In the maestro's own words

Vilayat Khan (left) and Arvind Parikh

Sometime during the mid-1970s, when Ustad Vilayat Khan was approached by the then National Centre for the Performing Arts chairman Dr Narayan Menon for an exhaustive recording session to document his artistry, he didn't take to the idea immediately. "It was only during a social gathering when Khan sahab heard Dr Menon reject somebody's proposal of making these archival recordings of Hindustani classical music [an ongoing project at the NCPA at the time] available for commercial use, that he said to me, 'Yeh Dr Menon theek aadmi lagte hain,'" recalls Arvind Parikh, the sitar maestro's senior-most disciple.

The Ustad went on to give his nod for 30-hour long interview-based recordings during 1976-79, which are now part of the organisation's archives. Guided by Parikh, the sessions document Khan's journey in his own words, interspersed with demonstrations that don't just offer insights into Khan's style, but also those of his illustrious family members including his father Inayat Khan and grandfather Imdad Khan, both celebrated sitar and surbahar players of their time.

Vilayat Khan at a performance in 1976

The recordings are now part of Nad Ninad, a series of listening sessions on the artistry of Khan, the first part of which will be inaugurated this Sunday by Ustad Zakir Hussain. Presented by Khan's son and sitar player Shujaat Khan, the sessions will be conducted by Mumbai-based Parikh.

Hailing from Ahmedabad, Parikh's move to Mumbai was in fact inspired by Khan. "I was an avid listener of the radio, and we had no gurus of the sitar in Ahmedabad to learn from. When I heard Khan sahab play on the radio, I knew I had to learn from him. I arrived here as a 17-year-old in 1944 and remained with him till he breathed his last in 2004," Parikh says.

While much is known about Khan, and the instrumental role he played in developing the gayaki ang (where the style of the vocalist is reproduced on the sitar; something several sitar players fall back on today), Parikh shares memories of Khan, the guru. "For him, teaching his students good human values was as important as making sure they hit the right notes. And for his students, he was a demigod. When you have a musician whose music has a divine touch, it is a blessing to have the opportunity of learning from him," he adds. But being almost the same age as Khan, Parikh was not just his student. "I was also his secretary, looking after his concerts, and his friend," he reminisces.

The inaugural session of the series will feature Khan discuss his heritage of a family in music for seven generations, where he details the musical artistry of his grandfather. To inaugurate the second session, likely to be held in September, Parikh has extended an invitation to Pandit Shivkumar Sharma. "If he doesn't have any professional commitments, I am sure he will make it. Such was the persona of Khan sahab," Parikh says, adding, "When it comes to me, I simply consider myself a postman, delivering his melodious letters to the world."

On July 28, 5.30 pm
At Experimental Theatre, NCPA, Nariman Point.
Call 22824567
Free

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