What has wrestling got to do with strains of soulful musicIJ Perhaps nothing. But for Padma Vibhusan Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, traversing this virtually unbridgeable chasm against severe odds has been a seamless transition.
Very few people know that internationally acclaimed flute maestro Pandit Chaurasia was born in a family that hardly had anything to do with music. In fact, his father was a wrestler and wanted him to follow in his footsteps. Being an obedient child, Chaurasia went to an Akhara in Allahabad regularly to practise wrestling. But his passion for music helped him overcome the obstacles. He kept practicing on the flute clandestinely.
A documentary capturing the unknown facets of the maestro’s early life and his rise as an icon in the world of music, produced by the Films Division of India (FDI) was screened on Friday in select PVR theatres nationwide including in Mumbai, Delhi, Pune, Allahabad and Bangalore. It will also have additional screenings in Bhubaneswar and Hyderabad.
The Odisha premier will be inaugurated by Governor SC Jamir on Sunday evening at the ITER Engineering College in the presence of Pandit Chaurasia, veteran actor of Hindi cinema Padma Bhushan Waheeda Rehman and eminent Odia sculptor Padma Vibhushan Raghunath Mohapatra.
Aptly titled Bansuri Guru, the hour-long documentary has been directed by the maestro’s son Rajeev encapsulating Chaurasia’s long journey towards perfection, which has taken more than 60 years of rigorous practice.
The film, marking 44-year-old Rajeev’s directorial debut, traverses seven decades of the maestro’s life. “It will provide a glimpse into his personality, his moods and memories. It is a very personal film and not only does it show Panditji, it also includes his students, his friends and well-wishers,” the Director, who has several years of experience in television projects, told media persons here.
Chaurasia who was present told the news conference held at the Vrindaban Gurukul set up by him here: “I want the present generation to understand that the struggles a person undergoes to reach a level of perfection is to be honoured. No one asks me today what my educations is because I don’t need a certificate from anyone or look for a job.”
Rajeev said, “When we decided to do a film on my father, I met many big directors who were keen to make the film. But I realized it would not be easy as they would not be able to see my father from my perspective. I became convinced that if I tried, I could do my father and the audience justice because of how well I know him.”
“It is a humble tribute of a son to his father. It is not a boring documentary and we have used the story-telling format using cinematic idioms with powerful music,” he said, adding it has English, Odia and Hindi conversations.
“Panditji has tried to pay rich tributes to Odisha in the film as he spent his formative years in the State,” he added.
The film, depicting Pandit Chaurasia in everyday life, has been shot in Mumbai, Bhubaneswar and Rotterdam, the maestro’s three preferred places of stay.
‘Bansuri Guru’ begins with an introduction by actor Amitabh Bachchan and contains extensive interviews with Pandit Chaurasia, Santoor maestro Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma and table legends Ustad Zakir Hussain and Vijay Ghate.
The film starts with Panditji’s childhood in Allahabad from 1938 to 1948, then surveys his teen in the same city as a young apprentice till 1958. This is followed by his stint as an All India Radio artist from 1958 to 1961 and as a newcomer to the Hindi film industry up to 1968. The turning point comes soon after when he decides to fully concentrate in classical music and begins his search for a guru. By the 1970s, Pandit Chaurasia had become a much sought after soloist on the world stage.