Obituary: Pt Bhawani Shankar, The maestro effortlessly blended pakhawaj into jazz and film music
The 60-year-old ‘pakhawaj samrat’ was in Chiplun for a performance. On his return, on Wednesday, he complained of uneasiness. “When his condition worsened ma, my sister and brother-in-law rushed him to hospital. He was on ventilator. He suffered multi-organ failure and passed away,” said his son Naresh
MUMBAI: “When my wife called me from Bhubaneshwar airport to say Bhawani is no more my first reaction was that of disbelief. ‘He’ll emerge laughing from somewhere, I told myself’,” said flute legend and music composer Pt Hariprasad Chaurasia.
The maestro choked recalling Pt Bhawani Shankar, who passed away on Saturday morning, as a little boy. “His father Babulalji the renowned kathak exponent would be invited to Rajkamal Studios by filmmaking legend V Shantaram to put SandhyaJi (the actress who starred in ‘Navrang’) through the paces. Since rehearsals lasted through the day, his son Bhawani often brought his tiffin. Memory of that boy flashed in my mind when I heard the news,” he said.
The 60-year-old ‘pakhawaj samrat’ was in Chiplun for a performance. On his return, on Wednesday, he complained of uneasiness. “When his condition worsened ma, my sister and brother-in-law rushed him to hospital. He was on ventilator. He suffered multi-organ failure and passed away,” said his son Naresh.
The pakhawaj maestro is survived by his wife, three daughters and two sons.
Born into a musical family, a young Bhawani Shankar trained in the pakhawaj and tabla from eight. Remembering how he performed alongside several Indian musicians, like Pt Shiv Kumar Sharma, and maestros Pt Anindo Chatterjee and Ustad Zakir Hussain and himself, Pt Chaurasia said he personified rhythm. “He was so much more than just a pakhawaj player. He’d pick up a steel tumbler, a plastic mug and two broom sticks and create rhythm,” he said reminding this writer of the interlude pieces in ‘Darr’ and ‘Chandni’. “And he did it so beautifully, it always complemented and enhanced the arrangement.”
Linking it to his ability to play 12 other instruments with proficiency, Pt Chaurasia said: “That is why Bhawani consistently attempted to blend the pakhawaj into western, jazz, or cinema music.” Proof of that is that he has shared the stage with the who’s who of fusion music, including Peter Gabriel and John McLaughlin. No wonder he found mention in both the Limca and Guinness Books of Records and was nominated for a Grammy in 21 years ago.
Like flautist Pt Chaurasia, santoorist Pt Satish Vyas also condoled Pt Shankar’s passing on. “He was both a great musician and human being. On stage you need accompanists who are large hearted and encouraging. That boosts your morale before the audience response,” said Pt Vyas who has performed in concerts Bosnia, Belarus, Russia and the US with Pt Shankar. “I recall our Philadelphia concert where he’d get a huge response from the 3,000 strong audience every time, he struck the pakhawaj. We had a four-day break before the concert in Houston. I was going to visit with some old family friends and he could’ve chosen to stay at the 5-star since the organisers were willing. But he came along with me. He was a perfect guest who charmed my family friends.”
Musicologist Dr Aneesh Pradhan also remembered that charm from his first duet with the pakhawaj maestro at the Chembur’s Fine Arts Society. “There was never a dull moment thanks to his flair as a raconteur.”
Dr Pradhan remembered playing with Pt Shankar and Pt Shivkumar Sharma at the Rashtrapati Bhawan. “It was APJ Abdul Kalam’s tenure. The stage had a dancing fountain behind us which made it seem like it was dancing to us.”
But it isn’t world of music alone condoling Pt Shankar. Kathak exponent Mamata Maharaj said, “I’ve seen him collaborate with my grandfather Pt Birju Maharaj. When you saw this dhoti-kurta clad, long -haired, teeka sporting person you’d pass him off as a commoner. But one ‘dha’ on the pakhawaj was enough to tell you he was not!”
Odissi guru and exponent Shubhada Varadkar who performed with him at Halim academy of Sitar said he was very supportive and cooperated and played even for her Ashtapdi. “Though I performed with him in 1999 whenever we met he’d recite the ukutas I used while dancing.”
One of kathak’s tallest exponents and scholar Dr Puru Dadheech said Pt Shankar’s passage was a great loss to the world of performing arts. “There are only a handful pakhawaj players around. And he was one of our best.”
The Kathak world on the other side of the border too was affected. Ustad Fasih ur Rehman’s guru Maharaj Ghulam Hussain trained under Pt Acchan Maharaaj, Kathak legend Birju Maharaj’s father. He said in a text message: “Bhawani Ji’s pakhawaj would not only take care of the rhythm but equally take measure of sur in the instrument. Bahaut bareek aur umda kaam tha unka aur unhe humne dekha aur seekha...ye humari khushnaseebi hai...”