From pathetic rapes to pitiable rappers, from a silent PM to an over-zealous wannabe, from Kalmadi’s fistulas to Kejriwal’s frictions, we have issues and diversions. Pokharan-II, the Indian nuclear tests happened soon thereafter.Īnd THIS – the eternal understanding of his environment and its impact – is what makes Altaf Raja relevant all over again in our lives. Considering in that very album, Altaf presented the enthusiasm and exuberance of the nation, willing to take on the world: Woh bhi anjaan thi, main bhi anjaan tha. Subah pehli gaadi se ghar ko laut jaaoge, that is.īut then again, lest you misunderstand him, it was just a healthy expression of anxiety, and not pessimism. Tum toh thehre pardesi, saath kya nibhaoge, he said it on behalf of the country in his first album in 1996, mouthing the concern that the economic reforms were not to stay forever. It was during these times that Altaf Raja made an appearance in the Indian stratosphere. Not that the last two statements had anything to do with each other. Rishi Kapoor was still wearing Woolmark-approved pure wool turtlenecks, dancing around trees, and Mithun Chakraborty was singing Gutar Gutar in Dalaal. The divide between the rich and the poor was beginning to get drastically wider. We were a bemused and overwhelmed nation, getting exposed to an MTV which played music and a Manmohan Singh who had a voice, amongst other things. The first half of the 90s was an exciting period in the life of India. But to top it all, Altaf Raja was what kept the people across the country going, giving them hope and optimism, as they sung his songs in the trains, collecting monies for charity, in most cases their own charity. Altaf Raja was the snazzy sultan, the ritzy rajah that the entire B-grade population of India wanted to be. Altaf Raja was the demi-god of the autodrivers, their secret man-crush, their muse. Seriously.Īltaf Raja who, do I hear? For those not in the know, Altaf Raja was the singular reason why the cassette players of the 1990s were mobbed, mauled and molested, day in and day out. Or, one can invoke the name of Altaf Raja to make it all disappear. But you know what, life is not that black, despite how bleak things appear. It does come naturally to most of us, especially after seeing those Rangrezz posters. Now, I know there is this terrible terrible urge to hang our heads in despair and feel hopelessly bad about our existences. Business leaders are getting their CFOs pregnant. Politicians continue to stay aloof and unaffected. The economy does not look all that great.