New Delhi, Aug 03: The task assigned to him by his father was not an easy one. It meant giving a new lease of life to an instrument that was about to become part of history. As he looks back now, Pt Shivkumar Sharma, santoor maestro, however, is happy that the instrument has got the recognition his late father dreamt of.

"Life has been very satisfying. It was my father`s dream that the santoor should get recognition. It was his dream that I become as famous as Ustad Bismillah Khan. What I am today is because of him. His dream has come true," Panditji told PTI.

"At a concert in Barcelona a few years ago, I was totally engrossed in my performance, when I was disturbed by the sound of a tanpura going off key. I looked up to see what was going on when my eyes fell on the audience. All the audience were Spanish and, in my opinion, were new to Indian classical music. But what astonished me was that everyone had their eyes closed, as though they were meditating, and there was pin drop
silence. I felt as if I had achieved everything in life."

Panditji was speaking on the sidelines of the premier of a documentary `Antardhwani`, on his life and achievements, directed by renowned theatre director Jabbar Patel. The film is based on Panditji`s biography, `Journey With a Hundred Strings`, penned by Ina Puri.

The film includes shots of Panditji playing the santoor in the valleys of Kashmir, interviews of his contemporaries like Pt Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Pt Jasraj, Ustad Zakir Hussain, Yash Chopra and his son Rahul, a santoor maestro himself. Pandit Sharma is all praise for his son Rahul, who has carried on the legacy of the santoor.

Bureau Report