Namaste, Dear Music Lover,

I’m told that some untidy rumors are about—one even claiming that I lashed out at the award-winning Bollywood writer-director Anurag Basu sir, who among others has worked with my mentor the remarkable composer-music director Pritam da (even years prior to myself working) here in Mumbai.

I just want to set the record straight:

Firstly, I have no “official Twitter” handle / account; secondly, and very simply, please note that, even if I had held some strong opinions of a given celebrity film-director or music-director (or really anyone working in any creative field), I would still have refrained from going public with my personal views, knowing that some or all reading them could have differing views.

Anyway, I‘m not here for publicity stunts. I’d rather let my work represent me to those who want to know “how I feel” (or how characters—whose lines I portray in movie songs—feel). I’m more than photos and words on fan accounts and pages! Please: ask me BEFORE promoting nonsense about my, family’s or friends’ acts.

So friends, if we who work in some public sector don’t obsess over misrepresentations, we hope that you will also be careful to consider the source of any rumors that reach you. In my case, if it’s not from me, it’s probably also not about me or my personal feelings or interests (pro or con regarding any other person or POV!. Ditto for my Bengali family and friends.)

So, before accusing me/us of having a sharp or hostile tongue, please use some common sense… (anyway, most bad rumors are petty and of dubious intent).

I (for one) really have far too little free time to dabble in criticism of anything or anyone. My family and I have nothing but love to share 💕. I (for one) much prefer to dwell upon and discuss what moves me and I admire.

Hint: It’s Music, my dears. Let the naysayers have their say, for that’s part of guaranteed free speech, nevertheless… criticism‘s best silencer isn’t more back-and-forth battling; it’s simply success. (I’m working on that—and little more!)

Trash talk is not a common feature/style (or part) of my verbal communication style. You won’t find such forced cleverness or insulting words here! Whenever you observe it and I’m its target, I hope and pray to be given the benefit of the doubt. (Ditto for my greater Bengali musical family and friends! By the way, unless the Internet missed this: the director is also from a Bengali family. That’s unsurprising to us considering his impressive gifts for storytelling.)

I hope that this post clears the air once again (and for all). Life is far too short to go around sniping at the public persona of admired public figures! To reiterate: such musings, good or bad are simply not my way.

I assure everyone that I utilize my free time far more constructively and happily than to go around criticizing people I admire (and could find myself singing for or with).

We hope that lowers the rhetorical intensity a few levels (for months or even years?). Thanks again for your ongoing interest and support of all of our movie music & songs. May your and our best efforts be given due consideration; may petty nonsense be ignored!

Finally, the one time we made a little innuendo inside joke here about Basu sir, it was only to insinuate that he was seeing so many amazing child dancers perform and breaking mugs in their honor, there was a marked lack of mugs available for coffee or whatever. So what? Now I’m supposed to be some nasty critic? Hardly, ha.

Namaste,

♫ AM ♫

PS: Eventually, we’ll have some sort of a song/movie discussion forum here where personal opinions are welcomed. In that forum, how anyone feels about a given song or movie, good bad or indifferent is the thing. But it’s not here yet. In any case, apparently it won’t arrive too soon!

But generally, personal opinions aren’t what we present as facts here. We prefer to be a more transparent vehicle for true information, while not clouding its intersection with editorial content. By taking this careful approach we could somehow miss the mark, but better that than waxing on endlessly about songs that tally many plays but derive much success from being cute or trendy, rather than admiring or critiquing great vocal portrayals of actual life dramas. There are few shortcuts to greatness. We’re not seeking shortcuts here, regardless. And finally, whether it’s called Twitter or X, that’s a platform that we neither use nor endorse.

However, we do seek to share our/our users’ best takes on all things Bollywood, especially some great Bollywood movies and playback singing contained in them, as directed by leading studios, producers and directors like the aforementioned Mr Basu ji.