A new dawn

Life was very different in the sixties and seventies - people had so much more time. Perhaps that was why there was so much amateur theatre and music all around. In Bombay (which is what it was called then), my father had a group of friends in the world of Marathi theatre. For him theatre was an old passion - I have fond memories of the productions in Calcutta (which is what it was called then) when the final rehearsals would be at our home with my mother cooking for the whole 50-odd cast. Bengal had a strong history of theatre and my father had an undying passion for it. I well remember the plays that he had taken an active role in organising - mainly historical productions presented at Star Theatre.

Picture Courtesy Wikipedia

Dad was forced to lead a bachelor's existence in Bombay since we, the family, stayed on in Calcutta to ensure that my brother finished his schooling. Theatre was in his blood, so he didn't have to try too hard to meet up with enthusiasts. But his work soon took up so much of his time that he couldn't keep up with theatre. It was only after he retired that he attempted to pick up the threads and was disheartened when he found that everything had changed. I still remember attending Marathi plays - although it was only later that I could barely understand the language - what remains in my memory is of course the music in those plays - it was such excellent music!

Work forced my father to tour continuously and my mother was expected to look after the children (that's us) on her own. My father's absence was even noticed by my friends and when Dad was home it would be celebration time! While I was still battling through school, my brother was well on his way to graduating and soon went off to IIT Kanpur to do his Masters. That clearly meant that being the only one around, I was thoroughly spoilt and ended up taking full advantage of my father's corporate success - which made us upwardly mobile and invitees to many functions at that time!

Apart from the social and cultural scene, I always accompanied my father on the business tours that he went on during my school holidays. Since he was marketing an agricultural product, it meant visiting the villages especially of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Karnataka and of course Bengal. It was a different music that I heard then - folk music, sometimes accompanied by dancing. That was when I truly realised the wonder that is India and the beauty in its diversity. I remember learning garba and dandiya raas, though I can't guarantee that I would be able to do them today!

                                                                 

                                                 Picture Courtesy: www.bestlovesms.in

For my mother, this was probably a very trying time. She had very little company for a greater part of the day. We had also grown up enough to start moving around on our own. As a compensation my mother plunged into music and her efforts at inducting me into voice training continued unabated - much to my distaste. When I think about it now, I feel that it probably wasn't destined to happen at that time. However, my creative efforts started gaining an audience - a small poem found space in a popular magazine of the time, causing a 'celebrity' existence for a few months. Music classes with Krishna Chatterjee appeared successful - she would speak positively about my talent. Sometimes we had baithaks at home and I was given the opportunity to display my talent. My mother was getting even more impatient with my resistance to her efforts at training my voice. However, we attended several memorable concerts at that time, some of which I remember as clearly as if they happened yesterday. The music was of an unforgettable quality - which even my uninitiated ear could understand.

                                            Photo courtesy: indianwomenblog.org

While I was on my way to completing school, my father again got transferred. This time we found ourselves in Delhi. Those were perhaps the most memorable years of my youth. My father reached the pinnacle of corporate success while I was in College. That meant that our house became a 'must visit' for musicians, dancers, painters, actors, film-makers even sportsmen - anyone who needed a patron. I was also pretty much into media, music and theatre. It was much later in life that I understood how truly lucky I had been and what a great exposure to the arts I had had in my youth!

The years I was graduating were over before I knew it! That was when I began developing an interest in classical art forms. Considering the earlier failed attempts at initiation, I owe my conversion to Vidushi Dipali Nag. 

When I began learning from her, I warned her that I only wanted to learn Bengali songs. As the days went by, I suddenly discovered that I had developed quite a decent stock of 'bandishes' and taking the step into Raga Sangeet was not as difficult as I had imagined - at least it wasn't as uninteresting as it had seemed when I was younger. Soon I got into the rhythm of regular riyaz and my mother finally felt at peace. Of course if it wasn't for her unfailing regularity at waking me up at the crack of dawn, I would never have been me! My brother in the meanwhile had found himself a teaching assistantship and eventually left for the USA to do a PhD in Chemistry.

                                            Photo Courtesy: www.indiana.edu

It was at the time when I was really deeply drawn towards the classical art forms that my father told me that he had been given an assignment at Hong Kong. That meant moving into the hostel. It was a fateful day - me, my tanpura and my mother landed up at Miranda House hostel. Thankfully I found an old friend from Calcutta and she was very supportive, agreeing to be my roommate - despite my warnings about morning riyaz. It wasn't till a week later that Warden had her office 'gheraoed'. The seniors wanted me out of the hostel! Never in the institution's history had anyone woken up early to practice music. More so considering I was studying for an honours degree in Economics! Eventually we got ourselves a riyaz room - or rather the visitors' room was allowed to be used for riyaz. (By then a few others who were studying Music(Hons) had also joined the hostel).

    

                                                Photo Courtesy: www.mirandahouse.ac.in

By the December of my IIIrd year, I had decided that I wanted to do a Masters in music. Since I had been selected to be College Union Secretary that year, I was often busy in activities that did not have any relation with Economics - the subject in which I was doing an Honours Course. I had already been appearing for private music examinations being trained by Vidushi Dipali Nag. I was also a regular evening visitor of the Music faculty of the University. Inter College Competitions were pretty high on my over-full activity list. (Debating and dramatics were the other areas of interest.) I made successful trips (read won prizes) in competitions at Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai - in short, I thought I had been specially created to make music. It was much later in life that I realised the hazards that a musician has to face - apart from the lack of finances that it might lead to!

                                                Photo Courtesy:scrolldroll.com

Like all fairy stories, there was a 'black patch' in this one. My mother heard from relatives that I was neglecting my studies - although I was supposed to be such a 'bright' student! To add fuel to the fire, I sent a long letter to my parents that my future was not in Economics, but in Music. That had a snowballing effect leading first to my mother's appearance at the Hostel, telling the warden that I was going to move out, and eventually to my father coming back to Delhi. I forget whether he completed the assignment he had actually gone for - to me it appeared an irrational act of a misguided parent, since I had already proved that I was well able to look after myself. Besides, Delhi University had a strong Music faculty at that time and also a Post Graduate Hostel for Women.

                                                Photo Courtesy : music.du.edu.in

Many weeks of discussions after my IIIrd year examinations convinced my parents that I was not going to continue studying Economics, though I could not convince them that a Masters in Music was a worthwhile pursuit. Computer Programming was at that time a 'new' profession and it caught my fancy, receiving the requisite approval of the family. As luck would have it, I also did brilliantly in an entrance test and soon joined a Computer Training course where the other trainees were at least 5 years older and one certainly double my age (I was 19 at the time). In a year's time I had joined an Agency which today is pretty well- renowned, and I could continue my music as a hobby, though I was relentless with my riyaz.