Sitar player and composer Purbayan Chatterjee feels the word ‘'young’ is very relative as we begin to talk about his nationwide recognition as the ‘Best instrumentalist’ at the age of 15. “There are prodigies between the ages of five and ten, so we can’t exactly establish the connection between talent and age,” he says, as he initially appears in a hurry to leave for his fusion act for the Pandit Bhimsen Joshi Music and Dance Festival at the Taramati Baradari, Hyderabad. But then he settles down and gradually comes into his own, he opines that the award didn’t weigh upon him or pressurise much.
“It wasn't the film industry where I would be the most sought out person, the next day. Initially, there were desires to live a luxurious life after this and all. But, over time, all that mattered to me was making good music. And the more you try to produce soulful work, you realise, there’s greater work to do,” he summarises adding that the love for music, as he sees it, is generally one-sided. “You may sometimes not get anything out of it but for satisfaction.”
As the discussion veers towards the mechanical side of performing classical concerts regularly, Purbayan mentions that he spaces his concerts such that he never feels worked out. “I don’t want to do, say, 50 concerts in 30 days. Playing music gives me a high and I want to perform yes, but whenever this tends to become a ‘chore’ or a job, I take a break. I feel blessed that this has never happened to me and the special ‘vibe’ as I perform or travel each time for a different audience is still existent,” the man states.
Purbayan’s trademark is the marriage of several musical traditions. He’s got that from different places he’s travelled over time, suggestions made by his friends and so on. “It is something like food. We acquire it by taste. These aspects have given me a wonderful exposure to several music cultures and the different ways in which you can approach them,” he says.
On his fusion performance at the event and his stint with it over the years, Purbayan states, “Though I’ll admit fusion music is a wide umbrella to cover, it’s a joyous feeling to see people experimenting with different sounds. It’s interesting to note that for a festival that’s hosted in memory of the doyen Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, we’re going for a semi-classical act. We are definitely playing some of his famous works, but will ensure it appeals to the contemporary crowd as well. Grammar may not be of paramount importance here, but fusion shouldn’t be shallow,” he has a word of caution.
His face lights up when he talks about his collaborations with Shankar Mahadevan for albums and several live shows, the latest being for a Marathi film Katyar Kaljat Ghusali . “While my gurus initially have mostly been larger than life, people like Shankar Mahadevan inspire you to be like them. The feeling is totally surreal when he stands alongsid e me on the stage, it’s like a dream come true. He has so much knowledge, and humility coming together. There’s something to learn from every step he takes,” he gushes effusively.
