Music and martial arts are poles apart but this Dehradun boy has made both these seemingly divergent skills his forte.
Viplav Aakash, who is a double-black belt in Taekwondo, is also learning the intricacies of Indian Classical Music from country’s premier vocalist Pandit Channulal Mishra in Banaras.
Viplav got a sliver medal at the First South Asia Joshier Martial arts championship which was organised at Kathmandu, Nepal from March 29 to March 31. Viplav lost to a Malaysian in the senior black belt light weight category in Taekwondo at the Nepalese capital.
He told The Pioneer that about 500 contestants from India, Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Maldives and Myanmar participated in the event. In December last year Viplav had won gold medal in All India Taekwondo Federation Championship at Chandigarh.
Interestingly, Taekwondo is his second love as music is at top of his priorities. He said that he got inclined to music at an early age and his mother Babita Anand who is a known theatre artist of Uttarakhand guided him in this endeavour. The dedication of Viplav can be gauged from the fact that after the championship at Nepal he headed straight to Banaras to continue his practice under Pandit Channulal Mishra.
He said that he is visiting Banaras regularly from last three years but from last 8 months he has dedicated himself totally to music. Pandit Channulal Mishra is top most exponent of Khayal and Thumri form of vocal music and belongs to the celebrated Kirana Gharana of Indian classical music. Viplav said that martial art helps him to keep his body in top shape and music is food for soul.