'Bansuri Guru' unveiled: A tribute to Hariprasad Chaurasia

Bansuri Guru, a 60-minute documentary on internationally acclaimed flute maestro Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, was on Sunday unveiled by Governor Dr SC Jamir, who described the musician as a “living legend” saying “he could make the flute talk”.

“It is a great tribute to the maestro whose whole life has been dedicated to music,” Dr Jamir said at the inauguration organised by the Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan University here.

The documentary, capturing the unknown facets of the maestro’s early life and his rise as an icon in the world of music, has been produced by the Government-run Films Division of India and directed by Panditji’s son Rajeev.

Pandit Chaurasia, who was present at the inauguration, was felicitated by the Governor along with eminent sculptor Padma Vibhushan Raghunath Mohapatra.

 The maestro’s early life in Allahabad, the documentary has captured his rise as a musician in Cuttack, where he joined the All India Radio as an artist in the 1950s on a handsome salary of `160 per month in those days. He virtually made Cuttack his home and was instrumental in providing the classical Odissi dance a push it needed in collaboration of Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra and Bhubaneswar Mishra.

His transfer to Mumbai in the 1960 was the turning point in his life as it opened the doors of Bollywood for him. Bansuri Guru has been shot in Mumbai, Bhubaneswar and Rotterdam, the maestro’s three preferred places of stay. It is a very personal film and not only does it show Panditji, it also includes his students, his friends and well-wishers.

The film, which begins with an introduction by actor Amitabh Bachchan and contains extensive interviews with Pandit Chaurasia, santoor maestro Pandit Shivkumar Sharma and tabla legends Ustad Zakir Hussain and Vijay Ghate, was screened in select theatres across the country on Friday.

Rajeev, who was also felicitated on the occasion, said his directorial debut was “a humble tribute of a son to his father”. “It is not a boring documentary, and we have used the storytelling format using cinematic idioms with powerful music,” he said.