Looking at music

When I first saw Hari Prasad Chaurasia, he was taking a music class at his Brindavan Music School, Bandra, in 1994. I was then on an assignm...

When I first saw Hari Prasad Chaurasia, he was taking a music class at his Brindavan Music School, Bandra, in 1994. I was then on an assignment, shooting the maestro for Lokprabha.

It was monsoon and Panditji was surrounded by students. I shot some 300-odd frames. But I wasn8217;t satisfied as I wanted to shoot Panditji in the rain, against the clouds. Since he was busy, he told me to come later, to his house in the evening. But the rain and clouds had disappeared! I half-heartedly shot some frames but I was still not satisfied. I asked him if we could do this again. He told me, quot;Phir kabhi aa jaiyee. Aaram se bahar jake shoot karange.quot;

But for long, I didn8217;t get a chance to shoot Panditji. I tracked him at concerts, for Janmashtami, Diwali8230; I then approached him for some shots in the midst of nature. At that time, I had Raghu Rai8217;s famous image of Panditji seated on the rocks at Bandstand in mind the sky, the clouds, the sea, all in a state of perfect rhythm. I had seen that picture whenI was 15, in an India Today issue in my village, Koilwar, in Bihar. Then, I had decided ki bade hoke photographer banna hai. I still have that magazine8230;

When you shoot in the evening, it should reflect an evening sur. I like music, I love the flute. The player of a flute, unlike other instruments, can be shot at any angle.

Panditji8217;s flute blends with nature. I wanted to bounce off light and shadow, minus the flash. Most of my frames are in the morning or night. Panditji8217;s expressions are best at these times. You can8217;t play the flute in the afternoon!

In January this year, I suggested to Panditji that we go to Borivali National Park. Panditji had never been there himself! I told him I8217;d land up at his place early in the morning by car. But he turned the offer down, saying, let8217;s go by auto8230; We shot at the park, then at Kanheri Caves. There, Panditji told me this was the best stage he had played at, that is was one of his best performances8230;

I8217;ve been shooting Panditji since1994. But there, at Kanheri Caves, I felt a small tinge of satisfaction at my shots. The whole ambience must have done it: no restrictions, no bondage, unlike on a stage where you cannot shoot at the angles you like. Here, there was just Panditji, the sky, the silence, the flute. I shot 300 frames in the four hours I spent there with Panditji, that day.

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Then, Panditji8217;s son Rajeev, told me they were planning to celebrate Panditji8217;s 60th birthday in a big way. I then suggested that we hold an exhibition of his photographs. But I felt that my pictures alone weren8217;t enough. I had to include Rai8217;s image of Panditji on the rocks at Bandra.Panditji said okay, he would speak to Rai.

I then went to Delhi and met Rai, who told me he was busy with his Great Masters book, on five Indian musicians, including Panditji. After seeing my shots, he said he8217;d keep a corner for me in the exhibition. After all those months, this was one of the greatest moments of my life to share a platform with two great masters, one ofmusic, the other of the camera.

The similarity between music and photography is that the greater the involvement with the subject, the better the results. It shows in my images of Panditji.

Antardhwani 8212; A photographic tribute to Pt Chaurasia by R Rai and N Priyadarshion his 60th birthday. Till July 7, 1998. At Nehru Centre. Time: 11.00 am to 7.00 pm.