Javed Akhtar – Javed Akhtar and Shabana Azmi launch Tagore monsoon music video in the UK

A new songs movie collection of some of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore’s most preferred monsoon tunes, translated from Bengali into Hindi by poet-lyricist Javed Akhtar, has been released in London.

Akhtar was joined by his spouse, actor Shabana Azmi for the start of Megh hi Megh (Clouds), created by London-dependent not-for-profit Baithak Uk at a particular rendezvous event at Taj Resort on Monday night. The online video delivers alongside one another British Indian artists Sangeeta Datta, Shoumik Datta and Kathak dancer Shivani.

“Javed Saab’s translations of Tagore’s works are incredibly very well recognised all around the earth and this video clip is our homage to one more these types of wonderful poem, which provides the monsoons to life,” reported Sangeeta, the director of Baithak United kingdom.

“We at Baithak provide a system for dialogue, discussion and new perform and get pleasure from bringing excellent masters and younger expertise jointly to trade suggestions, collaborate and produce. We have developed initiatives to give function to more youthful artists who were out of do the job during the extended several years of the COVID disaster,” she additional.

The launch celebration included a distinctive evening of poetry, examine in Urdu by Akhtar and translated in English by Azmi.

“Translating poetry is like pouring fragrance from a person bottle into the other, some of the fragrance is certain to be shed. But at least that way it will make it accessible,” mentioned Azmi, as she translated poems from her husband’s selection entitled In Other Terms.

Some of the poems, these kinds of as Woh Kamra Yaad Aata Hai (I keep in mind that place) and Aansu (Teardrop), had been also read through out in their French and Italian translations.

“It’s a initially for us to have all these languages occur jointly, it reflects the universality of poetry. Artwork can generate an ambiance of sensitivity, poetry can be an anthem for a procession,” claimed Akhtar, through an in-dialogue phase of the event.

“Most of the time my poem is in my head, and I hold on improvising it. When I compose a poem, I see to it that this angle or assumed has not been created at least in Urdu mainly because if any person has now reported this, then what is actually the level,” added the 77-yr-outdated poet. 

“So, the notion should really be new. I imagine in permitting the germ of an notion mature in the thoughts and then just one day you realise that you are completely ready to publish,” shared the poet-author guiding film scripts these kinds of as Sholay and chart-topping hits like Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga.