What was Tabu’s startling revelation at Kuttey album release?

By Chaitanya Padukone

Despite its non-poetic rather rude-sounding title ‘Kuttey’, the engaging movie trailer and its mesmerizing music shows loads of promise. Directed by Aasmaan Bhardwaj the movie has its cool, relevant songs-lyrics written by iconic Gulzar-saab. Which in turn have been set to catchy foot-tapping or soulful tunes by (the director’s father) composer Vishal Bhardwaj with songs by his super-talented singer-wife Rekha Bhardwaj. The action-thriller-cops-crime-shoot-out-drama-movie ‘Kuttey’ has an ensemble formidable cast comprising Tabu, Naseruddin Shah, Konkona Sen Sharma, Radhika Madan, and Arjun Kapoor. Interestingly, both Tabu and Arjun who play rough-tough senior police officers. Both made honest confessions of their sentimental delight in being part of a movie which is backed by such acclaimed stalwarts of Bollywood like Vishal and Gulzar-saab.

What came as a startling revelation for the invited audience from slim, rejuvenated Tabu will surely go down as wow-trivia in cinema-history. Revealed the (Drishyam 2) heroine Tabu, “Its my honour that I have worked with both directors Gulzar-saab in ‘Maachis’ and also with director Vishal Bhardwaj in ‘Maqbool’. Now, with their next successive generation I acted in Meghna Gulzar’s first directorial debut Filhaal and now with Aasmaan Bhardwaj I have now done ‘Kuttey’.  My first debut film ‘Prem’ was produced by Boney Kapoor and now I am working with his son Arjun Kapoor in ‘Kuttey’ . Multiple father-and-children coincidences, I guess. I realized now that is a very big responsibility and my khush-naseebi  that somebody entrusts you with. I feel that there cannot be a bigger endorsement and achievement.  Consider myself very lucky working with Gulzar-saab.and have enriched myself. Hope I work with Aasmaan’s children as well,” asserted Tabu amidst cheering applause.

Kuttey movie musical mehfil Rekha Bharadwaj sings in presence of Gulzar-saab , Tabu, Vishal B

Also read: Aasmaan Bhardwaj’s heartfelt conversation about making Kuttey and Vishal Bhardwaj’s advice to him

Deviating from the routine tradition of a formal musical album release event. the makers devised an innovative way. The juke-box music album of the film was unveiled by the lead cast comprising through a non-stop musical extravaganza for nearly three hours titled ‘Mehfil-E-Khaas’ (a special gathering) which which was convened last evening on the cool lawns of a suburban 5-star hotel.

Kuttey movie juke-box release khaas mehfil with Gulzar-saab , Vishal B, Rekha B, Radhika, Aasmaan, Tabu and Arjun Kapoor

With its volatile content, the gripping film-trailer has created quite a big-buzz and is slated to hit the theatre-screens on January 13 on the eve of the kite-festival and auspicious Makar Sankrant.  The special live event Mehfil-E-Khaas saw the attendance of  multi-faceted veteran revered celeb Gulzar-saab whose vibrant stamina and energy ( 80 plus age) was commendable as he recited poetry and shared crisp candid witty repartees that had the invited audience applauding with smiles on their faces.  There were a series of fabulous live performances from Rekha Bhardwaj who sang the racy Namak Ishq Ka (Omkara) andalso from Vishal who belted out Paani Paani Rey (Maachis) Later, she went on to sing a couple of songs from film Kuttey too including Ek Woh Din, and Roney Do. While Vishal Bhardwaj dedicated the song Dil Toh Hai Baccha Ji to the cast of Kuttey present, the killer-duo of Vishal and Rekha had this farmaaish to sing a few lines of the iconic Pehli Baar Mohabbat Ki Hai from Kaminey. Overall, it was a musical night that overflowed with flow of songs that left a lasting, lingering ‘hang-over’.

Tabu with sr film journalist Chaitanya Padukone

Also read: Golden Global Glory for genius composer M M Keeravani (Tu Mile Dil Khile) as RRR wins Best Song Award for Naatu Naatu

There are both foot-tapping as also sensuous-seductive mood songs in ‘Kuttey’ which include Tere Saath Jeena Hai, Mere Saath Marna Tu, ‘Phir Dhan Te Nan’ and ‘Awaara Dogs-Kuttey ’. ‘Kuttey’ movie is produced by Luv Ranjan, Vishal Bhardwaj, Ankur Garg and Rekha Bhardwaj under the banner of Luv Films and Vishal Bhardwaj Films, and presented by Gulshan Kumar and Bhushan Kumar’s T-Series.

(The writer Chaitanya Padukone is an award-winning eminent senior film-journalist and author of memoirs book R D Burmania)