A Conversation With Pentagram
It’s clear that Pentagram are India’s biggest rock act. After all, they’re the only band from India that’s been invited to perform at the UK’s prestigious Glastonbury rock festival. But it’s the lesser known details that have us intrigued. For instance, Pentagram vocalist Vishal Dadlani teamed up with Shekhar Ravjiani – the trained vocalist who produced Vishal’s debut album, First Love – to compose the feature track for Raj Kaushal’s Pyaar Mein Kabhi Kabhi a few years ago. Since then, the duo has composed tracks for films such as Bluffmaster, Jhankaar Beats, Mujhe Kucch Kehna Hai, Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein and, most recently, Taxi No. 9211.
Not only that, but during the Kargil war, Pentagram recorded and released India’s first exclusive song on the Internet, “The Price of Bullets”, featuring poet Javed Akhtar and classical artist Shankar Mahadevan. The video, directed by Farhan Akhtar, one of India’s most successful young film-makers, was blocked from the airwaves for being “too political”. Refusing to give in, Pentagram added the song as a bonus track on Up, their second album.
Of course, nothing is too political for petaDishoom, so we caught up with Vishal when Pentagram performed at HT City’s Youth Nexus in Delhi. He talked to us about his decision to go vegetarian, which he made around the time Pentagram hit the scene, and then he told us … oh, wait. We’re sorry. Why don’t we let you get the inside scoop in this exclusive interview?
How long have you been a vegetarian? What pushed you to make the switch?
I turned vegetarian in 1993, specifically because I like animals. I am unhappy with the idea of eating them.
What would you do if you witnessed an animal who was being ill-treated? Would you speak up?
Yes, for sure. If I knew an organisation or a number I could call to make a complaint, I would do that. Other than that, if I got out of my car or a rickshaw to beat a guy who’s beating an animal, it would be like beating another “animal”. It can’t be a fascist thing.
You must have heard how animals are being poached – wild tigers are being killed for their skin, elephants are being killed for their tusks, etc. What are your views on that?
That’s horrible. It is sick when people kill animals for their skin, especially when they know they are few. And it’s even sicker when they are killed for medicinal and decorative purposes.
What would your message be to the youth about animal protection?
I would ask them to educate their friends. If they like animals, they should share their ideas and support the fact that animals should not be killed. It starts from a small community and spreads to society, state, country – right from within the neighbourhood. There should be awareness about the slaughter of animals, animal conservation, etc.
What’s up next for the band?
Pentagram is writing our third album. In June and July, we will play in festivals abroad – France, Denmark, back to the UK and Estonia – and then we’ll push our way into the US. We have a network established in the UK and Europe but have yet to break the barriers in the US.
