A maestro and his love for ‘Benglor topi’

As the world celebrates the birth centenary of shehnai maestro Bismillah Khan this year, Bengaluru and Karnataka have their own links with the Ustad to cherish.

His youngest daughter, Bengaluru-based Kaneez Fatma recalls that he loved his ‘Benglor topi’, as he fondly referred to the special topi he had received from the then king of Mysuru Jayachamaraja Wadiyar after one of his concerts at the palace. “He wanted to wear his ‘Benglor topi’, which he cherished, for every small function and kept it safely packed after use,” recalls Ms. Fatma.

Organisers of his concerts here too have fond memories of the maestro. Imagine Bismillah Khan making audiences sway in unison to his Ram Dhun, says S.N. Varadaraj of Sree Ramaseva Mandali, Chamarajpet. “He was such a pious devotee of the Ganga that he would bring water from Varanasi for his entire stay here,” he said.

Bismillah Khan’s shehnai playing for the Kannada film

Sanaadi Appanna and his subsequent association with Rajkumar, who played the role of a shehnai player in the film, remains etched in Karnataka’s memory for its heritage value. “His modesty was so apparent. In 1977, after the recording, he used to show us pictures and proudly declare that Kannada hero Rajkumar had lunch with him,” recalls the maestro’s son Zamin Hussain Khan.

And when it came to gastronomic delights, the maestro could not resist some of the delicacies of Bengaluru, reveals his family members. “He loved the shami kabab that his friend Nazeer used to prepare for him here. Mysore bonda and vada were also among his favourites and he even used to source them when someone visited Varanasi from Bengaluru,” says his grandson Afaque Haidar Khan.

Soma Ghosh concert in Bengaluru today

Special concert

As a tribute to the shehnai maestro Bismillah Khan during his birth centenary year, Bengaluru Art Fest, steered by Suma Sudhindra and Veena Murthy Vijay, will feature a Hindustani vocal recital by Soma Ghosh, whom the maestro regarded as his adopted daughter, on Sunday at 6.30 p.m. at the National Gallery of Modern Art.

“I feel humbled to have been acknowledged by Khan saheb nearly two decades ago at a mehfil in Varanasi when he singled me out and said my style reminded him of time-honoured yesteryear mehfil gaayikas. Khan saheb’s love for the neo-classical poetic mehfil genre, mainly sung in courts for a closeted royal crowd, had him revive some of the signature darbari mehfil facets into his own styling. Nobody is singing mehfils these days, and I plan to present some components such as kajari, thumri, tappa, dadra, hori and ghazal during by Bengaluru concert,” said Ms. Ghosh.