After Sandalwood, Raghu Dixit heads to Bollywood

Raghu Dixit

Raghu Dixit, the musician who is often seen in a colourful panche and kurta teamed with ghungroos is on a new high after signing his first Bollywood project with none other than Y-films. The singer and composer who gave a new meaning to pop with his song 'Hey Bhagwan' that created a stir among the audience is all set to re-create the magic in his upcoming Hindi flick.

“I will be composing music for Yash Raj Films’ forthcoming project — Mujhse Fraaandship Karoge? The offer came in as a surprise and the film is a happy and a feel good one. The music will definitely have a touch of folk and I will be singing a song for it too,” says an excited Raghu, who has tweeted about completing the background score for the film.
What’s more? The musician has also been awarded the Best Newcomer at the 2011 Songlines Music Awards, organised by a UK-based magazine Songlines. Currently working on his UK musical, he will be seen collaborating with English folk-band Bellowhead and Kathak dancer Gauri Sharma for the same.
“All the three of us performed together once, and seemed to have connected instantly. We decided on a staging a musical for which the production has already begun. Currently, we are in the process of finalising the story. Initially, we thought we could work on folk tales from the Panchatantra, but now we are browsing materials on Indian mythology. Nevertheless, there will be a strong folk element in our musical,” he reveals.
After a string of performances in the UK, the band will be seen performing at upcoming festivals like Glastonbury, Belladrum, Rhythms of the World, Latitude amongst others. Says Raghu, “The kind of response we get in places like the UK is amazing. Initially, it was difficult to break through, but there is a sense of curiosity for them to see men clad in weird costumes performing with western instruments. After the initial hiccup, they get comfortable.”
With work for his second album already in the pipeline, the composer seems to be having a rather busy year. “There will be about 10 songs in different languages like Tamil, Bengali, and Punjabi amongst others, unlike my previous album. I am looking at a November release,” he signs off.

(DNA)