For the last twenty years every Sunday two flautists land up at Jackie Shroff’s residence with one mission.To play the legendary flute passage from Jackie Shroff’s star-making film Hero.
Says Jackie, “Every Sunday they show up at my home and they play the flute passage from Hero. Then they quietly leave.It doesn’t matter if I am out of town.These guys come home and do the Hero theme anyway. Basuri baut pyar se bajaate hain.”
To Jackie’s embarrassment his flautist fans play the immortal refrain loudly. “They wake up the entire building with their music. But nobody minds. That Hero flute passage is very very sureela.Do you know who played it in the film? The maestro Hari Prasad Chaurasia himself!I’ve been a fan of Panditji since then. And now when these boys play it for me every Sunday I feel I am transported back to my beginnings in the movies.”
These anonymous Sunday-morning flautists have never accepted money or food, though both have been offered repeatedly by the large-hearted Shroff .
Reminiscing over Hero’s music Jackie says, “That flute passage was composed by Laxmikant-Pyarelal. Pandit Chaurasia played it for me. It played a big hand in launching me as a romantic hero.”
Jackie considers the music of Hero to be very special. “Each and every song composed by Laxmikant-Pyarelal added to the charm of Hero.Whether it is Pyar karne wale kabhi darte nahin,Tu mera janu hai , or Ding dong oh baby sing a song, the numbers are hummed to this day. I guess I was lucky to get such music in my very first film as a leading man.”