To be a complete man
ANJANA RAJAN
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In the series on accompanists, here is Sudhir Pandey, who feels the pursuit of music is a path to perfection.
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PHOTO: SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR
THOUGHTFUL APPROACH Sudhir Pandey in New Delhi.
In an age when music has turned from a vocation to an industry, it is refreshing to meet someone like tabla exponent Sudhir Pandey, who has remained firm in the belief that one's work speaks louder than publicity ventures, and that music is more of a spiritual journey than a means to earning a livelihood. "I grew up in Patna. My father, the late Pandit Arjun Pandey, who learnt for 26 years, was a disciple of Pandit Kanthe Maharaj, Pandit Kapil Dev Singh and later of Pandit Bhagwat Singh. He trained in the Agra, Ajrara and Benaras gharanas. So I had the advantage of getting my training right at home," says Sudhir.
Describing his life as consisting of music and study only, Sudhir says he qualified as an Income Tax officer but was inspired by the late sitar maestro Nikhil Banerjee to pursue music full-time. "I was only 14 or 15. I owe a great debt to Nikhil da. Pandit V.G. Jog also inspired me a lot."
The initial years in Delhi were trying. "I had to remain hungry. I heard discouraging remarks from others. But I had faith. In this field, belief in God and the guru is paramount. Even if you have faith in the guru alone, it is as good as belief in God."
Today his CV includes names of stalwarts whose concerts he has accompanied, including Ustad Vilayat Khan, Pandit Ram Narayan, Pandit Jasraj, Girija Devi, Bhajan Sopori, Amjad Ali Khan, Ashwini Bhide, Veena Sahasrabuddhe and others.
"For my father the tabla was not a profession. He was a secretary in the legislative assembly of Bihar. But even great musicians like Begum Akhtar, Kishan Maharaj and others appreciated his music. He pursued it for his own happiness. My mother died when I was very young. So music was also a source of solace for my father. He would tell us he could teach us, but to make it professionally, one needed contacts and the like, so if we wanted to take it up as a career, we had to make our own choice. However, Nikhil da persuaded him that in the end, it is one's work that speaks and therefore my father should not worry. And my father did see me beginning to get success," he recalls.
Joy and pain
It is not easy to be principled in this competitive epoch, but he takes consolation from knowing he is being true to his inner core. Going against the normal tide can be painful. "Yet I take anand in this too."
Today, as he mulls over his performance the other day with eminent sitar exponent Shujaat Khan or prepares for another busy week, what Sudhir retains in mind is that "to attain a great level in art is a God-given gift, but to be a great person, one has to work harder." It is very rare, he feels, to be able to be a "mukammal" (complete) person. "My father would say, if you find an artiste reaches a pinnacle artistically, then revere that as a manifestation of the Divine. But don't expect perfection in the personality too. Don't look at the flaws."
Loyally adhering to this philosophy, he however strives for the balance himself. "My aim in learning music is not merely to be a well-known artiste, but also to use this path to become a complete person (mukammal admi)."In the old days, remarks Sudhir, parents educated their children to make them into great people. Today, however, livelihood is the main objective. "Of course that is important today, but I do believe if you are true to your principles God will clear the way for you."
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