Penn Masala has it covered, from ‘Dulari’ to ‘Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani.’
By Deepak Chitnis
WASHINGTON, DC: Penn Masala, the popular all-male desi a capella group at Philadelphia’s University of Pennsylvania, has made a splash online with its Bollywood tribute video that traces 65 years of Hindi film history in just five minutes.
The video, released originally on March 29, has accumulated just under 960,000 views in less than one month. It features the group’s core six singers performing a medley of Bollywood songs, in chronological order, that take the listener (and viewer) from the late forties all the way up through last year’s “Badtameez Dil.”
Films whose songs made the cut include Dulari (the earliest film, released in 1949), Shree 420 (whose “Mera Jhootha Hai Japaani” also made a surprise appearance in Gravity), Teesri Manzil, Sholay, Don, Sharaabi, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Taal, Dhoom, Slumdog Millionaire, and Dabangg.
The songs tend to skew younger, with a predominance of tracks from the 1990s onwards, but given the age of the performers, that’s understandable. And, given their talent, more than forgivable.
As the songs travel through the decades, so do the singers, who start in 1940s garb and are doused in a sepia tint, hitting different era- and region-specific outfits along the way until they end up in Ranbir Kapoor’s famous suit-and-skinny-tie ensemble from last year’s mega-hit, Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani.
“Bollywood music has changed immensely over the decades. We’ve seen legendary singers redefine genres, musical directors pushing the envelope with their arrangements, and the arts and culture of India thrive,” the group says in a statement, which accompanies the video’s official YouTube posting.
It adds: “Penn Masala was created 18 years ago to celebrate the impact that Bollywood has had on our lives, and to pay tribute to some of the timeless classics that we, our parents, and grandparents love. We hope you like our Evolution of Bollywood Music!”
Since its founding in 1996, the group has grown to receive national recognition, and even performed at the White House under invitation from President Barack Obama in 2009. According to its website, it currently consists of eight members: Varshil Patel, Akiff Premjee, Rohan Murthy, Dilip Rajan, Ashwin Muthiah, Anil Chitrapu, Prashant Ramesh, and Chetan Khanna.
Penn Masala’s Bollywood tribute video can be viewed below: