The Singer

When Saheli Kapoor took over the family's loss running enterprise, K-Music, she didn't have a clue how she could turn things around. All she knew was that at the age she was in, nineteen, and the family she belonged to, she should rather be in an exotic, Mediterranean vacations. She was in her father's office instead, a renovated structure made modern on Calcutta's Broad Street. The digital revolution was a sharp, inevitable axe that beheaded the music industry. As she stared into the Manjit Bawa canvas, one of the many art-pieces that adorned their assets, the inclusion of the wild animals along in harmony with human existence made her think square. What do I want? 

Profits. 

How do I make it?

Novelty.

Where do I look for it?

Not reality show runner-ups, no; not established rappers.

Where?

Redo a classic?

Which?

How?

Far away from the posh centrality of her position, Dilip Das had set his rundown music box on the overhead rack of one of the compartments of a local train. He had stolen his mother's savings and bought it. On it was a sticker of Kishore Kumar. His daily earnings were too paltry to be termed professional, yet, one could not be more surprised with what he had managed to build singing same songs. The journey began three years back after he had bought the music box. The rest he invested in a microphone and a cassette -- K-Music's 'Golden Kishore'. In a matter of months, having mastered lip-syncing, he be-fooled the many drowsy passengers. All through the day, with his monthly ticket at his grace, he lip-synced convincingly to savour the pennies. Soon, pockets gave away and the skin of bags fell thin. He continued the journey through trains and returned to a brick-home. His mother could not be happier with his son, now worthy of a wife.

 As Mr Sen Sharma played the video on his phone in the Broad Street office of K-Music. On his way from Barrackpore, he heard the singer. Saheli knew there was something in it the moment she heard it. Truth has sold for a long time. Time for lies to sell, truly.

Dilip Das was contacted within a week and made to sign a contract. The online video 'Lip-Sync or Not' went viral. Saheli was happy, Dilip was happier. K-Music was back on track. This time the success came without the song of the singer.