While searching ‘classic’ voice, Durga Jasraj finds Indian music prospering

Durga Jasraj expects more from Nagpur. Even if she was happy as over 150
classical music enthusiasts have registered themselves from the city at the auditions of the Idea Jalsa talent hunt launched jointly by her
company Art & Artistes and Indian Music Academy (IMA), she was waiting for a ‘miraculously outstanding’ performer to come and win the stage. “As Central India is infrequently visited by legendary musicians, I hope some self-developed
unusual, unique talent will come to fore,” said daughter of the legendary Pandit Jasraj while speaking exclusively to Chaitanyya Deshpande.

Yes. Celebrity children often have to face the unnecessary comparison with their parents. But on the other hand, they grow up with the dynamism, confidence, approach and wit as ancestral gifts. When Durga Jasraj interacts fluently in English, Hindi, and even in Marathi, the impact of two of India’s most prominent artistic families – the Jasrajs and the Shantarams can be felt everywhere.
All for classical music
Music, cinema, television, albums, live performances, event management, and now India’s first classical music-based talent hunt. Even much more she does. Now, in her own right, Durga Jasraj is a producer and organiser who has been making phenomenal contribution to the Indian classical music - more so with her business acumen and organising skills. Years before, she did Zee TV’s Antakshari show, and people still remember her for the same.
Unlike the other stalwarts of classical music, she joined commercial industry. But her aim was different. “Yes. I decided to become famous by getting popular on TV, so that I can be able to accumulate enough influence to obtain support for my efforts to reinforce and promote the classical tradition,” she explained. Years passed after Antakshari, and now, ‘Jalsa’ is here. One more step in her journey aiming towards the prosperity of Indian Classical music. Let’s take a look, what happened during this journey until now.
Art and Artistes
Teaming up with Vikram Shankar, Durga Jasraj founded Art and Artistes India Pvt Ltd, which is into event management, TV software, and producing devotional albums. This company ventured into everything musical – from live theme concerts, music festivals to concept albums. The programme of live performances by legendary classical music exponents, held under ‘Jalsa’ title, received overwhelming response all over India. A well-liked TV series was also made on this concept and telecast on Doordarshan. Expanding the same, now she wants to go into common people and search hidden talent from them.
Indian Music Academy
In 2000, a body for classical musicians called IMA (Indian Music Academy) was formed. It went on to organising world-class concerts and concepts such as Golden Voice Golden Years, Utsav, Jalsa, Tiranga and Cult Fusion. “It’s a body of musicians and it has patrons like Pt Hariprasad Chaurasia, Pt Shiv Kumar Sharma, Pt Jasraj, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Lata Mangeshkar, Ustad Zakir Hussain,” she said. One of the main objectives is to popularise classical music.
Efforts bearing fruits
When asked about the response by youths and future of Indian Classical Music, Durga quoted her father Pandit Jasraj who used to say that present generation is very enthusiastic, responsible and even more intelligent than old folks. Informing that 60 per cent of the audience of Jalsa live in concerts were youths under 35 years, she lamented that media is reluctant to highlight such good things with classical music. Yet, she concluded in her father’s words “Our heritage is in safe hands.”

World ambassador of Indian classical music

Those who had a pleasure of attending a concert of young debonair classical music
exponent Kumar Sunil Mungee in Nagpur on November 6 must remember the evening for years ahead. Sunil’s melodious voice and energetic presence on the stage captivated the audience for hours at CP Club Lawns. However, those who missed this unique opportunity to see this young ‘International’ artist, have missed the performance of ‘future maestro’ for sure. Chaitanyya Deshpande had an exclusive informal chat with Sunil who was on his way to the concert.

Learning from legend
Sunil, who hails from Indore, started learning music when he was five. He accepted the traditional ‘Guru-Shishya Parampara’ to start his journey in the field of music, wherein the pupil stays with his Guru and undergoes rigorous training. Sunil stayed with his Guru Padma Shri Late Pandit Jitendra Abhisheki, a maestro of Indian music, for over 15 years. “Rightly said, Sangeet is a Gurumukhi vidya. The training needs devotion, dedication, and complete surrender,” said Sunil. “It was strict, still careful. We had to start with Tanpura before 4 O’clock in the morning. The practice used to continue day-long, sometimes even after 10 in the night. We used to strive for hours to find one perfect ‘sur’,” expressed Sunil. No need to tell, this devotion enabled him to keep his voice ‘fit’ even during his travel around the globe while enjoying all the cuisines.

Going global
The ‘highlight’ of Sunil’s career is his selection as an international vocalist by United States of America. As per its national policy, USA selects one excellent artist from all over the world and offers citizenship to the artist. With the use of their well placed sources, USA selects an artist, under 30 years of age. He must have performed in 15 countries, and must have over 50 newspaper reviews on his performances. Moreover, his name must be recommended by a Senator. No artist can approach personally to any Senator for recommendation. It is the matter of pride for all Indians as Sunil was selected amongst 24,843 artists from various countries for this rare honour. He accepted the NRI status in 1999, with a soul aim of spreading the fragrance of real Indian Music.
Today, he performs from the East to the West Coast of the USA, in UK, Switzerland, The Netherlands, UAE, Australia and African continents besides India. Sunil makes an effort for the western audience to understand, experience and appreciate the rich, traditional and ancient Indian Classical music. A habitual reader, Sunil is presently working on a book which highlights the journey of an artist, musician.

International audience
Today, Sunil has become the torch-bearer of the tradition to promote the music of India. He has over 400 concerts to his credit. Sunil strongly believes in quality of music and thus has a tremendous fan-following all over the globe. When asked about non-Indian audiences’ response, he said, they are very enthusiastic and open-minded.
“We have to provide a little written material to them and they start enjoying all Ragaas, and Sargams. I used to interact with my audience and tell them the facts about classical music in simple tounge, avoiding technicalities. This serves my purpose to entertain them with my art,” said Sunil with all smiles.

Performing with Icons
Sunil’s association with Bhajan Samrat Anup Jalota and Ghazal legend Ghulam Ali, is famous on international stage. He excels in both these forms of Indian classical music. “I strived to learn Ghazals and Bhajans as these forms attract even those who don’t know the technicalities of classical music. I consider myself fortunate as I perform with the icons of these forms,” said Sunil. He informed about the musical concert ‘Generations’, in which all the three exponents perform spontaneously, without any prior script. “Response to this concert is simply overwhelming all over the world. I hope the same will be held in India very soon,” he expects.

Maintaining ‘Indianness’
Saying that our music relates directly to spirituality, Sunil strongly opposed the common tendency of Indians to westernise themselves. He said, there is no point in comparing these two completely different music forms. According to him, both are unique music forms and should not be compared. Indians must preserve our uniqueness. Sunil’s fluency in Hindi and Marathi was noticeable during the conversation. “No need to speak in English when we understand Hindi or Marathi,” he said.

Glorious grooming
As an effort to be a step bridge between music and inclusion of newer talents to music, Sunil conducts various seminars and music workshops, wherein he grooms youngsters with teachings of traditional and basic learning of music. “I never use the word ‘Students’, but I call them ‘Colleagues’,” he said adding that one who worships ‘Sangeet’, forgetting all the worldly affairs, gets spiritual satisfaction.

Goshta Chhoti, Dongarayewadhi: An Outburst!

With the first spell of rain, they start preparations for sowing, but all their hard work is at the mercy of nature. They take loans and work hard to dig a well, but whether they will get water is again nature’s will. Again taking loans, they stand in long queues to purchase firtilizers, but are at the mercy of corrupt officials. They send their kids to schools and educate them by skipping meals, but whether their children will get jobs is another story altogether. Farmers in Maharashtra are facing life-and-death crisis due to the unpardonable negligence of the government, political leaders, bureaucrats, and most lamentably, us - their brothers in urban areas.
The story is ‘small’ and simple. A farmer - loads of loans - untimely rains - re-sowing - disappointment - despair - and suicide. But when the same story repeats itself more than ten thousand times in five years, it becomes a disaster. Maharashtra, especially Vidarbha, is witnessing the same disaster year after year. Government undertakes surveys, NGOs collect data, and administration announces packages based on these statistics. But do we really know what can compel a man to take his own life? No one takes into consideration the humiliation farmers face again and again, for growing crops - that too, just for pursuing their occupation, and feeding the nation. No one thinks about the compromise farmers make with their self-respect day in and day out at the hands of government ‘babus’, bank employees, and even low key staffers.
When sensitive hearts of artists like Sayaji Shinde, Nagesh Bhonsale, Makarand Anaspure listen to the call of social responsibility, a film like ‘Goshta Chhoti Dongarayewadhi’ is born. Simply put, it is an outburst of the misery that farmers in Vidarbha are facing since last many years.
A production of Pentagon House, a joint venture of actors Makarand Anaspure, Nagesh Bhonsale,Sayaji Shinde,noted cinematographer Suresh Suvarna and Laxmikant Khabaria, the film was released in Western Maharashtra last week, where it received overwhelming response.
Prof Machhindra Chatey of Deoyani Movies, which is distributing the film, has announced to donate all money earned from the film for education of farmers’ wards. This social touch makes it a ‘commercial’ ‘art’ film.
The star cast includes Makarand Anaspure, Sayaji Shinde, Madhu Kambikar, and director Nagesh Bhonsale, with the legendary Nilu Phuley in one of his last performances. The film has a serious tone throughout, keeping in mind the gravity of the issue. The story is of any and every village of Vidarbha. Educated young farmers facing crisis - their helplessness in face of natural and administrative whim - and a suicide. Nandu (Nagesh Bhonsale), a debt-ridden farmer and his friend Rajaram Pawar (Makarand Anasapure) are struggling to make two ends meet. Trapped by destiny, Nandu commits suicide. This tragedy brings a brainstorm in Rajaram’s mind. He decides to make the leaders and bureaucrats aware of farmers’ pains, by speaking in the language they understand. Rajaram kidnaps the Agriculture Minister (Sayaji Shinde) and shows him the harsh reality of a village. How Rajaram manages to kidnap a minister with ‘Z plus’ security is interestingly depicted. The actors, all veterans in their own right, do complete justice to their roles.
The thing which relates us more to the film is the character sketches by story-screenplay and dialogue writer, Shyam Pethkar. This Vidarbha-based journalist-turned-playwright sensitively pens all the nuances and pains of farmers’ lives. Pethkar’s study of plight of farmers, and his observation is revealed from time to time during the film. His stellar touch can be seen in the character of Nilu Phuley, an elderly farmer who loses his young son. His dialogues bring tears to the eyes, also bring on the smiles and most importantly, make us think. All urban youths should go and watch this film to know the naked reality of the village and predicament of farmers.
The background music by Shailendra Barve is appreciable and remains with you long after the movie ends. The film has a four-liner sung by Nagesh Bhonsale and another four lines by Shahir Vitthal Umap. These lines are used with great impact with the background music, a new experiment in Marathi films. Following the lines of Shwas, and Dombiwali Fast, the film is sure to grab several awards for both its hard-hitting theme and excellent performances.
A must watch for people who appreciate changing trends in Marathi cinema.
If villages are facing tragedy, the least urban educated people like us, living in luxury, can do is go to cinema halls to know the facts. A thought-provoking, excellent film after a long time.