Fusion fare:When East meets West

sometimes, two is better than one. a fusion of two ideas, colours, tastes or even music. but does the process dilute the purity of music, fashion or cuisine? or is fusion a gateway to innovation and creativity? the east and the west. each time, there’s been an attempt to blend the two, eyebrows have been raised, opinions have differed. but the fact remains that fusion is the order of the day right from fashion, food, music to architecture.kolkata’s funky young designer anamika khanna is a true believer of fusion. “the other day i went out shopping and guess what was my dress code? i was wearing a salwaar kameez with a big belt. the two cultures were showing in my dress code.� check with monapali, the designer sisters from kolkata, and they say the same. “we make a lot of indo-western outfits, blending comfort with style and the result is great!� but there are other designers like sharbari dutta who spurn the idea of mixes. “that’s not being original,� she says. a step into the cuisine class and most foodies feel that fusion is in. “the process is an intermingling of two ideas. i would not like to tamper with a classical dish like rogan josh, but i can always create a new version of lamb chops with subtle intermixes. east does meet the west,� says pradeep khosla, executive chef, taj bengal. you needn’t necessarily go to a restaurant for a taste of fusion fare, even at home east-west dishes are a rage. mothers can do wonders with parathas, noodles, soups and rice. all you need is imagination and sound knowledge of the ingredients. the field of music perhaps has seen some of the biggest hits in fusion music. ananda shankar, r.d. burman, bappi lahiri, a.r. rahman. then there are indi-pops. bhangra tunes blending with vilayati pop beats. bangla bands, where bengali lyrics and indo-western tunes have brought in a whole new revolution. the original fusion queen, usha uthup, feels fusion was always there, only it is being marketed well now. “the songs, feelings and tie a yellow ribbon have been recorded a number of times in different versions. in fact the saddest thing is that when r.d. burman was alive, no one gave his music the respect which was needed. and look, now they are making good money out of all rd hits.�