But when it does come, there is unanimous appreciation. Yet when it comes to composing for a product it is still what according to them, is music. Each generation lives through their individual tastes and choices and likes.  In Sherwood and in School it was Pat Boone and Cliff Richards .. during College Elvis the Pelvis stole our hearts .. after college in employment, it was the madness of the Beatles .. then something went wrong with … suddenly everything began to not be what we wanted it to be … and so a great amount of time was devoted to fusion and international music and electronic and rave and whatever they are known as now. But every time there was melody, it remained. Strong and impressive. And still does. It still does because there are functions within the human body that react behind the skin, and they are generously called ‘goose bumps’ or ‘goose flesh’. Why they are associated with the goose, of all species, I have no idea.

So Shekhar, of Vishal and Shekhar, have composed something that caused each one that heard it, the goose phenomena. And now that it is done comes the improbable part. They want me to sing it ! And this is where things shall go horribly wrong. I am trying to resist this compulsion from them and find myself losing at the moment, but I know for sure that I will remain in that state and lose. May God help all the music purists in bearing up with me and for overlooking this great farce that is about to take place over the weekend.

Music is an integral part of our lives, our being and our existence, irrespective of what the others may have to say on the subject. It lifts, cajoles, caresses, envelopes you in a bind which never leaves you. A piece heard at an impressionable age remains with you for a life time. Music and song collectively is a force, which has serious physical ramifications. We have heard of the great Tansen stories and the effect his music had on weather conditions. We have seen strong and sharp classical music notes and chords, demolish glass and shatter it to pieces. We have seen and heard the power of religion when it encompasses the rituals that connect it to sound. The prayer meetings of different faiths - the ‘bhajans’ the ‘azaan’ and the hymns bring a  feel of religiosity. Strengthening belief with its repeated recitation. The Gods are pleased it seems when they are sung to. Music has the power to impress them to. And of course I miss mentioning the singing of Anthems and the fervor of patriotism it invokes. Your own anthem of your own country does something to us. It instills in us a sense of belonging. This is my land, my country, my flag and my anthem. I belong to it, and it belongs to me. That is a lot to be said about any other music heard.

There is that other little matter of football and the singing crowds and the belief that the energy of collective singing shall most certainly move mountains, or least of all a goal in favor of your home team. The beauty of all this being that the singing invariably gets carried along from the playing field to the nearest bar for most of the day. Sometimes many days !! And when it does it may not all turn out to be pleasant.

So …. melody ! And the strange effect it has on our psych irrespective of age and place and moment .. !!

May what we have discussed on the basis of what was recorded today, be prime and lasting and appreciative ..

With my love ..

Amitabh Bachchan