25th Feb 2011

Wah Ustaad Wah

I am not a person who is in absolute awe of film stars or celebs. I am not a person eager to brush my shoulders with them or pose with them for a picture. Similarly, I never find myself rushing for autographs or handshakes. But there are a couple of people, where even I make exceptions. Simply because they are I believe, ‘the God of some things’.

I was small when I first went to his concert. I could not even spell my name, forget his! And yet I was spell bound! That was when my love affair with him began. When I first got to click a picture with him- he and his wife and me on his lap, I was more than ecstatic. This was almost 30 years ago at KALYAN GAYAN SAMAJ. Today, I remember those many many mornings and evenings spent listening to him play on the numerous CD’s that I’d collected over the years. I remember collecting his photographs and posters. I remember watching Heat and Dust and Saaz like an ardent fan. Once when I had gone to All In Radio for a research project that I was doing in college, I saw his photographs on the notice board there. He looked so good in them that I was determined to get a copy. I requested the number of the photographer from the receptionist at AIR and called him up. He was quite surprised at the unusual request. He promised to make copies of the photos and I went all the way to his studio (somewhere in Kalbadevi) to collect them. Such was my admiration for this amazing phenomenon with a magical persona called – ZAKIR HUSSAIN whose fingers whisper sweet nothings to his tabla and then his tabla converses with his audience in a language that is celestial, leaving them mesmerised. There are some things that can connect you almost instantly with your spiritual side. Great Music is one of them. When Zakir plays there is divinity in the air and you feel enveloped in an aura so pure. Beauty is not just what you see and appreciate but also what you hear and feel. Zakir rhythmically drumming his fingers onto the tabla as you experience extraordinary amount of pleasure and almost drift away into a trance only to be brought back to reality by the wah wahs around! Heaven would be no different than this. Any amount of curling of the hair by amateur Tabla players is nothing but an absolutely ridiculous attempt of imitating the maestro.

Saturday, last week, I had an opportunity of a rendezvous with him and like a child, my excitement knew no bounds. The occasion was the 12th Vasant utsav of Suresh Wadkar’s Ajeevasan Vidyalay in Santacruz. After an enthralling performance by my hero I called out to him. “Zakir Bhai, I’ve come all the way from Hamburg. Can I get a hug please.” “I am all sweaty”, he said. To which I retorted, “ I don’t mind. It’s cold out there in Hamburg”. A warm hug and a kiss later and after an exchange of some words in German, “Auf Weidersen”, said Ustad. “Tchoos”, said I.

What a wonderful moment this was. Thanks to Krupa Kaku and Kaka I’ll cherish this moment for the rest of my life!