Mallu's rock, and so do a bunch of other people

It seems like Indian rock is coming of age; I've been sampling some of Avial's work as well as Them Clones (who've released a full length album with pictures of their parents on the inside sleeves, thus proving Yash Johar right) along with hithero unknown bands (Vikram) and known but not-heard (Zero).

There's enough amongst the above mentioned bands alone to put together a decent mix tape. While some bands are fairly derivative (the much heralded Superfuzz) - but still good - some are sort of coming into their own. No better example of this than Avial's 'Karukara'. This is, I would argue, a legitimately "Indian" rock song.

Why is this a big deal? Simple. The world has seen enough AC/DC, Metallica, Beatles, Stones, Iron Maiden, Nirvana etc rip offs to be bothered about more of the same coming from India. This is NOT to say that a derivative sound is without merit - done well (a la "My Life" by Them Clones)- these are still excellent songs; but if Indian bands are to make it big they must do it on their own terms.

By big, I mean at least as popular as Shah Rukh Khan is across the world. (Okay maybe Shah Rukh Khan is too much of a comparison. Still, I mention that particular landmark because it shows how someone who was pretty much a nobody can have a dance class instituted inn his name in the outskirts of Lima in the span of a couple of decades - and all this while doing something COMPLETELY alien to the average Peruvian).