Avurudu Hangover

 

Pic by Ravindra Dharmathilaka www.nation.lk

Post-Christmas Stress Disorder is frequently observed in people of western countries after the Christmas season. Dr. Danister L Perera predicts that Sri Lankan people are also on the verge of developing a Post-Sinhala Avurudu Stress Disorder if the current system persists. “Some people go insane due to the significant distress caused during the Christmas season. They become stressed when they fail to organize and plan, financial and social aspects during the season. I fear that our people will soon develop a similar disorder in the Avurudu season,” Dr. Perera opined.

Dr. Danister L Perera is from Pahala Bomiriya, Kaduwela. Having received primary education from the Korathota Village School, he entered Rajasinghe Madya Maha Vidyalaya for his Advanced Level examination. Upon finishing school education he went to one of his relatives who practices Ayurveda medicine. The knowledge he gained there inculcated in him an interest in the field and therefore he decided to join the Gampaha Ayurveda Institute. After graduating, he focused on social science, social and cultural anthropology and herbal plants in his post graduate studies. His main focus is on research and publications while working as a visiting lecturer in several state universities as well as international agencies such as UNESCO. He was the former director to the Herbal Plants Conservation Project at the Ministry of Indigenous Medicine and the Secretary to the Ayurveda Medical Council. He currently works with a few private institutions.

People take loans and salary advances during the season to spend for the New Year gifts, groceries, clothes or household equipment as they want to celebrate it to the best of their possibilities. There were instances reported, where people pawned their gold to raise the necessary money. “After the New Year they have to worry about paying loans or the deducted salaries. All the happiness gained on the New Year day is lost, when you have to worry about paying bills,” he said. “New Year is not about the rituals or traditions anymore. It’s about the party and the way we are going to celebrate the day. It will soon become a day like valentines day, father’s day or mother’s day,” he added. He further explained how people worry about New Year parties and become tired and stressed once the party season is done with. “It’s like a hangover. The purpose of Avurudu, is to refresh and renew, is completely lost,” he added.

Any country has its own cultural values. Likewise, New Year traditions are a part of our culture which comes from ancient times. “Such cultures with traditions continued from the ancient history are rare and very powerful. Fortunately we belong to such a culture and these New Year traditions are a part of that,” he explained. According to astrology, New Year begins when the sun moves from Meena Rashiya (house of Pisces) to Mesha Rashiya (house of Aries). It also marks the end of the harvest. “On one hand, New Year celebrations are a part of the agricultural economy of the country and it is also connected to nature,” he said.

The Sun covers a period of twelve months or one year traveling through the twelve houses of the zodiac in its nonstop traversing. “This explains how our ancestors understood and tuned well to nature. They observed the cyclic changes in nature and they created the time unit called ‘the year.’ Later, with the traditions and rituals, this adaptation to the environment became ceremonial,” he added. He also mentioned how similar ceremonies, originating from worshiping the Sun, are present in the countries near the equator.

As Perera explained, the New Year also became a period during which our ancestors relaxed after the harvest. “I believe that this concept of starting everything afresh formed with the religious influence similar to starting a new birth,” he said. “It also carries an extra ordinary social value.” The precise times when the old year (Parana Avurudda) ends, and the New Year begins. The period from Parana Avurudda to the dawn the New Year is the Nonegatha (inauspicious) period where all work ceases. It brings a relief to the person’s body as well as the mind. It also gives a break to the materialistic equipment used by that person. With everything at ease the person has time to think about the spiritual side of life and focus on religious activities. “This is what should happen. But sometimes these are ignored with cultural transition of the society. It is difficult to practice what should be practiced because of the ways of businessmen,” he pointed out. 

He further explained how the Sinhala New Year traditions and rituals are challenged by the culture of the contemporary businessmen. “People forget traditions due to the commercialized economy. Businessmen have succeeded in making people believe that collecting goods from discount sales is the best way to get ready for the New Year. Notice the way people rush to and fro and congested roads two, three days before the New Year day. Media also holds a responsibility in this,” he noted.

As he pointed out Nonegatha is not a time to relax anymore. It is a time to listen to the radio announcers jabbering and a contest between television channels to see which one telecasts the best rated Hindi movie. “They are responsible of destroying the structure of the New Year,” he stressed. “The countdown to the Neketh times is the other mania media practices. People are made to believe that they have to attend to Neketh at the exact correct second. There is no base to this. It is not about lighting the match or eating the first piece of Kiribath at the correct second,” he added.

According to Perera, these ancient rituals are all about inculcating good habits among people. The Avurudu schedule is the ideal time table for a person to practice throughout his or her life. He explained that the Sinhala Avurudu rituals contain effective elements than the Japanese 5S organization methodology. “The 5S methodology was taken in to our systems with gratitude since it came from abroad. But if one is to analyze the elements of the Avurudu rituals, it has better organizational schemes from health, cleanliness or timeliness,” he exclaimed. He said that Avurudu Neketh is a reminder to renew the family, social and cultural values which people should practice everyday. He further explained this with the ritual or atoning oil.

“Hisa thel gema is a reminder to live healthy throughout the year. Atoning oil should be done frequently to maintain health. But today, people are made to believe that it’s for Apala (malefic period) and if they don’t do it on the Neketh time or there will be no use. But it’s a myth,” he said.

He further said that media should be held responsible for destroying the provincial diversity of the New Year rituals. “Avurudu rituals and the culture were different from region to region. Over the years media introduced new customs to people disregarding that. Regional identity is nonexistent now. What we see on TV is all made up,” he reiterated. He also pointed out how people have deviated from environmental friendly practices like playing Rabana during Neketh time to firing crackers and how environmental unfriendly things have become the norms.

Anyone could witness Colombo city deserted during the Avurudu week. There is no traffic or people rushing along the payments. Dr. Perera said that this is the best example to understand the power of the New Year. “People leave the city to go to their hometowns, where they belong to. Therefore Avurudu is also an event which reminds people about their origins,” he said. “There is a danger to this too. When people leave Colombo, they take Colombo culture to the village. That should not happen. The value system of the village is untouched. Bring the village culture to Colombo. But don’t spoil the village with city evils,” he reiterated.

“When you leave Colombo, take nothing with you, not even the Colombo gifts. Village is richer than the city. It doesn’t expect gifts from the city. That is the concept which should be promoted during the New Year season,” Perera added. He also mentioned the environmental hazards caused on days like Valentines Day, fathers’ day or the mothers’ day by polythene and plastic wrappers. He stressed that similar harm is caused by the gifts exchanged on Avurudu season.

Perera believes that media does not have a way out since they are funded by these businessmen who have their own agendas. They create needs among people in order to sell their products. Therefore the actual needs are replaced by these introduced needs. “We used to make our New Year delicacies at home. If you analyse this you will realize that most of these rituals are skill based. Since everything is available in the market, people started loosing their skills,” he pointed out. “It’s not bad to have a piece of cake on Avurudu, even Kokis is not an indigenous delicacy. But don’t buy cake from a shop. Bake it at home.”    

However according to Perera protecting the culture does not mean that the rituals and traditions should remain static over the years. “It doesn’t mean that we need to have a Thirikkal race instead of bicycle races. I believe it is okay to wear denims and t-shirts instead of the national costume as long as they still appreciate prostrating at the feet of their parent with beetle leaves,” he opined. “The core of tradition should be protected while adapting to the new world,” he added.

Dr. Perera believes that it is still not too late to protect these traditions. “It’s time to think back. “Leaving these unhealthy habits is not impossible at all.  We have to leave the party concept and go back to healthy practices. Making that happen is my dream,” he said. “In the worst case scenario someone will take this to a western country and repackage and sell it to us in the form of a new system like the 5S,” he added.

Making people feel the beauty in songs

The songs Katu Akule mal ahare and Mal pipei deneth arei can hardly be cast out of memory by anyone who has enjoyed the teledrama Amba Yahaluwo based on TB Illangarathne’s novel by the same name. All the songs in the drama including these two and much appreciated Sudu ath patawek, Ra wada muraya, Sina thotak, Mehev rate, Viyo wu pasuwayi, Ek pethi malak and Siyothune uthurin were written by Bandula Nanayakkarawasam, veteran lyricist and journalist who used to believe that radio artistes came into the wooden cabinet through the radio at his home to play songs for him when he was too young even to understand the meanings behind the songs.

“I was just five years old when my uncle’s radio was brought home after his funeral. I did not understand any of the dramas, songs or programs. It became a habit to listen to this radio which was inside a huge cabinet. I was crazy about it but was too young to understand the process. I thought the cabinet was a house which people who announce came to every day to present programs. I sit closer to the radio, listening to this amazing machine all day long. On a day of heavy rain, thunder and lightning, my eldest sister asked me to switch the radio off, but I didn’t care. Then she scolded me. “Are you mad? We’ll all die if lightning strikes the radio.”

Then I replied. “That’s all right. I’ll finally get to see Jothipala and Karu ayya.” I knew I said something wrong when my sister ran to the others laughing. Then Sudu akka, my second elder sister came to me and explained to me how the radio works. She told me that the artistes are in Colombo at the Radio Ceylon,” Bandula Nanayakkarawasam, veteran lyricist recalled his first memorable experience about the radio.

“That’s when I fell in love with the song. I couldn’t believe myself that I remembered each and every word of the songs I heard. I wasn’t a very bright student in the classroom but I just had to listen once to remember all words of a song,” he added. Nanayakkarawasam is from Devundara, Matara District. Today he is a celebrated old boy of Richmond College, Galle. Reminiscing, he said that he realized that song is an amazing form of art when he was in grade five, back in 1960s. “I remember I was confused when I listened to the song, Sakura mal pipila by Nanda Malini. I couldn’t understand why she was singing about walking fish or Sakura blooming in her garden. I asked Sudu akka, she explained. But I was still confused. I thought the lyricist was crazy to write such abstract things.” Few years later, that lyricist, Prof Sunil Ariyaratne became his role model, friend and unofficial teacher. “Nine years from then, when I published my first poetry collection, Kadadasi Godaka Geethya he was the one to write the epilogue. It was destined to happen,” he said.

Nanayakkarawasam, amazed by Sinhala, Hindi and English songs, as a child, decided that he wanted to become a poet in the future. “I started following my role model. I tried to dress like him, wear bothal adi spectacles like him although I had no eye problem. But I was happy when Prof Ariyaratne said that I never copied his work like I copied his attire at the keynote address of my one and only show Sina Thotak. He also mentioned, WS Silva, teacher of Richmond College, who helped him to improve his poetry and writing skills. “He is like a walking encyclopedia. I still learn things from him,” he said. “It was Bandara sir who made me realize that there are both good and bad in songs and I also learnt how interesting Russian literature was. He always encouraged us to read the English book, discouraging us from reading the Sinhala translation,” he added. WS Bandara will be giving the key note speech at the Sekara Mahima ceremony.

Noticing the aspiring work of young Bandula, tabla master SW Randuwa took him to the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation in 1979 with the songs he wrote. “There were two veterans to go through the songs and grant approval. There was a song, questioning the God of Katharagama about the murder of Kataragama beauty queen Premawathi Manamperi. One person was infuriated, over me questioning god. He yelled at me. ‘Do you think you can become another Sunil Ariyarathne?’, he recalled this as an incident in which his motivation to become an established lyricist became stronger. This wishful young boy spoke back to this man, thanking him for comparing his talent, at his school-going age, with a well-established lyricist. “I saw the SLBC through tear-filled eyes that day. But later, people who were there like Premakeerthi de Alwis, Palitha Perera, Kusum Pieries, Daya de Alwis or Parakrama Perera, Saman Athawudahetti, Piyadasa Ratnasinghe and Sudarman de Silva helped me see SLBC as a paradise,” he said expressing his gratitude. He also pointed out how important it is to mention the name of the artiste, as SLBC used to do, in recognizing young talent.

He believes that providing insensitive art work to people is an evil. Making people perceive such insensitive artisans have demolished their thinking capacity and intelligence. “That’s why no one can bring a positive change to this country. I strongly believe that this is the main reason behind many issues in the country,” he iterated. “If politicians had a better taste this country would not be like this. If the teachers, media, artistes had better taste and sensitivity, it is no difficult task to solve all problems and make this country a better place,” he added. “It’s a shame that people who should be taking the responsibility are pointed in the wrong direction.” He also believes that still there are people with good taste. He added that still there is a demand for decent works of art. He said that the comments and appreciations he received for his recently celebrated radio program Raa Ira Pana is an example that people still have the taste for that demand.

Over 100 programs of Raa Ira Paana, broadcast from 2011 to 2013 were admired by many song lovers throughout that period. It was awarded the best musical program award at the State music award ceremony in 2013. Even though Nanayakkarawasam put a stop to the program over an unfortunate dispute, the program is badly missed by its admirers. If one is to search the web for the program, there are many blogs, online groups and Facebook discussions to prove how the program is missed terribly. He said the program Raa Ira Paana was simply an attempt to help others see the beauty he saw in the songs. “I’m not sure whether I can call it ecstasy. I know I can’t show what I feel and what I get from the songs. But at least I had to give it a try,” he said. “I knew, I could link certain incidents with songs and give it out to the audience. Lucian Bulathsinghala’s Sandella, HM Gunasekara’s Irida Sangrahaya, Tissa Abeysekara’s Geeyaka Rasa and Mahinda Ranaweera’s Kshithijaya, EW Adikaram’s Vidya Dharshana, Nandadasa Kodagoda’s Batahira waidya sakachchawa and Sugathapala de Silva’s dramas inspired me to create a show like this,” he said. “It was Premakeerthi de Alwis who made world literature a common people’s thing in Sri Lanka. These experiences attached to me are behind Raa Ira Paana, that I believe it became a sugar coating for some songs with deep meanings,” he added. He also mentioned the support of Kapila Poogalaarachchi, Nilendra Deshapriya, Dayal Fernando in making of the program.

Sekara Mahima is organized as a result of this program. Even though Raa Ira Pana was presented at an off peak time, the fan base grew day by day that it became a peak time. Among these fans, there was one extraordinary person, as Nanayakkarawasam described, who was a retired Chemistry teacher at St. Joseph’s College. He had started listening to the program by seeing a newspaper advertisement and had followed it until the final program.  Enthused by Mahagama Sekara’s works which were presented in the program, this fan, 64 year old, Ananda Wickramarachchi decided to gift his collection which are articles which ran for a period of 55 years and paper cuttings of Mahagama Sekara to Nananyakkarawasam. According to Nanayakkarawasam, this event was organized to appreciate his dedication towards making such a valuable collection, a gift, hoping that it will be in better hands. “Mr. Wickramarachchi wanted to come and gift it to me in Devundara. I felt that he should not be sweating to come that far to gift this treasured collection,” he said.

Sekara Mahima collection by Wickramarachchi will be accepted by Ravinda and Nirupama Mahagama Sekara, son and daughter of Mahagama Sekara on Sekara’s 85^th birth anniversary. “I would try to get at least one person from one district although the light house gallery cannot accommodate a large crowd. I believe this is an event which each district should witness,” he said.    A website www.rairapaana.com will also be launched at the event. “This is not forgetting the fan base of Ra Ira Pana since it would be only the invitees who can join in on April 7. This might become another step towards something big,” he said hopefully.  The program Ra Ira Paana and Sekara Mahima will be held in the Light House Gallery on April 7 at 5.45 pm. Nanayakkarawasam’s master, WS Bandara, Prof Sunil Ariyaratne, Dr. Rohana Weerasinghe, Buddhadasa Galappaththi and Prof Carlo Fonseka will also attend the event.

Notable songs of Nanayakkarawasam

Katu Akule

Ahasai Oba Mata

Ran Hiru Madalin

Mal Pipei

Nihanda Arana

Ahasai Oba Mata

Akeekaruda Obe Sithath

Epa Thavath Oba

 Gangak Se

Malak Ginigena Poojasanaye

Namak Nodanna Malak

Pavan Rodak Se

 Ran Hiru Madalin

Rangira Maa

 Re Tharuvi

Re Veda Muraya

 Sath Mahalin

Sina Thotak

Siyothune

Uda Venna Me Rathriye

Thisara Vile

Virirunu Mal Pethi

Avasana Rosamala

Bisaru Liyan

Ek Pethi Malak

Gangule Bindena Heen

Handa Panak

Ipanalida Rangai

Mage Kanduluvel

Gangava Dakinnata

 Nil Ahasath

Mehev Rate

Nimtherak

Sudu Ath Powwek

Pana thiya

Mal Pipeyi

Viyo vu pasuwayi

Gifted with the art of composing - Dr. Rohana Weerasinghe

Pic by Chandana Wijesinghe

Dr. Rohana Weerasinghe hardly needs any introduction. Making an indelible mark in the Sri Lankan music industry over 30 years, he remains one of the best musicians in history. His music never fails to enhance the power of the words in a song. “I try to understand the meaning in the lyrics and create a mental image out of it. Then I think of a melody which suits that image which is followed by music composition,” Dr. Weerasinghe said, explaining the process of composition.

Traditional music which reflects the atmosphere of the eras in which Lenchina and Selestina lived; melancholic cello and Hawaiian guitar music which represents the sorrow of garment workers in Re wada muraya awasan wana kanisamata by Sunil Edirisinghe are just a few examples of Weerasinghe’s excellence. Reviewing his music Prof Carlo Fonseka wrote, “To review comprehensively, let alone appraise critically, Rohana’s assembled body of musical creations, one would have to be familiar with some 2,000 songs and the music he has created for 125 teledramas, 30 films and 20 dramas. To be a competent judge of his work one should have knowledge of several kinds of music, lyrical poetry and the role of music in film, teledrama and drama. I fail all these tests.”

Rohana Weerasinghe said that he always tries to give prominence to composing music for the lyrics rather than getting someone to write songs for his melodies. “Creative music is now available as a subject in the university curriculum, but during our days, we didn’t have a proper place to experiment with music. I observed Pandit Amaradeva, Kemadasa Master, Victor Ratnayake and Prof Sanath Nandasiri. They were the best people. Observing them closely, how they composed music helped me to create my own style,” he said. “I saw how they understood lyrics and converted it into music, how they combined the background music with the flow of words, how music was composed with the melody. It helped me improve my gift,” he reflected.

Rohana Weerasinghe was born in Black pool, a rural village in Nuwara Eliya in February 14, 1949 as the youngest son of Dickmadugodage Henry Weerasinghe and Sepalin Weerasinghe. “My singing talent was first recognized. I remember running to the temple to listen to the gramophone. Hamuduruwo used to say, “Mahaththaya, why don’t you sing? It’s not doing you any good just listening to the gramophone. So I sang into a microphone so that the whole village could hear,” he reminisced. His formal education commenced at the same temple. He later entered Welimada Central College, where he laid the foundation for his musical journey. He studied music under KVS Perera, who was the music teacher at that school. “Looking back, I think it’s the first landmark of my career,” he said. He had to choose subjects for higher studies after graduating to grade eight. He chose Arts subjects ignoring the objections of his family. “I had good grades and I was the first in the class.

“My family thought I was going insane when I chose music as a subject,” he recalled his stubborn decision which enabled him to become one of the best musicians in the country. This period was quite hard for little Rohana because he lost his father and his music teacher had to leave school following a transfer. School became dull since there were no more music lessons. “I came to a cousin who worked in Colombo and got into Pannipitiya Dharmapala Vidyalaya for the Advanced Level,” he said. Yet, his dreams were shattered since there wasn’t a good music teacher. “I was devastated. I didn’t know what to do. To suppress my devastation I got into the habit of watching Hindi movies,” he recollected how he used to adore Hindi melodies.

“However, I failed the Advanced Level at my first attempt and I was asked to return home. They were already disappointed about me since I was the stubborn one,” he smiled. After returning home he met Kithsiri Aluthge, the music master at Gamini Maha Vidyalaya, Nuwara Eliya. He encouraged him to repeat his Advanced Level Examination. “When the Gazette announcement was made to declare open the Government Music School, master Aluthge himself told me that I would do well to join it, since my passion was music,” he said. He joined the Government Music School in 1969. “That is the second landmark of my journey,” he added.

At the Government Music School, he met a few lifelong friends including Lakshman Wijesekara, Bandula Wijeweera, Malini Bulathsinhala, Somapala Ratnayake and Ananda Weerasiri, who are well-known in the Sri Lankan music field. “We all studied music under HDS Jayasekara. He was attached to the amateur artiste’s programs at the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) and he used to make us participate in these programs,” he said. “This was during the 70s, which was considered the golden age of SLBC,” he added.

He was introduced to the field through SLBC and his talents were recognized by few veterans in the field at that time. Dr. Premasiri Kemadasa having noticed young Rohana’s skills invited him into his orchestra as a sitarist. This was a big breakthrough for young Rohana as it helped his journey as a professional musician. As a musician playing various instruments including sitar, Rohana contributed to Sa concert of Victor Ratnayake, Shravanaaradhana of Nanda Malini and Swarna Kundala of Sanath Nandasiri. He attempted to master his singing when he passed his light classics (Sarala Gee) test at SLBC. “But I wasn’t very good at that. I didn’t receive good feedback like I received for my music. In fact I was discouraged by the feedbacks,” he admitted.

Discouraged to sing, he started music composition. “People like my melodies. I was also happy they admired it. Therefore I continued with music composition and gradually lost interest in singing.” In 1977, he settled down in matrimony with Beatrice de Silva and started the journey of family life. In 1979, he composed music for his debut cassette recordings, including songs like Eka sitha dethanaka and Hiruta horen - sanduta horen by TM Jayarathne and Punchi sithe punchi sina by Neela Wickramasinghe. He was introduced as a music composer to the silver screen with the release of Aaradhana by Vijaya Dharmashri in 1980. Yet his debut music composition for the silver screen was for Sathischandra Edirisinghe’s Vadula. He received his first Sarasavi award for music composition in 1980. He started contributing to teledrama, directing music for DB Nihalsinghe’s Rekha. Other than that, Sinhala films like Adara Hasuna and Saptha Kanya and teledramas like Du Daruvo and Giraya won him an array of national awards.

He believes that music can be mastered through practice if a person has an innate talent. “People like Jothipala had the gift. Amaradeva mastered his talent through learning and practice. Latha Walpola established a name in the field using her inborn talent where Nanda Malini studied the subject,” Weerasinghe explained. "I do not have much talent in singing; I cannot sing some of the musical ornaments (Alankara) properly. That's why I thought of sticking to music composition,” he added. Yet, songs he voiced like Muthu kuda ihalana mal warusawe or Nathi bari mohothaka pihitata enne fascinates the listeners as any other singer, even though he underestimates his own singing.

Weerasinghe emphasized that there are many talented musicians and singers in the new generation who are awaiting an opportunity. “I have met many talented young students during Kavitha, university talent show,” he iterated. Yet according to him, it’s less likely that they come into the field as professionals. He put the blame on contemporary media for this regrettable situation. “Not all, but many media institutions are responsible for this. Their commercialized motives do not allow the new generation to come up with respectable creations,” he pointed out. "We were less interested in money but valued the sensation of making a musical creation. It was the mentality of that era,” he recalled. “All our advice on media ethics are in vain, despite how hard we try,” he lamented. “Media is in a race to give the worst possible to the society. No surprise that they have to pay the audience to watch or listen,” he added.

Weerasinghe was appointed a presidential adviser on cultural and aesthetic affairs in 2005. In 2011, the University of Visual and Performing Arts conferred upon him an honorary doctorate in recognition of his outstanding contributions. When asked about the insinuated step motherly treatments towards artistes, Weerasinghe said, “Artistes earn money and spend it all without a proper plan, waste it on drinking and put the blame on the government when they don’t have a way of living out their old age. How fair is it in a country where there are farmers, teachers and laborers who go through untold troubles?” He went on to say that he is aware of the dissatisfaction among artistes. “I am doing my best as a presidential adviser making plans and suggestions. That is the farthest I can go. It’s up to authorities to operate them,” he further explained. According to him, there is a clear upbeat in the teledrama and film industries. “I’m not sure whether people who always complain are aware of these positive facts,” he said.

He further expressed his grief on the failure to implement a working set of media ethics on contemporary media. “People put the blame on the government for not controlling this unfortunate situation in media. But when we try to implement ethics the opposition party protests that the government is trying to censor media,” he emphasized. “I’m not sure how to make things work in this country, it is complicated,” he added.

He also spoke about remaking and remixing of music. He emphasized that that these improvements are always a good sign as long as there is a mutual understanding between the remaker and the original creator. “It is very hard to cope with the mafia of remaking, downloading and ringtones. We went through a lot of hardship to draft a law on royalty payments under the Intellectual Property Act. Only one or two channels follow this rule,” he affirmed. “These channels have been breaking the law for almost three years now. No one talks against them,” he reiterated.

Speaking about the Sannaliyane musical show, Weerasinghe said that everything is ready to stage the event. He said that he believes it is a blessing for him to receive the opportunity to direct music for the event. “Pundit Amaradeva’s songs will be sung by various other artists on stage. My responsibility was to recreate these songs without harming the original, maintaining quality,” he said.