It's been a long absence - and I will try to be more regular here!
So this morning, was revisiting some great old melodies on YouTube like the following favorite from Aradhana
And it was really great to see that in the days of classics like Sheila ki Jawani (19 million hits) and Chammak Challo (20 million hits), this humble offering from a musical genius had garnered a respectable 3.4 million hits as well.
Which set me thinking - this movie was made in 1969-70. About 35 years before YouTube appeared.And it was a romantic movie - no doubt. So possibly those who saw it then - woud be in their late 40s at the least and mostly into old age. Not the typical profile of YouTube users . And yet - 3.4 million hits. So can it be that a substantial part of those who are also hitting the videos for the Sheila's and Munni's are also searching for this video on YouTube. Including people who were not born until years or decades after this movie was made.
The other option - this video has a smaller but a very fanatical fan following who are watching it again and again.
Either way, maybe that is what defines an all time classic, an immortal like Kora Kagaz Tha. That 35 years later, it has 3 million people visiting it within 4 years ( the video was posted in YouTube in 2008). I am pretty sure that 35 years later, a far lesser number of people will be visiting a video like Chammak Chalo than, say, the rate of almost 1 million/ year which is the Kora kagaz average. Even with the realization that by that time, YouTube will be available to a much larger demographic in India.
I have nothing against the modern crop, in fact, do like checking them out at times. But when I am in a good mood, or want to be in a good mood, I always turn to Kishore and Lata. And SD. And somehow, so does a lot of others who may have been born even after SD and Kishore passed.
So this morning, was revisiting some great old melodies on YouTube like the following favorite from Aradhana
And it was really great to see that in the days of classics like Sheila ki Jawani (19 million hits) and Chammak Challo (20 million hits), this humble offering from a musical genius had garnered a respectable 3.4 million hits as well.
Which set me thinking - this movie was made in 1969-70. About 35 years before YouTube appeared.And it was a romantic movie - no doubt. So possibly those who saw it then - woud be in their late 40s at the least and mostly into old age. Not the typical profile of YouTube users . And yet - 3.4 million hits. So can it be that a substantial part of those who are also hitting the videos for the Sheila's and Munni's are also searching for this video on YouTube. Including people who were not born until years or decades after this movie was made.
The other option - this video has a smaller but a very fanatical fan following who are watching it again and again.
Either way, maybe that is what defines an all time classic, an immortal like Kora Kagaz Tha. That 35 years later, it has 3 million people visiting it within 4 years ( the video was posted in YouTube in 2008). I am pretty sure that 35 years later, a far lesser number of people will be visiting a video like Chammak Chalo than, say, the rate of almost 1 million/ year which is the Kora kagaz average. Even with the realization that by that time, YouTube will be available to a much larger demographic in India.
I have nothing against the modern crop, in fact, do like checking them out at times. But when I am in a good mood, or want to be in a good mood, I always turn to Kishore and Lata. And SD. And somehow, so does a lot of others who may have been born even after SD and Kishore passed.
