Mumbai’s tryst with classical music

This story, parts of which are likely apocryphal, showcases how Mumbai functioned as the beating heart of classical music in the country since the 19th century

In September 1952, the 15-year-old All India Radio got into a spot of trouble with some musical greats. Ustaad Shakoor Khan, a disciple of the great Ustad Abdul Waheed Khan and a remarkable Sarangi player himself, was asked to audition as part of the state-run radio service’s new policy that spanned 400 musicians. What’s worse, he reportedly failed.

Among the brightest stars of the classical music tradition of Mumbai was Ustad Zakir Hussain, who died earlier this week. Simla House, Hussain’s home in Mumbai, was witness to over 50 years of this history. (Pradeep Bhatia/HT Archive)

Within months, protests against the procedure spread across the country as musicians felt slighted. Maestros such as sitarist Ustad Vilayat Hussain Khan,