35 years of Parikrama: Staying true to rock ’n’ roll for 35 years is why we remain relevant

What began as a four-month project completes 35 years this year. Four months before graduating from Kirori Mal College (KMC) in 1991, Subir Malik intended to spend a few months playing classic rock before joining his family’s motor-parts business in Kashmere Gate.

Along with Sonam Sherpa, Nitin Malik, Chintan Kalra, Prashant Bahadur and Rahul Malhotra, he started what was meant to be a short-lived venture.The love and appreciation the band received, however, ensured the journey lasted far beyond its original timeline. From performing songs by musical heroes such as Pink Floyd and Iron Maiden in its early years to creating original music, the band evolved steadily. Members came and went, the line-up expanded, but Parikrama remained true to its core: playing rock ‘n’ roll in English.As the band returns to KMC, where it all began, Subir Malik – founder, organist and manager of Parikrama – reflects on a 35-year journey, the band’s evolution, and why he believes there is still much left to achieve.‘WE DIDN’T REALISE THAT 35 YEARS HAVE PASSED’Thirty-five years on, gratitude is the emotion that stands out the most for Subir. “We didn’t realise 35 years have passed because we had so much fun along the way, and it just seems like yesterday. Though it may sound cliché, that is exactly how I feel.

Mujhe nahi lagta ki bahut kaam kar liya, itna time ho gaya . This is just the beginning; there’s so much to do. This is not a business; this is not our source of income. Completing 35 years with a band that is not an earning source of income for its members – it is a passion – that is ten times bigger,” he said.He adds, “In 1991, we decided we were only going to play the songs of the gods we grew up listening to. And of course, when things changed, we started writing more of our own material.

The biggest thing is that we are probably the only band that is not dependent on the band for a livelihood. We don’t have to do one thing only; we need to do three-four things to survive, and that keeps our passion alive.”

‘MAINE SOCHA BAND BANA LETA HOON, I WILL PLAY MUSIC FOR A WHILE AND THEN I WILL SAY GOODBYE TO MUSIC AND SELL MOTOR PARTS’To understand why Parikrama has remained unchanged in its philosophy, one has to go back to its beginnings. “I was playing in a lot of bands before Parikrama was formed, and they were not doing my kind of music.

I had a few months left – exactly four months – before I joined my family business. The idea was that I wanted to play classic rock,” Subir says, adding, “ Maine socha band bana leta hoon , I will play my kind of music, and then I will say goodbye to music and sell motor parts.

But hua yeh ki itna appreciation milne laga ki humne kabhi socha hi nahi ki hua kya hai . It was very clear with the band members that this is the kind of music we play, and we are going to give our tribute to the gods of classic rock.

After one year, it became clear that we were getting a good amount of shows. We decided we would keep bellies; we always treated each other as family. That passion and understanding to co-exist over the years have really helped us. The fact that we didn’t let success go into our heads was one of the things. The best decision we took in 1991 was that we would not make Parikrama our source of income because when your house is not running on rock ‘n’ roll, then you can do this for 35 years and more.”He points out that the best indie pop came during that time, and they got offers to convert to indie pop or Bollywood. “But we realised that it was not our game. We stuck to that, and that is one of the reasons we have stayed relevant.”

‘WE ARE JUST BEGINNING’If there is one constant through Parikrama’s three-and-ahalf-decade journey, it has been its relationship with its listeners. “We live for our fans. Humne apna kaam kiya . We make our music for our fans, and we have always given it for free.

We did that in the 1990s. We had CDs with audio and video of the band, and we used to just give them to people. In colleges, we used to send them out. Maine laakhon CDs di hain of free music to our fans.

Anyone who would write in our guest book on the website, we would send them an autographed CD,” remembers Subir.Going forward, the band plans to record a lot of their music. “We will be releasing a lot of our newer stuff. We have a crowd favourite song, Vaporise .

We have already started working on its studio version, and we will be in the studio recording more music. We are just beginning.”‘Parikrama is very satisfied playing to 300 people in a jazz club’The refusal to chase trends helped the band to reach where they are today. “Being an independent act, we were very happy to control our own things, very happy to have our own songs. It was very simple – main Bollywood chala bhi jaata toh kya hota ? Extra paisa hi aata, fame aa jata thoda . But then, if I am in Bollywood and the majority of people listen to my music, I don’t want that.

I am very satisfied playing to 300 people in a jazz club.

To be very frank, we never wanted the same money or fame as any mainstream artiste because we were satisfied doing what we were doing – playing in colleges, being able to do what we wanted to do, not what others wanted us to do. I am very happy in my space, we are content with what we have,” explains Subir.