Film on Pu La draws disapproval from kin of Bhimsen Joshi, Hirabai Barodekar

Pandit Shrinivas Joshi too was hurt with the portrayal of his father Pandit Bhimsen Joshi which, he said, might mislead people about his personality and his music with today’s generation of film goers

Classical musicians and families of legendary singers Hirabai Barodekar and Pandit Bhimsen Joshi have protested about “objectionable scenes” and “abusive language” in ‘Bhai, Vyakti ani Valli’, the recently released movie on playwright/ author/ music composer Pu La Deshpande by director Mahesh Manjrekar.

Pandit Bhimsen Joshi (HT PHOTO)

“This film shows my grandmother in a bad light and has really degraded her memory as a great singer by simply twisting the way her house and the mehfils held have been shown,” said Pandit Nishikant Barodekar, nephew of the famous singer Hirabai Barodekar.

According to Meena Faterpekar, grand daughter of Hirabai Barodekar, “We have not liked the way she has been portrayed; in fact she has been described by Pu La as ‘sangitatil tulas’ comparing her music to purity and what the film depicts is completely the opposite. It is very insulting to the family. Also, the other fact is that she has been portrayed as the same age as Pu La in the film but in reality she was much older and there was a lot of respect for her as guru. Her body language is also not in good taste as played by the actor and this is very sad and makes me very angry,” she added.

Pandit Shrinivas Joshi too was hurt with the portrayal of his father Pandit Bhimsen Joshi which, he said, might mislead people about his personality and his music with today’s generation of film goers.

“In fact the truth is that Hirabai created a niche for her style of classical singing in a period when women were denied permission to go to classical music concerts. Hirabai presented her art in 1922, sitting right in the centre of any music baithak, which helped create a social revolution and opened doors for women singers. How can the house of such a singer be a place to find liquor as shown in the film?” questioned Faterpekar.

The classical musicians and singers expect an apology and also deletion of certain scenes in the film from director Mahesh Manjrekar.

Manjrekar defends his film

Mahesh Manjrekar who was in London for a houseful show of the film, said, “I find no sense in their protest for I have done nothing wrong nor have I shown anything wrong. As a director, I have the freedom of expression and never in the scene do you see any liquor, nor is there any mention of the same during the mehfil at Hirabai’s house. I would suggest that they should watch the film first in totality and not comment on a half cooked meal. I would never apologise for something I have not done.”