Thank god for OTT platforms. For two decades Indian TV was stuck in saas-bahu and nagin genre. And, will be for longer. They said thats what people want to watch. Same for bollywood. Mediocre people will find compelling reasons to do mediocre stuff. An Amazon had to step in for Bandish Bandits to be made.
On a personal note, until I reached D School, I didn’t know anything about classical music. Had the same disdain that most idiotic teenagers have for good things. Then DU happened.
Delhi University was a brilliant place for Spic Macay events. And, they were all free. All you had to have was interest. Suddenly, I had a lot.
For 3-4 years, every winter I attended each and every one that I could. I didn’t understand the raag or the taal. I heard bhimpalasi a few times and loved it and told everyone who asked that it was my favorite. I knew no other was never disclosed.
Someone tried to reach me taals and then someone else and then someone else. But it was pure mathematics and always beyond me. Even the basic 6 beat taals were beyond me. But I clapped along just to blend in and to show that I deserved to be in front 3 rows.
Given that those were days of absolutely no money, I had once walked from Mayur Vihar to Mandi House to attend a free event.
From one evening that extended to 1 in the night with Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia to getting a pass to Sirifort Auditorium and listening to a jugal bandi between Zakir Hussain and Amjad Ali Khan, life was kind. Then there was one evening with Ustad Fahimuddin Dagar saheb, another with Rajan and Sajan Mishra. When one gets old and gets alzheimer, these are the memories one should keep and die at peace.
But not having given it more time or never seen so many greats is one of those things that will haunt me on death bed..guilt of a life that is not fully lived.
