Jamuna Ke Teer profiles singer Ustad Abdul Karim Khan

Born in a village named Kairana in Uttar Pradesh, Khan was born in a family of musicians. His father, Kale Khan was the grandson of Ghulam Ali. He was trained under his father, his uncles Abdullah Khan and Nanhe Khan. It’s a well known fact that Karim Khan was a frequent visitor at the Mysore Darbar as a singer. His unique renditions at court got the title Sangeet Ratna conferred upon him by the king of Mysore.

Searching, collecting and compiling material for the film was a challenge, says Faterpekar. “His (Khan) work is so immense that it was difficult to put everything together. There were things that I knew through my interactions with my mother, Hirabai Barodekar and others. For the rest, I had to run around and urge people to share what they had, things such as photographs and rare recordings. While there were a few people who shared the material generously, most of them were unwilling to part with them despite the fact that it is a non-commercial project,” says Faterpekar, adding that the film also showcases his famous disciples as well as bytes of various musicians commenting on Karim Khan. Some of the musicians whose bytes are covered are Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan and Bismillah Khan. Besides, there are shots of his house in Miraj.

Where the film portrays Karim Khan’s personal life, there’s also mention of his second wife Banubai, and his first wife Tarabai Mane. “Banubai was one of his disciples. The film showcases her recordings as well; which are rare to find,” says Faterpekar.