Pandit Hridaynath Mangeshkar was in New Delhi recently to receive the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi Award and to regale his fans at the SNA Festival featuring the awardees. It was a pleasure to converse with such an unassuming, down to earth artiste with no artifice. People normally know him as a competent composer and a renowned music director but few know that he is a gandabandh shagird (the chosen disciple whom the guru ties the sacred thread) of Ustad Amir Khan and that he spent more than two decades with him.
Excerpts:
Tell us about your bond with Ustad Amir Khan.
It was just by chance and sheer luck. They were hunting for a boy who could play tanpura for Ustad Amir Khan, who was enacting Tansen in the phenomenal film "Baiju Bawra". It was not only my first meeting with him, but also his first ever experience to sing for a film. I used to sing fairly well by that time (main theek-thaak gaa leta tha) He heard me singing the Puriya Dhanashri Bandish "Tori Jai Jai Kartar" for Baijnath (Baiju Bawra) in this very film and I could sense his instant liking for me. I was hardly 11 or 12 years old when he took me as his disciple and from then on, I lived and roamed about with him for next 22 years.
Who initiated you into classical music? Was it natural being the only son of Pandit Dinanath Mangeshkar and the youngest brother of the famed Mangeshkar sisters Lata, Asha, Meena and Usha Mangeshkar?
In a way yes, because I grew up listening to the riyaaz (music practice) of them all, but my father passed away when I was hardly four-year-old. So nobody actually initiated me into music, in the sense you have asked. Those were different days. Nobody used to take money to teach music. I mean there was no fashion of music tuition. I used to go to learned singers in the neighbourhood. I have learned from many people but they were not the famous singers (Woh Naam-cheen log nahin the)
There were many ‘guni log’, who would sing and teach well. They would willingly give me ‘prasad’ of any composition I liked.
You never felt like becoming a classical singer?
It never matters what one wants and likes. In fact, you are bound to like, what you are destined for. I never decided whether I shall sing classical or something else, it was my destiny, my listeners who decided what should be the path, I tread on. I can tell you only this much with certainty that I was fond of good music and good literature from my childhood days. I always had friends who excelled in these areas and were at least 10-15 years older than me. I do not remember playing with the boys of my age group ever.
When did you start your professional career?
I got my first break as a composer with HMV, when I composed my first song "Nis din barsat nain hamaare…." a Surdas pada, soulfully sung by Lata Didi, in 1955. This was a private record of HMV that broke all records of popularity. The same year I also debuted as a music director with the Marathi film "Akash Ganga". Since then I’ve composed for a number of Marathi films such as "Sansar", "Janaki", "Jait Re Jait", "Umbartha", "Nivdung" and many Bollywood films. Most memorable amongst them are the Hindi film scores of "Lekin", "Maya Memsaab", "Lal Salaam", Yash Chopra’s "Mashaal", "Dhanwan" and "Chaani", to name a few.
“Lekin” was also produced by you, and it got the National Award?
Yes, after being established in the Marathi I wanted to make a Hindi film too. I did get the President’s award for the music of ‘Lekin’. This hall of the Rashtrapati Bhavan is not new to me. I have also received the Padmashri here. All this is with the blessings of the almighty and the love of my listeners, but as a matter of fact I am a stage artiste. I revel in singing and composing for Marathi sangeet natak, natyageet and bhavageet.
Apart from music, what do you like the most?
Both me and Lata didi are inclined towards spirituality. I have composed music for the whole of ‘Bhagwat Gita’, changing ragas according to the spiritual essence of the Sanskrit shlokas. I have also composed the whole of ‘Jnaneshwari’ written by the saint poet Jnaneshwar. Mostly, my spiritual compositions are sung by Didi. You will be surprised to know that I am booked for my spiritual discourses (Dharmik Pravachana) at least 10-12 days in a month, where I just talk on spiritual subjects without singing.
Not only spiritual writing, I also like good literature in Marathi, Hindi, Sanskrit and Urdu. I studied Urdu under Ustad Mohabbat Khan, who used to teach Urdu to Lata Didi and have read all the classical poets of Urdu. I composed the long playing record ‘Ghalib’ where Didi has sung my compositions of the ghazals by Ghalib. I studied Hindi under Pandit Narendra Sharma because before composing Meera, Sur or Kabir, you should understand what do they want to say, what is the essence of their poetry. I’m selective about my work choosing the appropriate raga tala according to the rasa-bava and chand of poetry. Ghazal, geet and bhajan need different kind of contemplation for composing. Bhajan may be open ended but you can not take liberty with the ‘beher’ of a ghazal.
Your daughter Radha, trained under you is a good singer, who provided excellent vocal support during your performance. Does your daughter in-law also sing?
Yes, I have trained Radha in music, and she is an excellent painter also. In fact, the talent of painting is also inherent in our family. My sister Usha is a gifted painter. She has done the cover of all my long playing records, according to the content of the lyric and music. Both Usha and Radha have received the President Award for painting. My elder son Baijnath is a brilliant singer and composer. The younger son runs Vishva Sanskriti Sangeet Kala Akademi in Pune, but yes this has been the tradition in our family that the lady of the house have never indulged in music right from the earlier generations. My father was a musician but my mother never sang.
What is your strategy for stage shows?
I never decide before a programme, how to go about it. Here also the announcer came to me saying this programme is being live webcast all over the world. Please give me the list of the songs. I had to apologise because I had none! God has given me an uncanny ability to pre-empt the choice of my listeners. ‘Main apne sunne walon ki nabz par haath rakh kar gaata hoon.’ In Mumbai-Pune, 99 percent of them want me to sing the popular Marathi songs, but elsewhere there is an eclectic variety of geet, ghazal and bhajan.
Are you still composing music for films?
Not for the last 10-15 years. There are no more those kind of films and not even the listeners of those days. I am not criticising anybody, just that, I do not feel like doing it any more (Mujhe ab jamta nahin hai!). In fact, I do not like the atmosphere of the present scenario. I am busy with my stage shows and happily contented with all that the almighty has bestowed upon me.
