Sitar maestro Ustad Shujaat Khan is one of the biggest names of the Indian classical music industry, having performed on the world’s biggest platforms like Carnegie Hall, New York or Royal Festival, london. But when you meet him, what strikes you most is the humility which is ingrained in him in spite of the stature given to him within the industry.
Recently, he was shooting a music video in the Capital in the ruins of Hauz Khas, the first time he was being recorded not performing live. Explaining why he finally decided to do it, he says: “I felt that the Saregama Classical initiative is a good one. We thought that there should be some videos made on pieces of classical music, smaller pieces where there is music and singing. Something which is relevant to people who are looking at it. These are pieces that can be seen in small durations and it’s not out-and-out Bollywood.”
A pioneer in this industry, Khan has no misconceptions about the audience he caters to. At the same time, he vehemently denies that the audience for classical music is depleting in any way. “People who listen to classical music, they are still with it in the same way, with the same level of seriousness, with the same kind of love and affection. Some people feel that the audience is declining, younger people are not listening to it, but that’s not true. A lot of young people are interested in this music.” He adds that he doesn’t play mass music that can be enjoyed by a rickshawwala and or a panwala. However, the love, affection and respect for this genre of music remains the same even today.
Khan laments the state of the music industry today, not just in India but all over the world. He feels that the main reason for this is that music has become much easier to access due to the internet and everything is now available on YouTube. But “if you are looking for good quality recordings, you still have to look harder for it”. He is glad to see that there are certain record labels who are still producing good music. He says, “These labels and people like me can do other things for money. But it is our love for the art that keeps us going. Everything isn’t always to fill your pockets.”
It is true that Bollywood music has always overshadowed everything else. But Khan is sure that there is an audience for every kind of niche music which has not reduced in any way over the years. “There are so many places where there are 10,000 or 15,000 people sitting and listening to our kind of music. Even in Delhi, there are 3,000 to 4,000 people listening. What more can I wantIJ I don’t want to mass produce! I’m not here to attract people to classical music. I’m here to enjoy myself and make you understand that this is also an option. If one enjoys it, then they should go and listen. It isn’t necessary that everyone likes this kind of music, rightIJ But as an Indian, you must know that India is known all over the world for its music, arts and heritage. That is the only reason why India is popular in the world. It isn’t Bollywood, sports or anything else that India is known for,” he says.
However, in spite of his family history and legacy, with stalwarts like his father Ustad Vilayat Khan and grandfather Ustad Enayat Khan, it is not like he never considered any other profession for himself. In fact, when he was younger, he almost gave up on music at one time because he was finding it difficult to make ends meet. But thankfully for his fans, he realised that music is the profession he must stick to. “At one point, I felt what is the purpose of making musicIJ But I realised that one is born to do something or the other, and I was born to be a musician. I now understand that this is what I should be doing. And I think I made the correct choice,” he tells you.