Meena Banerjee
Who could imagine that the 100th birthday of Pandit Ravi Shankar (7th April) would come and go so quietly! The sudden impact of the pandemic in late March this year caused cancellation of hundreds of events centered on the legend's birth centenary in Kolkata alone! The tune and tone of the present struggle for survival is not very different from the Bharat Ratna's boyhood days.
“Aamake keu bujhlo na (no one understood me)”, Pandit Ravi Shankar would often lament before tabla maestro Kumar Bose, a close associate of Panditji from 1980 to 1994. Ironically, Panditji’s shockingly candid confessions in his autobiography (My Life My Music) paint a clear picture of a strife-ridden life which scaled peaks of popularity and reverence under the shadows of controversies. “They are good! All greats are shadowed by controversy,” adds Ustad Shujaat Khan with conviction.
Panditji’s father Shyam Sunder Chaudhuri, an intellectual gyan-margi and lawyer, was the Dewan of Jharwa State, Rajasthan. He left his family of four sons and a pregnant wife, while his eldest son Uday Shankar was already away at the Royal College of Arts, London. The distraught mother shifted base to Banares where Robu, her youngest son was born on 7 April in a small house in front of Til-Bhandeshwar. Little Robu, who clung on to his mother, saw and realised how much she sacrificed to make the ends meet.
Pandit Vijay Kichlu who knows the family since 1941-42 when his educationist father joined as the administrator of Uday Shankar Academy, Almora. He recalls, “Paris also exposed him to Western concept of music ensembles. His concept of Indian classical vadya-vrind perhaps was inspired by them. During my Allahabad University days, I came to know him closely through my friend Bindu Mukherjee who was close to Raviji. He had a remarkable sense of humour; laughter was his passion.
A voracious reader, he always maintained physical fitness and practiced yoga. As an organizer, I found him very particular about each of his concerts. A stickler, he would plan the entry, order of sequences, lights, sound and keep the stage-hands on their toes! But, in extremely pleasant manner. His good looks, jovial character, winsome manners and venerable expertise won hearts in seconds. His professionalism ignited controversies on one side; and surged down to serious raagdari as well. Traditional to the core, he based his alapchari and baaj on typical dhrupad. Even his scores for several films vouch for this trait. When SRA happened in 1978, he accepted my request to be one of the founder trustees. He also helped include two of his world renowned friends Yehudi Menuhin and Satyajit Ray.”
Pandit Kumar Bose adds, “after the sudden demise of my father (tabla maestro Biswanath Bose) I met Panditji, he asked, “Babar smarane prog koro, ami bajabo (Do organize a memorial concert dedicated to your father, I will play) and you will play with me. Get in touch with Dubey for a date. I realized that he used to follow the track of all the musicians with a special purpose to get them in his varied productions. He preferred to utilize the new energy of youngsters. He was well aware of my career-graph. I was flabbergasted by this suggestion; because ‘Panditji’ meant a big event, beyond me; but it happened. The next day he offered me to join him, but with a caution that I will not get time to play elsewhere. I was already committed to Ustad Amjad Ali Khan who had helped me in a huge way after Baba’s death.
“Finally, after almost a year, I signed the contract and entered his world which was entirely different! Etiquette, punctuality, sophistication, gratitude – there was a lot to learn from him. Whenever he stayed in a person’s house he would ensure that his telephone and laundry bills will be borne by him. He never missed such little things like thanking his host soon after reaching the next concert spot. As a human and as an artist he was very professional but very informal at home. I was amazed by his elephantine memory. Once a young boy touched his feet and told his father’s name. Panditji rattled all the details dating back almost 50 years! On another occasion, he was scanning airport book-stalls to buy a new novel but couldn’t because all were read by him. A passionate film-buff, he could recollect all the details of films seen, along with the actors’ life history.
A fitness freak, he walked a lot at airports, hotels, house-gardens; without fail; but was an incorrigible foodie too; especially loved Indian and Bengali food. A riyaazi, he maintained a strict schedule; even for small talks and jokes!
“Controversies are good; that is the price of popularity!’ quips Ustad Shujaat Khan with his typical positivity. They prove that they were worth it. My father Vilayat Khan and Ravi Shankar were like elephants. None were wrong. They were walking different paths. And yet he spoke high of a youngster like me. I used to call him Robi-kaka. Once he told me, “Your father is a great master. I am so happy and proud that a person and musician like you are taking his music ahead. Whenever I met him he gave pointer in my career - very pleasantly, smilingly, while appreciating my point of view. These are the blessings one cannot forget.”
“My father never allowed anyone to badmouth him. They were rivals, competitors but not enemies! They had different ideologies of music and its presentation. I did admire his calm, cool presentations; but musical inspiration? I was under the huge umbrella of gayaki anga of Vilayat Khan and Amir Khan. I am their bhakt. Robikaka could translate that thrill in tantrakari with bol-tihai, which I enjoyed. Despite all, none is greater than music. It is their music which lives on.”