatar) of Lord Shiva who is fierce and associated with destruction. It is believed that Bhairon is connected to the Southern face and relates to the Mahavidya goddess named Bhairavi. The Sinhalese worship the same God as Bahirawa who is the God of treasures.
