Thumri is a beautiful idiom of classical music that bridges the gap between the intangible and the tangible beauty with its sahitya-pradhan or lyrics-based intensely emotive rendition — most suitable for the abhinaya segment of dance. As a result it sparks spontaneous response from listeners.
Avinash Pasricha, the celebrated camera wizard who redefined photography of performing arts in India is, apparently, a part of the recently concluded Purab Ang Gayaki (PAG) Utsav from its very inception. Vinod Kapur's VSK Baithaks organised these three-day fests featuring 12 participants each at Delhi, Kolkata and Varanasi essentially to unearth gems in the arena of thumri-singing and stimulate renewed interest in this unique musical heritage originating from the Ganga-Jamuna region.
This was enough to inspire Pasricha to capture moods of the artistes and also of the audiences; and he tossed an interesting question: ‘Do men and women react the same way?'
Each member of the esteemed panel of experts who graced these sessions reacted differently.
Professor Rita Ganguli, a disciple of legends like Begum Akhtar and Siddheshwari Devi, is a well-known Kathakali and Thumri exponent, teacher, researcher and writer. The glamorous and articulate lady quipped sharply:
“Woman is the embodiment of power; Krishna needed Radha, Ramakrishna Paramhansa needed Sarada Maa. Why? Because woman is superior to man; there is no comparison between the two! The spiritual undercurrent of ‘Jag pari mai toh piya ke jagaye' can be easily understood in a totally different manner; with erotic connotation as its core. I remember once I was accompanying Ammi (Begum Akhtar) on stage. While singing she pointed out, ‘Look at that man in blue, he is sure to come in the green room after the recital.' And she was right!”
Vidushi Purnima Choudhuri , a disciple of Pandit Mahadev Prasad Mishra of Benaras who shifted base to Kolkata, was not so high-strung. A soft spoken person, she smiled before admitting:
“Men enjoy thumris better. The reason being the idiom is focused on the Nayika or the leading woman character of a story. While I represent the Nayika on stage, her different moods come as a revelation of woman's psyche, and that attracts the opposite sex more than the women listeners!”
Dr. N Rajam , the violin wizard whose singing instrument reflects her training under the legendary Omkarnath Thakur and Mahadev Prasad Mishra, was as gracious as her reserved persona:
“Music is melodic painting on the canvas of silence. Emotions add colours and curves. We instrumentalists basically draw inspiration from the lyrics of a given composition and translate the emotions into melody. The frame of mind of a listener works as an antenna and receives the wavelength according to his capacity. This varies from person to person.”
Vidushi Girija Devi , the prima donna of Benaras gayaki, who is the beacon of the mega PAG festival, summed up her life's experience:
“Every human being is different; so is his viewpoint. Why divide the listeners in genders? The sensitive rendering of thumris seeks but one destination — the heart of the listeners. Its lyrics are based on moods related to seasons, rituals and human relations, focusing on the psyche of men and women alike. A deeply reserved woman silently approves of the melodic expressions that voice her suppressed feelings. Similarly, ‘Radhe bina laage na jiyaraa' expresses a man's lonesome mood. When touched by these apparently mundane but extremely vital issues of life, every sensitive soul is bound to respond. Each listener, therefore, needs special attention.”
