Meet the young enthusiasts who are rocking the Bhajan

Prathana Choudhury. Pic/Sameer Markande

A Purple-Hued music video features psychedelic rock notes, as a girl, her hair wild in the wind, floats in and out of the frame. The lyrics point to the famous Kabir doha, Aisi Laagi Lagan, Meera Ho Gayi Magan. The rock mashup of the iconic lyrics is the brainchild of Amarabha Banerjee, a 30-year-old who left a career in nuclear physics to pursue devotional music.

Banerjee is among a small but significant group that's driving against traffic. From purist environments, like Mata Ki Chowkis, to fusion trysts, young music enthusiasts like him are trying to get devotional music the traction it needs from young listeners. Considering that the ground is being prepared for a reality show on Life Ok that will discover the best bhajan talent from across the country, the genre is clearly looking for mainstream recognition.

Prarthana Chowdhury was introduced to borgeet, classical prayer songs in the Assamese tradition, when she was four years old. She juggles her passion with a steady corporate communication job which helps pay the bills. In 2011, she was felicitated by bhajan exponent Anup Jalota (left) at Sur Singar Samsad. Pic/Sameer Markande

An early start
Even if they did not train in bhajans specifically, their exposure to the genre occurred at a young age. For Mumbai singer Prarthana Chowdhury, it started when she was four. "Borgeet is a kind of devotional music, popular in Assam where I grew up. It has a classical base, hinged on ragas. When I was introduced to classical music training, borgeet was part of the repertoire. They are prayer songs, born out of a socio-religious movement, but not confined to any one religion. They come from a space of spirituality," she explains. Her mother, a Sai Baba devotee, prompted Choudhury to pick up bhajans.

Immediate family and social mileu played a key role in shaping Chowdhury's musical choices, as it did for others. From the time he was eight, Vikas Dua, a popular Mata Ki Chowki singer would accompany his uncle to jagrans. Despite an impromptu performance to much cheering, it was all about fun and games. "As I grew up, I realised that this is the space that offered me maximum fulfillment. I have tried my hand at other kinds of music, like ghazals and Bollywood songs. But the sense of worship that overtakes you at a Mata Ki Chowki, is unparalleled. I think it has something to do with the fact that I was drawn to it early," says the 30-year-old whose performed a Chowki with Sukhwinder Singh in April this year.

Curiously enough, Banerjee developed a knack for bhajans in school. "I studied at the Ram Krishna Mission in Kolkata, where devotional music was the order of the day." Until he was 20, he had not been exposed to any other genre. "English and Hindi music was not appreciated in conservative Bengali households. Pink Floyd, ACDC and John Mayer came much later. But, I knew by then that my main calling was devotional music."

It is this that gives Banerjee and his kind, the hope to pursue a genre that's not a money-spinner, nor adheres to the 'cool' tag.

Amarabha Banerjee (left) with drummer Chiranjit Sinha. PIC/SNEHA KHARABE

Cracking it
Having performed across India, Dua is satisfied with the commercial viability of Mata Ki Chowkis. But, money is not as easy to come by for Choudhury or Banerjee, who depend on gigs to come their way. While music is a passion for Chowdhury and she pursues it with earnestness, a steady corporate communication job helps pay the bills. "The Ganesh festival is a good time for me since I get called to private performances organised by families for their guests," she admits. She has performed extensively at live venues, on reality shows and has even been felicitated by bhajan exponent Anup Jalota for her performance at Sur Singar Samsad, one of the oldest devotional music competitions in the city. "Bhajan reaches few ears, and that, I feel, is because of the mental block the audience harbours. During my live gigs, I make it a point to start with a Ganesh or Saraswati vandana. Not only does it help calm my nerves, it also gives my audience the opportunity to listen to something they wouldn't," says Choudhury.

Banerjee is clear that his audience is young. "I am working towards making the bhajan more appealing to the youth. All devotional music is about taking you into that state of trance; psychedelic music does the same. I thought, why not mix the two!" he says, alluding to his psychedelic Meera track. Brickbats from purists are never far away, but that does not rattle him. "Sometimes, I feel my music does not align with that my friends enjoy. But when I did an R&B version of Kali bhajans at Thane's Kali Bari mandir, I had 70-year-olds cheering for me. That said I was doing something right," he says.

Vikas Dua, a popular Mata Ki Chowki singer, recently performed with Sukhwinder

Bollywood push needed
As live gig opportunities aren't frequent, Banerjee and his band Ehsaas, keep themselves busy with compositions. "We have made a track called Om Shanti Om and we wish to rope in Akshay Kumar for the Shiva Tandava routine of the video. We are discussing it with his manager. Of course, it's about managing the money, but let's see where this goes," Banerjee says. While another genre of devotional music, sufi, has managed to engage a sizeable young audience, bhajans continue to struggle. "When Rahat Fateh Ali Khan sang Lagi Tumse Mann Ki Lagan, sufi in Bollywood took off. With the right kind of star backing, the same can happen for bhajans too," he adds.

Choudhury points out that Bollywood does have a treasure trove of bhajans that are not recalled often. "Lagaan gave us the beautiful, O Paalan Hare. But, Bollywood also must fight its constraints. Usually, bhajans feature in period films. I think the audience, young or old, wants good music. The problem is that we get caught up in labels. Whether it's Mata Ki Chowki or kirtans, if performed and packaged well, the audience will take to them. The need of the hour is to find more avenues for the bhajan to flourish."