41 years on, Elvis lives through his mimics

The 'Also sprach Zarathustra' tune from 2001: A Space Odyssey movie, begins to play as the visuals at the Tata Theatre of NCPA (National Centre for Performing Arts) flash the letters 'E-L-V-I-S' on two screens. The crowd cheers on as a 70s looking, albeit Indian, Elvis Presley makes his way through them and ends up on stage with a replica of The King's guitar. He strikes a pose with it, then dismisses the prop rather quickly.

Bandra-resident Siddharth Meghani has been performing songs by Elvis Presley since the tender age of 10 and his performance at the NCPA was "a dream come true," for him. "Elvis has always been a big part of my life. While I listened to The Beatles and other music, I outgrew everything else but Elvis stuck with me," Meghani recalls, adding that he has had Elvis-like sideburns ever since he started growing facial hair.

Vouching for the star of her show, director Raell Padamsee recounts the all the times when Meghani's voice had an uncanny resemblance to The King, "While listening to practice sessions, I couldn't figure out where Elvis ends and Siddharth begins." Ace Productions' Elvis – Long live The King took place on July 14 and showcased 19 of Presley's songs, including famous numbers like Burning Love, Jailhouse Rock, Always on My Mind and Are You Lonesome Tonight?, which Meghani pulled off rather well. The evening was complete with dancers in high-waisted colourful frocks, backup singers, a live band and people jiving in the isle. A similar tribute by Ace Productions was held in 2016 called A Vision of Elvis, with UK-based Rob Kingsley taking centre stage as The King of Rock and Roll.

Elvis' impact has lasted for generations; tribute artists still put on the white dazzling tassled onesie and attempt Presley's signature rubber leg dance moves. Having seen his fair share of Elvis impersonators, music critic Sunil Sampat regards Meghani as "the most genuine one" but compares the concept of impersonation to, "fast food," which he adds, is not creative at all. "Then again, I'm never going to be able to see him live so this would be a good way to witness his music." The Elvis Presley phenomenon runs deep in the veins of the Western world, with Las Vegas attempting several shows on an annual basis. Closer home, Elvis impersonators are seen performing in private clubs or during Christmas when political figures pay for Presley impersonators to take to the streets. "Elvis has made a name for himself. So it works commercially to imitate an icon like him," Sampat adds.

About The Fans

Back in the '60s when Elvis records were not manufactured in India, 76-year-old Zahir Chinoy says, "We could only hear Elvis on Radio Ceylon or the Radio Bombay programme A Date With You on Friday nights." Located in Kalyani Nagar, Pune the Elvis Presley Fan Club of India was started in the 1970s as a joint effort by Chinoy and confidant Rajiv Jacobi, as a platform to meet with fellow fans. It was recognised by the Elvis Presley Enterprises in the 1980s. Today the members range from age groups 14 to 70 years and above. Chinoy, who is referred to as the President of the close-knit club, has painstakingly collected Elvis memorabilia, which he claims were "never officially released by music companies RCA/Sony or by Elvis Presley Enterprises". Their collection includes records, movie posters, a miniature pair of blue suede shoes, Elvis emblazoned T-shirts and cushion covers and an autographed picture of The King himself. The fan club organises Elvis concerts in Pune performed by tribute artists like Rhythm House owner Mehmood Curmally, Indian singer Garry Lawyer and British artist Garry J Foley.

(Clockwise from top left) Rob Kingsley at ‘A Vision of Elvis’ tour; Picture of the Elvis Presley Fan Club of India, in Pune; choreographer Karla Singh with Siddharth Meghani and Raell Padamsee at the NCPA; President of the Elvis Presley Fan Club of India in Memphis, 2010)

Jamming to Presley's songs for at least 20 years now, self-employed entrepreneur Ravi LS says it was Elvis' personality that made him a fan. "Very few people or none at all can carry the title of 'The King'," he proclaims. LS' performances didn't go beyond college and karaoke bars, but he didn't attempt to dress up as his role model on account of "not being thin enough," he laughs.

Backstage, when prepping for his shows, Bandra's Meghani is seen engaging in Elvis trivia. "On one of his TV shows performing Hound Dog, Elvis did an ad-lib version, which his band was not prepared for. When his drummer, DJ Fontana, questioned him about it he simply gave his 'I-don't-give-a-heck' smile after assuring him that he knew the band would catch on." Although a part of the tribute to Elvis, Meghani added a few impromptu phrases like "white suede shoes" in between songs, incorporating his own style to the performance. As for committing to the Elvis look, Meghani confesses that the hairdo needs painstaking effort. "I can't have any new or cool haircuts and can't change the style of my hair, but I don't care about it much," he adds.

Yet, this commitment to replicate Elvis' exact look seems to be fading with every passing generation. Music director Ehsaan Noorani, of the Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy trio, says that although he sees people going all the way to imitate artists in the West, he doesn't see the same commitment in India. "I once saw a guy looking exactly like Elvis Presley at San Francisco airport in the wee hours of the morning and that gave me the shock of my life to think that he was still alive," Noorani exclaims. Speaking about Elvis' influence on the music industry, he adds, "There was a time in India when you used to see a number of tribute concerts to different artists like Elvis. And the performers used to go to all lengths with makeup and clothes to look exactly like him. But you don't see those any more."

Elvis fans hail from an older generation, but Noorani adds there will never come a time where no one will know who Elvis is. Classics like Suspicious Minds, All Shook Up and Can't Help Falling in Love will always take fans back to the era of The King. "It's the music they [fans] are paying a tribute to more than anything else – his mischievous yet happy music is what people of all backgrounds and generations to come will adore," Sampat concludes.
Forty-one years after his death on August 16, it's clear that Elvis has not left the building.

Elvis Trivia

• 613 official Elvis Presley fan clubs exist today (Apache Elvis Fan Clubs estimates), including Great Britain, Australia, US and Asia. In the 1980s, Elvis Presley Fan Club of India was recognised by his official enterprises.
• Elvis is the only artist to be inducted into all four music halls of fame namely – Pop, Rock n Roll, Country and Gospel. With a total of 1.6 billion albums, his records still continue to sell, as per the Indian fan club estimates.
• Elvis' 1968 song Little Less Conversation resurfaced in the 1990s as a JXL remix and was Billboard's Number 1 single on the sales chart in 2002. This was all 25 years after The King's demise.