Interviewer:
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I’d just like to say, uh, good afternoon, Mister Banerjee
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And take this opportunity of welcoming you and your musicians
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To the studio
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Banerjee:
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I thank you very much. |
I’m very glad to have the opportunity
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Of coming here
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Interviewer:
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Tell me, um, have you found that, uh, there has been great enthusiasm
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For George Bernard Shaw in India?
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Banerjee:
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Oh, my goodness, yes. |
We, we, we have got a lot of people
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In India, and indeed in Pakistan, who are loving to hearing the words
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Of George Bernard Shaw. |
We are saing to ourselves over there: «This
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Man has got a great, white beard. |
So, therefore, he must have great
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Knowledge!» |
And so we are saying to ourselves: «That is what we are
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Wanting, that is what we are wanting, we are wanting to hear words of
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This man so that, so that we can learn them and sing them and play
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Them!»
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Interviewer:
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Uh, have you visited the shrine of GBS in Ayot St Lawrence at all?
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Banerjee:
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Well, indeed yes. |
We have all been there. |
We went on a bus
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Coach tour to Ayr-Ayrton St Lawrence and we are saying to
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Ourselves: «My goodness, here we are where the great man was living!»
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And we went in the first place to look around and we are saying: «That
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Is where he was sleeping, and this is where he was eating, and this
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Is another room, and. |
. |
.». |
Uh, all kinds of rooms in this house are very
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Good for us to know of
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Interviewer:
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Have you, uh, taken the story of «My Fair Lady» and, uh, uh, as it stands
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Or have you changed it at all? |
What have you done with it?
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Banerjee:
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Well, what, what we have done with it, you see, uh, I, I am
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Playing, uh, what is called over here Professor Higgins. |
I am playing
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Professor Umbelahi. |
I’m walking through the market place one
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Day, uh, at, near Maharatchme, which is near Bombay, you
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Understand. |
And I’m walking by there, and I am saying to my friend
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Who is with me, I say: «Look, there, over there is a beautiful
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Untouchable girl, beautiful.» |
And he says: «Oh, yes, but we, she is
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Untouchable. |
We don’t want to know her.» |
Ah, chut and cha, I am
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Making her touchable, that is what I am doing. |
You see, and I am
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Saying to her: «Come with me, my dear, and I will make you a
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Touchable!». |
And she is saying to me: «No, I am untouchable, that’s
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Good enough for me!»
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Interviewer:
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Do you have a good cast?
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Banerjee:
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Oh, yes indeed, I come from a very high caste. |
Oh yes, yes, oh yes
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I can safely say that
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Interviewer:
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Uh, no, no, I wasn’t referring to, what I mean is, is there a good cast
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In the, the show?
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Banerjee:
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Well, yes, we have a very excellent cast. |
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you
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You see. |
We have all kinds of stars from India. |
We have two people from
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Assam. |
We have another woman. |
Her has come all the way from Ceylon
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Interviewer:
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What, ah, what, ah, what have you called the songs? |
I mean have you changed
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The titles of the songs at all?
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Banerjee:
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Oh yes, well naturally we, we, we have had to, um, um, ah, change one or two
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Of the main songs, um, a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-ah, we have featured
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We have now called «Get Me to the Taj Mahal on Time» and, um, ah
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«I've Grown Accustomed to Your Dhoti». |
And I would like to sing for you
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Now this beautiful song, uh, what we are doing on the tour, and I think
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When you have heard it, you will say: «My goodness me, what a lovely song!»
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Or words to that effect
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(Sung:)
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All I want is a room somewhere
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Far a-way from the cold night air
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With one enormous chair
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Oh! |
Would it not be lovely
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Lots of chocolate for me to eat
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Lots of coal making lots of heat
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Warm feet, warm hands, warm foot
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Oh! |
Wouldn’t it be lovely
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Oh! |
So lovely sitting abso-bloomin-lutely still
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Watcher cockie!
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I would never budge till
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Spring crept on the windowsill
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Someone’s head is resting on my knee
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Warm and tender as she can be
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Who’ll taking good care of me
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Oh! |
Would it not be lovely
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Lovely, lovely, lovely
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(Indian Music)
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Aahhhh!
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Ooooooooooohhhhh!
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So loverly sittin' abso-bloomin-lutely still
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I would never budge till
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Spring crept on the windowsill
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Someone’s head resting on my knee
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Warm and tender as she can be
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Who’ll taking good care of me
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Oh! |
would it not be lovely (Lovely)
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Lovely (Lovely), lovely
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Would it not be lovely
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Would it not be lovely |