Pandit Bhimsen Joshi

When we talk about Indian Classical Music, one name that immediately comes to mind is Pandit Bhimsen Joshi. No words can adequately describe him. Pandit Joshi, who is riding the crest of popularity and has ridden it for the last several years, is a musical marvel. His singing invariably provides listeners with a divine musical experience. His voice is mellifluous and unmatched. It has the intrinsic ability to transport his listeners to an altogether different world. Today, Pandit Bhimsen Joshi is rightly reckoned as an institution by himself.

"All the awards I have received are due to my gurus who have taught me. They guided me over the years and made me able enough to stand here. They had sown the seeds and we are reaping the fruits," said the maestro, on receiving the Aditya Vikram Birla Kalashikhar award, in Mumbai. Pandit Joshi resides at Pune with his wife, two sons, daughters-in-law, and grandchildren.

We got a chance to interact with him and his family members when they were in Mumbai to attend the function organised by the Sangeet Kala Kendra. "It feels great when your husband gets this kind of respect and recognition," said Pandit Joshi's wife, Vatslyaji Joshi. Talking about her husband's natur , she added, " He is a very disciplined man and demands the same sort of actions from people around him. He can be equally strong or soft, depending on the situation. He is very particular about his food habits. I have spent 50 years with him and I thank God for blessing me with a husband like him."

"For my father, music is everything; the rest does not matter. He is a very simple man, and does not like to be in the limelight. He has succeded in inculcating that attitude in his children. We, being his children, respect him for this sort of upbringing,uot; said Jayant B Joshi, the musical maestro's son. When asked about his interest in music, Jayant added,"Having been born in a family of a noted musician, I grew up hearing music in and around me. But I never thought of taking up music as my career. My brother Srinivas has taken the the opportunity to carry on the family tradition in Indian classical music."

Pandit Joshi is a man of few words. Commenting on the present scenario of Indian classical music, he says,"Hindustani Music was there, it is present today, and will be there tomorrow. We do not have to worry about the audience. Today it may be 400 but tomorrow it will be 4000. The recognition of Indian Classical Music will never diminish.quot; Talking about the next generation he added, "The younger generation is equally talented, it is our duty to nurture them and bring out their hidden talents."

This man, who has limitless potential and creativity, loves to watch television. "He spends hours watching television, if he is not practicing. He loves to watch action movies," confides Pandit Joshi's daughter in law Laxmi. Today when the concept of a nuclear family has reached even the remotest areas of India, Pandit Joshi has succeeded in holding all his family members together under one roof. Pandit Bhimsen Joshi does justice to both his roles, as a great musician and a beloved father.

By : Sharmistha Chakraborty
Photographer : Uma Kadam