I recently watched a repeat telecast of an old Aap ki Adaalat episode featuring Jagjit Singh as the under-trial.
I am an ardent admirer of Jagjit Singh, a singer par excellence. But I knew very little about Jagjit Singh the person. And so I watched the episode with keen interest.
We often think of great artists as people who live on a different plane and hence not worldly wise or street smart.
Jagjit Singh came through as a lively person with a keen intellect who could engage you in a lively conversation, convey his point of view very lucidly and also quickly figure out any fallacies in your argument. He made clear the difference between a remix and a cover edition. The two terms are often used loosely and incorrectly.
He displayed keen business acumen when he explained his career moves. He told about what earned him money and what he did for his own satisfaction.
He rendered 'Chitthi na koi sandesh' on public demand. He asked public to join in. When people tried using claps in sync with the beat, he asked them to stop it and sing along instead. This was a wonderful thing to do. I have often wondered why singers insist on the audience clapping to join in the performance.
One of the charges against him was that he had tinkered with the format of ghazal singing. As one who finds Jagjit's rendering of Ghalib's ghazals unparalleled, I found this charge ridiculous. Jagjit's explanations showed his mastery of the art as well as the clarity of his thinking.
I liked the show.
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