Face to Face with Bismillah Khan by Shekhar Gupta

 

About the author

1.     Shekhar Gupta was a famous Indian journalist and editor-in-chief of the Indian Express.

2.     He wrote several famous books including ‘Anticipating India: the Best of National Interest (2014) and Reader’s Digest (2005).

3.     He was awarded Padma Bhusan by Indian Government in 2009.

About Bismillah Khan

1.     Bismillah Khan was one of the pioneers of 20^th century Hindustani music.

2.     He developed single-handed folk and classical music ‘Shehnai’ which he used to play in weddings, temples and processions.

3.     He was born on 21^st March 1916 in Bihar and died on 21^st August 2006 in Varanasi, India.

4.     He was a typical Shehnai musician and composer of songs who became leading classical musical artist of India.

5.     He used to accompany his uncle to play Shehnai in Hindu temples across India.

6.     He was considered as a symbol of religious harmony and communal harmony.

7.     Though he was a Muslim by religion, he used to play Shehnai at various ceremonies of Hindu deities as well as weddings of the Hindu people.

8.     He used to perform playing Shehnai on TV every independence day of India.

9.     Shehnai is a classical musical instrument developed by Ustad Bismillah Khan.

10.  Even in Nepal, Shehnai is one of the instruments included in Panchai Baaaja.

11.  Bismillah Khan was awarded with the greatest and highest India’s civilian honor “the Bharat Ratna” in 2001.

12.  Moreover, he was awarded with Padma Bhusan in 1968, Padma Shri in 1996 and Padma Vibhushan too.

13.  He ran Shehnai concert a number of times in All India Musical Conference.

14.  Shehnai can be taken as a synonym of Bismillah Khan.

15.  He was a secular person who respected all the religions equally.

16.  Bismillah was the third greatest musician after M.S. Subhulakshmi and Ravi Shankar.

17.  He spread the vision of peace and love through music.

18.  He has honorary doctorate from Baranas Hindu University.

 
Main ideas from the text:

1.     Shekhar Gupta interviewed Ustad Bismillah Khan regarding his career, life style and his musical instrument Shehnai.

2.     Bismillah told him that music is the means to reach out to God, Allah.

3.     He is the lover of music and it is everything for his life.

4.     He used music as a means to serve people and God but not as a means to earn the money.

5.     He said that Lata Mangeshkar congratulated him for awarding Bharat Ratna and he also congratulated her for awarding the same medal by Indian government.

6.     For Bismillah Khan, the music is his communion, the great wealth of the world and a means for pleasure as well as the way of forgetting all the troubles and difficulties by music.

7.     Bismillah Khan can be considered as a famous Shehnai player from India.

8.     He is the third greatest musician of India.

9.     Although he is a Muslim, he was a secular man who respected every caste and religions.

10.  He used the Shehnai to bring the close relationship and communal harmony between the two countries India Pakistan.

11.  This dialogue presented in the text with Shekhar Gupta and Bismillah Khan shows what music really is and how it is connected to the life of people, importance of music and life of Bismillah Khan.

12.  Bismillah Khan is giving the message of friendship, peace, love and harmony between the people and countries.

13.  He said that we should dedicate ourselves to something such as a music or poetry from which we will lose all fear from us.

14.  All the religions are equal and there should be no division or discrimination among the people in the name of caste, religion and so on.

15.  One should be remaining faithful towards the country.

Source: Tapan Chhetri from Itahari