Bismillah Khan: The Man And His Music Today the name Bismillah Khan translates into shehnai. The Bharat Ratna awardee is in the metro to perform in just one programme before returning to his beloved Banaras in time for Bakri idd.
As I enter the hallowed precincts of the hotel he's in, I find his two sons holding fort while their Abbaji is offering Namaaz. I learn from them that since 27th January when the Bharat Ratna has been announced the 89-year-old maestro has had no relief from the media. Says his eldest son Mushtaque "we were in Delhi where Abbaji was performing and we had just given instructions to the hotel that he was not to be disturbed for at least three hours. But a call was sent through despite it-it was from the BBC London telling us that our father had been awarded the Bharat Ratna and they'd like to have him on for the news.
Immediately after that Doordarshan called. When we told Abba he just listened to us and went away to say Namaaz. We thought perhaps he hadn't heard us or understood us, so we repeated it and he said, "It's all god's grace!" Then Lataji called from London to express her delight at having got the award with him since the two of them had also been recipients of the Rajiv Gandhi Sadbhavna award together. Abba told her "You've got it ten years too late it should've been given to you earlier.Its meant for you!"
It would perhaps be appropriate to do a quick recap of Bismillah Khan's career here. He was born on March 21st 1916 though some place this at 1911 in a family of Shehnai players, in Bihar. He started living with his maternal uncle Ustad Ali Bux who was an established shehnai player in Benares. Bismillah Khan
started his association with the shehnai at the early age of six learning the intrinsically complicated craft this instruments demands.
There are innumerable stories about his spirituality, his devotion to his playing and most importantly his offering of his talent to the famous Balaji temple on the ghats of the Ganga in Banaras. It is said that at the age of ten he was shown the glimpse of Lord Balaji[the avatar of Vishnu] where he had played the instrument for 3 and a half years. The young bismillah was so taken aback that he ran to tell his uncle of this strange visitation and blessing he had received but his uncle slapped him and told him never to speak of such things. The boy learnt his lesson and today he can't be drawn to recount his most interesting experiences though he says cryptically "We know what we've got and from where - I've played at the temple sitting on the floor without even a mat but my uncle had offered his art for 18 continuous years to Balaji before me and we have received from him.
What you notice about the Ustaad as he sits cross-legged on his hotel room bed is his frailty. He has arrived by train from Delhi. He refuses to travel by plane because he has a coterie of ten people with him and his organizers cannot be made to pay for all of them! His younger son Niyaz says, "In the train he actually is forced to rest-so in a way it's good for him.
"He suddenly speaks up and says cantankerously "I'm very hungry I want to eat " and he insists on going to the restaurant across the street much to the dismay
of his companions. It is the first time he's to be seen at a public restaurant after being announced the Bharat Ratna and his sons are afraid that people will mob him. But he is firm and goes to the Delhi Darbar restaurant for dinner. Mercifully though people stare perplexedly at the familiar looking face, he is left alone.
I'm told by his sons, "As a father he can be the most gentle person ever but if you make him angry then it's like a tiger and a lamb and the lamb has no chance in front of his wrath. Abbaji has just one principle and that is plain speaking-he can't bear people who go round and round a subject. He loves people who are artistic.
He just adores Lataji. Hearing the magical name khansaab says "I have been listening to Lata since she was a kid. She had once organized a programme in her own house and I had played there. We share a very good relationship. She is really god's chosen one!"
I'm told that Pt Ravi Shankar rang to congratulate him and he says again, "There is no difference between us -we belong to the same family -the family of music-be it Ravi Shankar or Ustad Allauddin Khan, Vilayat Khan, Bhimsen Joshi, or Lata Mangeshkar. I don't feel we are separate at all."
Today Bismillah Khan lives in the famous [made famous by him] lane in Banaras Beniya Baug with 100 members of his family. He lost his wife some 14 years ago but after a year or so of deep depression he roused himself to announce "I'm now married to the Shehnai."
He has five sons and four daughters of whom three survive. His elder brothers sons also live with him along with their families and they all add up to a 100
members living under one roof. "As soon as Abbaji hears that someone has passed away he invites them to live with us" explains Nazir Hussain. This youngest son is the apple of his eye and he plays the tabla to accompany his father. "He did try to teach me the shenai but I just wouldn't remember anything and when he saw I had an aptitude for the tabla he encouraged me to learn that instead."
Bismillah Khan's generosity to all and sundry is legendary-particularly during Moharram and Ramzan. Most of the money he earns is given away to charities and he just doesn't believe in wastage of money that can be used for the good of someone else. As one watches him sitting calmly sometimes smiling a little one is reminded of Ustaad Vilayat Khan saying after one of their famous jugalbandis "I try very hard to get the audiences on my side when I play with him but then he just smiles at the audiences once and I've lost them all to his charm and I have to start wooing them again!' And one knows exactly what he means!
Edited by mp_142 - 19 years ago
Kumkum Bhagya
Arjun
