ghost of miles Posted October 4, 2003 Report Posted October 4, 2003 By RAMOLA TALWAR BADAM, Associated Press Writer BOMBAY, India - The stars: a world-renowned sitar composer and his long-lost daughter, an American jazz singer. The finale: the daughter sweeps the Grammy awards and they reunite. Does this Bollywood plot sound familiar? Ravi Shankar and Norah Jones (news) think so. And they don't like it. The script for "Song of Life" echoes the story of Shankar and Jones, which was revealed after the young singer took over the 2003 Grammys (news - web sites) with her debut CD, "Come Away With Me." The filmmaker is Dev Anand (news), a veteran of Bombay-based "Bollywood," which churns out 800 movies a year. He plans to play Shankar and recently traveled to New York to cast American and Indian actors. The actors will speak English, not Hindi. The movie will feature four songs and no bump and grind dances typical of Bollywood. "This is a great international subject — a great Indian musician with a daughter who is American, totally American," Anand, 79, told The Associated Press during an interview in a room cluttered with CDs, books and papers at his spacious recording studio. But Shankar's wife, Sukanya, said the whole family is opposed to the script. It focuses on Jones, her mother — who Anand says was "deserted" by the Indian musician — as well as on Shankar, his wife and other daughter, Anoushka, herself a sitarist. "Nobody knows the inside story about our family except for us, really," an upset Sukanya Shankar said by telephone from London, where she was accompanying her husband and daughter on a European tour. "It's nobody's business and intrudes on our privacy." Ravi Shankar, a three-time Grammy winner, has been well-known in the West for decades because of his influence on the Beatles. Anoushka also was nominated at this year's Grammys for the best world music album, although she did not win. Jones' Grammy triumph focused unwanted attention on Shankar's estranged relationship with Norah's mother, New York concert producer Sue Jones, whom he never married. Norah Jones was born in New York and raised in Texas. For 10 years, she had no contact with her father, but the two have since made peace. "I'm over everything, I don't resent him," Jones said in May. The Times of India recently published interviews with Jones, who called Anand's movie "very exploitative," and with Anoushka, who called Anand "a jerk." "He does not have our permission to produce this film," Sukanya Shankar told The AP. "For now, we will just tell the press that this has nothing to do with our story." Anand says he need not ask permission, since he would be "handicapped in scripting, in imagination." "How are great books written, great movies made?" he said, excitedly waving his hands. "I'm only flattering them by doing the story," he said. Anand has played suave romantic leads in 115 Hindi-language movies since his 1945 debut, and has directed 16 movies over the last three decades. He was mobbed by screaming female fans in the 1950s and '60s — just like the Beatles, who came to India, befriended Shankar and introduced his sitar music to an international audience. Anand recalls being in New York last February around Grammy time. "The next day it was in the news that this Norah Jones had won five Grammys and she happened to be the daughter of Ravi Shankar," he said. "You don't need anything else after this. The inspiration comes from there, the thought." Known for a trademark wink, lopsided grin and stooped gait during his movie-star days, and later for his knack for finding new talent, Anand knows time is running out. He has not had a hit film since the late 1970s. "Look, I have to be ambitious at this stage in my career," said Anand, seated near a softly glowing lamp that is gentle on his wrinkles. "I want to do something I've not done earlier, otherwise what's the use of my doing it." Quote
catesta Posted October 4, 2003 Report Posted October 4, 2003 BOMBAY, India - The stars: a world-renowned sitar composer and his long-lost daughter, an American jazz singer. The finale: the daughter sweeps the Grammy awards and they reunite. Does this Bollywood plot sound familiar? Ravi Shankar and Norah Jones (news) think so. And they don't like it. So, if I'm reading this correctly, Norah Jones is the daughter of Ravi Shankar? I'll be damned. Who would have thunk it? B) Quote
7/4 Posted October 4, 2003 Report Posted October 4, 2003 BOMBAY, India - The stars: a world-renowned sitar composer and his long-lost daughter, an American jazz singer. The finale: the daughter sweeps the Grammy awards and they reunite. Does this Bollywood plot sound familiar? Ravi Shankar and Norah Jones (news) think so. And they don't like it. So, if I'm reading this correctly, Norah Jones is the daughter of Ravi Shankar? I'll be damned. Who would have thunk it? B) Where's MusikBoy for a comment when we need him? Quote
Ed S Posted October 4, 2003 Report Posted October 4, 2003 (edited) BOMBAY, India - The stars: a world-renowned sitar composer and his long-lost daughter, an American jazz singer. The finale: the daughter sweeps the Grammy awards and they reunite. Does this Bollywood plot sound familiar? Ravi Shankar and Norah Jones (news) think so. And they don't like it. So, if I'm reading this correctly, Norah Jones is the daughter of Ravi Shankar? I'll be damned. Who would have thunk it? B) Well, that's what the piece appears to be saying. Has anyone verified this claim? Edited October 4, 2003 by Ed Swinnich Quote
jazzbo Posted October 4, 2003 Report Posted October 4, 2003 Wow! If this is REALLY TRUE, her mother would have to be EXTRAORDINARILY BEAUTIFUL! Quote
DrJ Posted October 4, 2003 Report Posted October 4, 2003 (edited) Interesting, I thought this was very common knowledge (Shankar being her father). It's been all over the popular press for quite some time. Love Lon's comment - true, how true. Edited October 4, 2003 by DrJ Quote
jazzbo Posted October 4, 2003 Report Posted October 4, 2003 I think we're just playing Dr. J! We've heard the news before. . . on another board in another galaxy far far away perhaps. . . . Quote
Ed S Posted October 4, 2003 Report Posted October 4, 2003 Interesting, I thought this was very common knowledge (Shankar being her father). It's been all over the popular press for quite some time. Love Lon's comment - true, how true. Lon's right Tony. This has been a running gag for a while - most of which went on while you were away from the board for a while. I actually won dinner for two at a local restaurant by answering a trivia question about Norah Jones' father while waiting in a dentist's office. The radio station they were featuring as background music asked the question. I had my cell phone on me and the rest is history. Quote
Alexander Posted October 4, 2003 Report Posted October 4, 2003 Two musical sistahs: Two BEAUTIFUL musical sistahs... Talented too...Anoushka's no slouch, you know... Quote
ghost of miles Posted October 4, 2003 Author Report Posted October 4, 2003 BOMBAY, India - The stars: a world-renowned sitar composer and his long-lost daughter, an American jazz singer. The finale: the daughter sweeps the Grammy awards and they reunite. Does this Bollywood plot sound familiar? Ravi Shankar and Norah Jones (news) think so. And they don't like it. So, if I'm reading this correctly, Norah Jones is the daughter of Ravi Shankar? I'll be damned. Who would have thunk it? B) Where's MusikBoy for a comment when we need him? I hear tell that Musicboy is the illegitimate spawn of Ravi Shankar and Dr. Laura Schlesinger. Quote
maren Posted October 4, 2003 Report Posted October 4, 2003 I hear tell that Musicboy is the illegitimate spawn of Ravi Shankar and Dr. Laura Schlesinger. OUCH! Brilliant deduction! Quote
Rooster_Ties Posted October 4, 2003 Report Posted October 4, 2003 I hear tell that Musicboy is the illegitimate spawn of Ravi Shankar and Dr. Laura Schlesinger. OUCH! Brilliant deduction! More like Kid Rock and Laura Schlesinger. Quote
JSngry Posted October 4, 2003 Report Posted October 4, 2003 Hmmm... "Kid Laura", that's got a NICE derogatory ring to it! Quote
Jazzmoose Posted October 4, 2003 Report Posted October 4, 2003 So, if I'm reading this correctly, Norah Jones is the daughter of Ravi Shankar? I'll be damned. Who would have thunk it? B) That's why I really don't care for these so-called "realistic movies"'; they twist the facts completely out of recognition. I mean come on, who's going to believe that? Quote
DrJ Posted October 5, 2003 Report Posted October 5, 2003 Ah, the joke angle makes this all make sense! That was weird, it was like I'd stepped into some parallel universe (well, a MORE parallel universe than the usual parallel universe that is the Organissimo board...) Quote
7/4 Posted October 5, 2003 Report Posted October 5, 2003 Ah, the joke angle makes this all make sense! That was weird, it was like I'd stepped into some parallel universe (well, a MORE parallel universe than the usual parallel universe that is the Organissimo board...) Visit fun threads of the past: The one that got it rolling. the MusikBoy thread. I was there a few weeks ago and noticed that MusikBoy is a MODERATOR again. Quote
catesta Posted October 7, 2003 Report Posted October 7, 2003 I was there a few weeks ago and noticed that MusikBoy is a MODERATOR again. Hmmmm...., interesting. Quote
JSngry Posted October 8, 2003 Report Posted October 8, 2003 A new couple just moved into my neighborhood. Their names are Nick and Norah Shankar. Nice folks, young, always singing out in the yard while they do stuff. This afternoon, they sent me a note inviting me over for homemade Ravi-oli (their spelling). I'm kinda nervous about where they got the meat, but I don't want to risk alienating potentially good neighbors. What do you think I should do? Quote
jazzbo Posted October 8, 2003 Report Posted October 8, 2003 Mix a big pitcher of martinis, and bring it over with all the other colorful neighborhood characters in tow. They seem like they'd enjoy drinks and some good stories. . . . Quote
JSngry Posted October 8, 2003 Report Posted October 8, 2003 Has anybody seen Ravi lately, like in the last 24 hours? If not, I think I'm staying home. Just to be safe. Life is short enough as it is. Quote
ghost of miles Posted October 8, 2003 Author Report Posted October 8, 2003 But Jim, after they serve the Ravi-oli they'll announce who the murderer is. C'mon, man, don't miss out on the madcap excitement of it all! Quote
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