Wednesday, August 9, 2006, Chandigarh, India
Tribune, Himachal Plus
Pia-Basanti Queen
 Uma Singha |
How Uma Singha became Kotgarh’s queen, is indeed a filmi story. Her daughter-in-law Shabnam who lived in Kotgarh, had invited her film-maker friend Pradeep Sarkar there. He was looking for a suitable locale for his new music video Pia Basanti. He was enthralled with Kotgarh’s picturesque green valleys, floating clouds, mist and drizzle. And ruins of nearby Khaneti inspired him to change the story to suit the locale.
Pradeep was destined to find his queen in Kotgarh too. He was sitting at breakfast table when Uma walked in with her silvery tresses cascading all over her fair face. Hold your breath! Pradeep just couldn’t help staring and exclaiming, ’Gazab ho gaya!’ Uma was the very queen he visualized for his video. Pradeep offered her the role. Uma accepted it. But who’s Uma, often seen on Shimla’s Mall, clad in traditional reshta and daatu? She comes from Himachal’s premier Stokes family, being eldest grandchild of late Samuel Evans (Satyanand) Stokes and married to apple orchardist Mahavir Singha. As a student, Uma enacted Macbeth in Auckland House and later in Benares University. She is a qualified doctor from Delhi’s Lady Hardinge and is a social worker too. Music video Piya Basanti was shot mostly in Uma’s apple orchards namely River View Orchards, where Shabnam’s rabbits in their angora farm, are also featured. Pradeep wanted to create artificial rain by using apple spray guns but luckily it rained. A crew of 80 worked day and night dragging their equipment up and down hill slopes, in pouring rains.
India Today Screen n Surf
September 11 Issue
 |
| Pairing-up in Piya Basanti |
Classical types, it seems, are all scurrying to hitch a ride on some pop-wagon or the other. In the just-released video for the album Piya Basanti (Sony), sarangi maestro Ustad Sultan Khan pairs up with Chitra to foray into the world of music-videos.
And mind you, here his vocals take precedence over his many-hued instrument. Shot around Kotgarh in Shimla district, it features a girl’s search for her lover. When she does find him, trouble strikes. He is wanted by the police. The story continues in two subsequent videos. Melody combines with melodrama as music video director Pradeep Sarkar crafts his product as superbly as ever.
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