Tribute to a master : Yaad-E-Bismillah !

The concept and our understanding of good music is changing so much these days and this docu-drama will evoke memories of what happened during earlier times when a student went to learn music from her or his guruji.

Yaad-e-Bismillah begins with Ustad Bismillah’s journey to his maternal uncle’s house during Id and how the three-year-old boy fell in love with the shehnai.His uncle understood his talent and kept the young boy with him, treating him like a son and giving him the necessary education in music.Soma’s husband filmmaker Subhankar Ghosh, himself a national award winner, has written and directed the docu-drama tribute.

Ustad Bismillah Khan was born as Qumaruddin Khan in Dumraom in Bihar. When his grandfather first saw him, he exclaimed and said: ‘Bismillah!’ That name stuck to Baba for the rest of his life.

<<Ustad Bismillah Khan saab with his elder brother

The young Bismillah loved to listen to music at the kothas of Benaras. He was very fond of listening to baijis including Siddheswari Devi, Rasullan Bai, Batholan Bai, Janki Bai, Bari Moti and Chhoti Moti. His uncle would also go there. In fact, baijis used to keep a laddoo for the young Bismillah. Of course, his family wasn’t too happy with the fact that he went to listen to music at Dalmandi. I remember him talking about how he would jump from one boat to another when the baijis performed on barges on the Ganges. On one barge, there would be Rasullan bai. The other would have Bari Moti. During the 1920s, he said he would also get good money. “Mujhe chawanni milti thi. Kabhie kabhie toh mujhe do rupaiya bhi milte the!’ He would wear a turban and sit to play. Rose petals would be strewn all over and the place would smell of attar. There would be arrangements for mithai, laddoo and pakhwan for all the performing artistes. In those days, it was more of a feast. I had often heard him say: ‘Ajkal toh raag jung hota hai. Pahle, umang hota tha!’ As far as the music goes, he liked the spiritual style of music of Siddheswari Devi. The profound earthiness in Bari Moti and Rasullan Bai’s music also impressed him a lot. Yet, his brother Samsuddin didn’t really appreciate his going to listen to the baijis. He rebuked him, fearing that his escapades would bring shame to the family. But Baba was bowled by the baijis’ music.

Related Link - In Remembrance ! ( Ustadji )