Undaunted by the pakhawaj

The younger of the sister-duo, Arunima Roy is a dancer. And, when she takes to the stage, her elder sister, Anupama sits down amongst the accompanying musicians. Anupama is not your regular 'dholak' player. She is one of the very few women exponents of the pakhawaj in India. The pakhawaj is mainly an instrument played by men. Even among the men, few dare to take up the pakhawaj!

The younger of the sister-duo, Arunima Roy is a dancer. And, when she takes to the stage, her elder sister, Anupama sits down amongst the accompanying musicians. Anupama is not your regular 'dholak' player. She is one of the very few women exponents of the pakhawaj in India. The pakhawaj is mainly an instrument played by men. Even among the men, few dare to take up the pakhawaj!

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A trained artiste with a Masters in Pakhawaj from Bhatkhande Music College, Anupama is very clear about where she is heading. All complexes aside, Anupama believes that nothing is impossible to learn and master. She is indeed, a worthy disciple of Pt. Ramakant Pathak.

She tells you matter-of-factly that she loves challenges and therefore, instead of taking up something regular, she went for the pakhawaj. But the pakhawaj-players are suffering because of lack of help, she says.

“Pakhavaj is a divine instrument and is very much adored by Lord Shiva as it is played by his followers (ganas) when he performs various forms of tandav dance. It is not played in accompaniment with any 'ordinary' instrument like the tabla. It always has a distinct place and is known for it's deep, vibrant and pulsating notes. For instance, it is required with the dhrupad and dhamar, which are the oldest form of classical vocal recitals.”

Finally, she hopes, someday there will be a separate department for Dhrupad and Dhamar at the Bhatkhande University!