On a poetic note

With a two-hour play based on Begum Akhtar and a book- Ae Mohabbat- reminiscing Begum Akhtar on her name,Ganguly’s musical journey has been a reflection of her legendary guru. “Other than Arabic,Persian,Urdu and Hindi,Marathi is the only language in which Ghazals are written- at least in India. And it is interesting to know that the inspiration behind Marathi ghazal writers has been my guru. She was the first one to present ghazal on the national level,” smiles Ganguly.

“The best tribute to Begum Akhtar on the occasion of her 35th death anniversary would be providing platform to Marathi ghazals that have been inspired by her. And that is the reason we are organizing this show titled – Jamal-e-Begum Akhtar on October 30. The show will comprise of connoisseurs talking about Begum Akhtar followed by performances by noted ghazal singers from the state. We have been organizing the show in Delhi,but we decided to choose Pune as the destination this year because of the musical legacy that the city carries,” says she.

One of the most difficult things in ghazals is to achieve the simplicity of words as well as that of presenting it. And commenting on the difference between song and ghazal,Ganguly says,“The difference between a geet and a ghazal is that a geet or a son talks about a particular situation whereas a ghazal is timeless. It is a collection of five- six couplets each of which can have independent existence. Each couplet is complete in itself. Earlier,poets used to sing their own ghazals but it was Begum Akhtar who brought ghazal on the main platform,” smiles she.

There has always been a bandwagon of critics commenting on the diminishing size of talent pool and the quality of lyrics being written and Ganguly says,“This is untrue. Even today,there are good singers as well as quality writers. And the credit goes not to any person but the form that ghazal is. What differentiates human beings from animals is the ability to express through poetry. As long as human race lives,the art of performance will live. Yes,it will undergo the natural and contemporary changes in the forms of expression but the core will remain untouched.”