A Monday
ago my friends Shekhar Pimpalkhare, ex Merchant Navy, and future Yacht Sailor
along with his painter wife Ketaki Pimpalkhare invited me and a few other
friends over for dinner. He poured us Bourbon, and she cooked the fish.
Delicious.
This was an evening of discussions,
of me posing nude on the cover, The Mona Lisa, Badminton, photography, the
ghost of Marilyn Monroe, nature, cities, people, destruction, Modigliani, the
divine comedy, greed, relevance, arguments, long-time, some-time, no-time,
time, paintings, mirrors, light-sabers, re-fill, and Phil Ochs.
Shekhar and I were discussing my new
blog when I asked him if he’d connect me with an old friend of his I was
terribly curious about: Mr. Devang Patel - the funnyman of Indian music.
Now this would have been one of those moments for me. Shekhar
called him up and set up the interview.
I sent a text to Devang asking where he was based out of; we
could have met.
‘My base is Earth’… he replied, confirming, this wasn’t an
easy client. But the interview would turn out to be more profound than funny.
A week later, Sunday, June 16, 5:30 PM, I called up him.
His dialer tone was "Awara Hoon", the Mukesh classic.
In an instant, I connected their voices.
I had heard Mukesh as a child; my dad had cassette copies of his definitive
collection.
Hi Devang.
Hello.
How are you doing?
I’m great.
Tell me that was Mukesh; because I’m actually confused with
both your voices. Although his voice is unmistakable.
It is. But you know I used to sing in the voice of Mukesh in
those school talent competitions. My father was a huge fan. I love his voice. "Dum Dum Diga Diga" was the first song I learnt.
Really? How long ago was that? I don’t even know how old you
are.
I’m in my 40s now. (Laughs) This was when I was 12. But
Mukesh, he had that pure man’s voice, you know. It’s something that you can
relate to.
Are you a trained singer?
No. We are Patels from Gujarat. You can imagine, our family
had no connection with music what so ever. It just happened for me.
How does something like this just happen?
I matured early. (Laughs) Think about it, humor became a
weapon. I wasn’t following crowds. I was questioning. And these questions took
me to a place from where I got an aeriel view of society, even myself, like an
outer body experience. From there, you laugh, you know, at what you see.
Are you seriously telling me that it’s your worldview that
got you into music, and more so into parody?
Yes. What do you think Patel-scope is? I felt I was speeding
ahead of everybody. And I couldn’t judge anybody. I didn’t want to. And I got a
view from atop the mountain, and from here, our little plans are nothing but
comedy. See I was getting interested in people on the extremes.
Because the extremes are more interesting?
Very. Think about it. the extremes are not just interesting,
they are similar. That moment where I felt ahead of life, everything became a
satire. It was funny. Everything was funny. I mean, I bet Raj Kapoor saw it.
How else can you explain the work? My friend, it’s a circle, nothing more. You
have to learn to laugh. (Laughs) You have "Babas" promoting themselves. The
foolish fool the foolish. When I wrote Bamboo #5, I was writing about greed. Go
look at the words. They sound funny, because it’s a pop song. But for me, I was
making an observation. I’m just passing by in this thing called life. I’m
making an observation through my Patelscope.
Man. I never would have figured you for a serious guy.
I’m not.
Maybe a Sidewinder.
Not that either. I don’t and can’t confine myself.
Even as an artist?
No. That’s the thing. I love drama. I love music. I’m neither
this nor that. I just love comedy, that divine comedy that makes me laugh all
the time. And so should you. We really don’t control much, but pretend to have
everything under control.
Jesus. You know, I have a friend called Shweta Shahade and
when I told her about this interview, she said ask him, "Why did you do this to
us, why?" (Laughs)
Well then tell her I’m a funny guy. (Laughs)
I will. Who was the quintessential comic influence?
Kishore Kumar.
That explains a lot.
Yea. You know, meri marzi.
“Meri Marzi”, rings a bell. You wrote that song didn’t you,
the one shot on Govinda?
Yes. He introduced me to Madhuri Dixit at the time. A lot of
offers came in, even after Patelscope was out. But Bollywood comedy wasn’t
interesting to me. To do those small comic rolls, not my thing.
Have you received applause from the who’s who or whatever the
fuck that is?
Yes. I mean I was told that I am Dhirubhai Ambani’s favorite
singer and stuff like that. But look, it doesn’t change me. My servant is from
Rajasthan; he lives and works in my house. He works harder than I have seen any
man work. And he sends all his money to his family. When I see something like
that, it moves me. It makes me wonder. I can observe a rich man, I can observe
a beggar. I can’t observe the ones in between. There is nothing interesting.
There’s a different kind of mundane mediocrity there, and its full of
selfishness, which I dislike.
Did you ever get into trouble for your music?
Never.
Legally?
No. There is no restriction on parody. To me, parodies are
cartoons of music. And I’d like to be one of the characters in there. World
was, is, will be funny.
Devang, you have surprised me quite a bit. You are far too
profound and far too misunderstood.
Why? Because I don’t have a job. But I don’t look at my music
as a job. I do it because I love playing, and singing, and writing. That is the
whole and sole reason.
I’m beginning to see the world through Patelscope.
Look as long as you want. One day you’ll have your own scope.
Me? My time will come. I will leave then. I’m a tourist. I live life as a
tourist.
What started off as an interview
soon picked up a life of its own. Devang became more and more reflective, and
the things he told me fast became some well kept secrets. He had interweaved
life's lushness, with the diving comedy and lived accordingly. There was no
point explaining him; he did not care.
His feet were grounded, but then how do
you find God if your feet aren't grounded? This was a fitting artist who had
whitewashed his celebrity with a sense of self purpose and preservation. Every
record and its predecessor was a stubborn and obdurate response. At the same
time, it knew how to pinch, and pinch a perky little tit. Here's what I learnt,
there was much to learn about a worldview from a man like him. And I for one,
had come unprepared. And for the sake of artistic liberty, the interview has
been cut short.
Here's how we ended it.
This is a little overwhelming. Tell me quickly about what you
do during the "Navratri". Considering that’s right up your alley.
It is. I’m very famous here in Gujarat. And funnily, the
Navaratri for me usually lasts for three months. Its 90-ratri. Pre-Navratri I’m
in Australia, and Africa. And Post Navratri, I’m in the United States. Booked
through out to play. The community really takes me in. and I give them a solid
show. Make them get on stage with me. tons of stuff, lot of parodies, and I
also do the same to come of the Garbas. They love it.
(Laughs). I’ll try and attend one of your shows this year.
You’re most welcome.
Before we hang up. How did you meet Shekhar and Ketaki?
Oh. Lovely people. One of the shows I did in Pune at Oasis,
Shekhar’s club. It was pouring like mad. And here’s my memory, Ketaki ran into
the green room and went “Devang, where’s your moochi?” (Laughs). He didn’t know
I wore one for the video. Great people. Great times.
They are. Thank you Devang.
Thank you.
It was then that I realized, Devang Patel
was dealing with life’s more difficult concerns. I can’t imagine the shit the
bugger must have taken, even from the likes of me, but in conclusion, he is
more than ever, essential.
This wasn’t Andy Kaufman, this
wasn’t Lenny Bruce, this was a different specie altogether. Fuck the success,
self-belief was at stake here. In a day and age where taking a leap of faith
has become a lost art, some came down to ridiculing themselves before others
and finding a good laugh.
Something told me this was the last
of the great comic scenes, not in theater, not in the movies, not even in a
sort of stand-up comedy, but in entropy in desperation, in the self-condemnation
of losers and motherfuckers; and there was nothing beautiful about settling
down.
Devang Patels’ a tourist he says,
with a map, to our hearts, in and out of our hearts, jokes about farts,
shopping in Wal-Mart’s, playing darts, topping the top of the Pop charts, until
we all may part. Fucking ingenious kind of genius. The bugger actually looks at
life from above. Here’s the thing; when someone like him comes along, we’ve got
to keep him in our hearts for a while.
I’ll go down a fan of his.
