I have been extremely blessed that I found my guru in my grandfather, Pandit Birju Maharaj.
He was a multifaceted artiste, who could sing and play any instrument. And whatever he did, he set the standards so high that we could only look up to him.
At home, he was the most simple person with the simplest of demands. He loved having dal, chawal. But he was a gadget-freak. He would love to collect cameras, torches, just about anything that he could open and unravel, and then fix back.
He loved to drive and even six months back was very keen on buying an open Gypsy. He was a person who enjoyed life—regardless of the highs and the lows.
As a teacher, he never ever raised his voice, even when we were the most useless students. He only tried to teach us through persuasion and by inspiration. Indeed, he was far ahead of his time. Even before the whole concept of teaching ‘softly’ gained currency, he was already practising it.
I can never forget the time when I shared staged with my grandfather-guru Pandit Birju Maharaj and Ustad Zakir Hussain in 2017-18. It will probably be the most glorious moment of my career — watching two legendary artistes create magic on stage.
My grandfather often used to speak fondly about two concerts in particular — one in Kolkata and the other in Bombay (now Mumbai). His landmark performances at these two conferences (how they were called back then) made him the Pandit Birju Maharaj we know today. The audiences stood up and took note of his skills — and that he was the torchbearer of Kalka-Bindadin gharana of Lucknow.
My grandfather was an ardent admirer of Ustad Shahid Parvez Khan. He loved listening to his sitar recitals. He enjoyed old Bollywood classics too. Talat Mahmood, Hemant Kumar, Lata Mangeshkar ji, Asha Bhosle ji were some of his favourite singers. He loved listening to songs that were based on ragas.
Today, I feel doubly orphaned. Not only have I lost my guru, but I have also lost my grandfather.
As told to News18
Shinjini Kulkarni is the granddaughter and disciple of Pandit Birju Maharaj.
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