Throughout the world, indigenous rural music is fading out. It's overwhelmed by a modern, urban sound that propagates worldwide through web downloads and MP3 players. But sometimes, music that fades in one part of the world, say, remote parts of India, shows up again surprisingly far away. From Hayward, California, Lonny Shavelson brings us the sound of Indian nautanki.

Picture a rural Indian landscape of plowed farmland. The sky grows dark. Thousands of farmers and their families relax on the ground. Others sit on nearby rooftops or in trees. At ten at night, the crowd pushes back to make a circular clearing. Gas lanterns are lit, a dozen or so opera singers, actors and dancers prepare to perform until dawn -- and you have a nautanki, a Hindi folk opera once wildly popular in northern India.  

New Delhi (PTI): Its not only Bengali beauties but the Bengali rock and fusion music too is catching the fancy of Hindustani Cinema music directors but some bands feel their compositions are being 'lifted', leaving them in limbo.

Rabindranath Tagore's compositions have always been popular in the tinsel town but now with the growing popularity of Bengali rock and fusion bands, this genre of music from the region also seems to finding favour from bollywood music directors.

Wish you all a very festive, safe yet huldang holi. Tune in today for special Holi segments during Bhajan hours and Hindi Soundtracks.

Bangalore, PTI: The young generation of singers lack basic knowledge of Hindustani classical music, laments doyen of Hindi film music Manna Dey.

"Music is not totally out. While some have awareness and knowledge in general, it is lacking among the young singers of today," Dey said.

"There is no knowledge about 'swar' (notes), 'laya' (tempo) and 'tal' (rhythm) among young voices. For this it is necessary that they are guided and trained by good masters," the veteran said.

AP, PARIS: As the rousing overture reaches its operatic climax, the curtains part and Ganesh, the elephant-headed Hindu god, descends from the rafters.

"Padmavati," currently playing at Paris' gilded Theatre du Chatelet, is not your typical operatic fare. It's equal parts straight-laced European opera and Bollywood blowout, with a cast that includes a top French mezzo-soprano, scores of classical Indian dancers and a live tiger.

The director is hit Indian filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali, whose pathos-filled 2002 musical "Devdas" became a crossover international blockbuster and made him hot Bollywood property.

Utpal Borpujari says Pakistani film Khuda Kay Liye, set for release in India on March 28, takes an analytical yet dispassionate look at what is probably the biggest question facing the Muslim world post 9/11.

No one knows what might act as the spark for a particular creative process. It could be a larger societal issue in some cases and an intensely personal emotion in some others. For Pakistani filmmaker Shoaib Mansoor, it was more of the latter. But the result was something that tackles a much bigger social question facing the world in general and the Muslim society in particular.