Musical play review/ Bansuri Jab Gaane Lage

 

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR

Bansuri Jab Gaane Lage/ Hindi musical play

Directors: Bhushan Korgaonkar & Kunal Vijayakar 

Writers: Suhail Abbasi & Pushpanjali Chaurasia

Produced by: Eastern Harmony & Vrindavan Gurukul

Cast: Vikas Rawat, Reshma Shetty

Rating: ****

There's a scene where actor Vikas Rawat, in his role depicting a bamboo flute or bansuri, tells the audience he was very happy when his master had his first public concert and people clapped. "After all, it was my debut too," he says, innocently.

The master is none other than the legendary Pt Hariprasad Chaurasia, whose life has been described in the two-hour musical play Bansuri Jab Gaane Lage. The production has only two actors, with Reshma Shetty excelling in her portrayal of five women who played a role in the maestro's life and career - his mother, his sister, a neighbourhood aunt, his wife Anuradha and guru-ma Annapurna Devi.

While Reshma changed her costumes as per the character, directors Bhushan Korgaonkar and Kunal Vijayakar opted for a simple fixed set, with two platforms on either side to accommodate the musicians. At the premiere show at Balgandharva Rangmandir on January 19, Debopriya Chatterjee played the bansuri, whereas Ayesha Mukherjee and Shrikant Narayan sang. Some forthcoming shows will feature Suchismita Chatterjee on flute, and vocals by Pritha Majumdar. 

Besides telling Chaurasia's life-story with numerous anecdotes narrated by the bansuri called Bansi, the script by Suhail Abbasi and Pushpanjali Chaurasia includes songs 'Hari-ji' played in or composed. Thus we had gems like 'Phir Wohi Shaam' (from Jahan Ara), 'Baharon Mera Jeevan Bhi Sawaaron' (Aakhri Khat), 'Aaj Phir Jeene Ki Tamanna Hai (Guide), 'Mere Mitwa Mere Geet Re' (Geet) and 'Dekha Ek Khwaab' (Silsila). A bansuri version of 'Neela Aasman' from Silsila and the Hero theme tune provided a treat.

Musical theatre requires a good balance between narration of the story and rendition of songs. That fit in perfectly as Bansi talks about Chaurasia's early days in Allahabad, where he belonged to a family of wrestlers, to his fascination for the flute, which he initially learnt from Pt Bholanath Prasanna. His move to Cuttack, where he worked with All India Radio, and his transfer to Bombay, where he eventually quit his radio job since he had many offers from films, is covered in detail. So is his meeting with and marriage to Angurbala, later known as Anuradha.

Since the first half and early part of the second focus on film music, including his teamwork with santoor maestro Pt Shivkumar Sharma in the duo Shiv-Hari, one begins to anxiously wait for mention of his achievements as a classical flautist. It does come in with the reference to the Call Of The Valley album (which only mentions him and Shivkumar Sharma, though guitarist Brijbhushan Kabra was also part of the project) and decision to go to Annapurna Devi for further taleem.

While the music lends nostalgia all through, the performances keep the audience immersed. It was a great idea to have a musical instrument tell story of its master, rather than have someone play 'Hari' himself. Vikas's personality suits the bansuri to the tee, and he adds a dose of humour miming other personalities associated with the flautist, examples being Raj Kapoor, Yash Chopra and Subhash Ghai.

Also commendable is the decision to have one actor play the role of five women. The way Reshma switches from one part to another, even changing her accent and mannerisms, is amazing, proving her immense versatility. The appearance of Chaurasia's mother right at the end was a pleasant surprise, as one would have expected her in the beginning.

One may argue that more details of Chaurasia's life and career could have been added, specially his collaborations with different Indian and international musicians. But that would be stretching the length of the show.

As a musical play, Bansuri Jab Gaane Lage serves its purpose of highlighting the maestro's immense contribution. The songs will keep the audience humming, and even surprise many people who never knew that some of their favourite songs actually featured Chaurasia. 

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Bansuri Jab Gaane Lage, produced by Eastern Harmony and Vrindavan Gurukul, premiered at the Balgandharva Rangmandir, Bandra, on January 19. It will be performed at Dinanath Mangeshkar Auditorium Vile Parle, on January 24 and Y.B. Chavan Auditorium, Nariman Point, on February 15