The flute is more than just an extension of his persona. It is also family, one that he was born with and has defined him as a musician, Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia said on his 88th birthday Wednesday.
With 88 long summers behind him, filled with the mellifluous notes of the humble woodwind instrument that he has made his very own with his prodigious talent, Chaurasia said the flute has been his constant companion.
“The flute is my family, and it will always remain my family. As long as I am here, as long as my flute is with me, this family will continue. And people, whether they like it or not, will listen to the flute more than any other instrument,” Chaurasia told PTI. Panditji, as he is fondly known by many, was in Delhi for “Bansuri Jab Gaane Lage”, a musical production by his son Rajeev to coincide with his birthday.
Written by his daughter-in-law and Odissi dancer Pushpanjali Chaurasia and presented by HCL Concerts, the musical depicts the life of one of India’s best known classical musicians through a dramatic interpretation of the characters and experiences that shaped his journey.
The performance is punctuated with popular songs from Indian cinema, in which Chaurasia has either given playback with his melodious interludes on the flute or composed the film’s music score.
“This production belongs to them (Rajeev and Pushpanjali). When I create my own, you'll see it then. The flute is my life. I was born with the flute. What I'm doing with it now, and what I hope to do in the future, is a different matter altogether,” he said.
The production is directed by Bhushan Koregaonkar and Kunal Vijayakar, with Vikas Rawat and Reshma Shetty in the lead roles. The flute score will be performed by Debopriya Chatterjee, senior disciple of Chaurasia, while Chintan Rana and Ayesha Mukherjee will provide the vocals.
Born on this day in 1938 in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, the flute prodigy undertook his early lessons without his father’s knowledge, who wanted the child to become a wrestler like himself.
According to journalist Sathya Saran’s biography of Chaurasia, “Breath of Gold”, the young Hariprasad secretly started learning classical music at the age of 15 from vocalist Raja Ram before drifting towards the bamboo flute that he has become synonymous with.
Five years later, Chaurasia joined All India Radio as a performer in Cuttack, Odisha in 1957. The journey onwards is a blur of one musical feat after the other.
After moving to Mumbai for the public broadcaster, Chaurasia was discovered by music director Madan Mohan who wanted him to play the flute for the 1964 film "Jahan Ara".
There was no looking back after that.
In his long years associated with the flute, Chaurasia has worked with some leading names in the world of music, including singer-songwriter George Harrison of the Beatles, English guitarist John McLaughlin, santoor maestro Pt Shivkumar Sharma, sitar player Pt Ravi Shankar and tabla player Zakir Hussain.
Pt Shivkumar Sharma and Chaurasia, popularly known as Shiv-Hari, were behind the unforgettable music of “Chandni” (1989), “Lamhe” (1991), and “Darr” (1993) among several other films and gave melodic gems like "Mere Haathon Mein", "Chandni O Meri Chandni", "Jaadu Teri Nazar", "Tu Mere Saamne", and "Morni Baga Ma Bole".
The iconic flute melody in Subhash Ghai’s “Hero” is still remembered and remains a favourite of its lead star, Jackie Shroff.
"Happy Birthday Shri Hariprasad ji! Thank you for your unforgettable Hero flute melody—it has a permanent place in my heart. Your music doesn't just touch my soul; it truly reflects the divine spirit of Lord Krishna’s bansuri," Shroff posted on X.
The music composer and director received national and international recognition through several awards and accolades such as the Sangeet Natak Akademi award, Padma Bhushan, Padma Vibhushan and the title of ‘Officer in the Order of Orange-Nassau’ from the Government of the Netherlands.
Asked whether he will perform for the production, Chaurasia said with gentle playfulness, "Let's leave it for today, it's my birthday. Let me enjoy the day. I'll play the flute every day anyway." The conversation came to an end as his phone rang, breaking into the fluidity of Lata Mangeshkar’s voice singing “Ye Kahan Aa Gaye Hum” from “Silsila”, one of the most memorable music albums composed by Shiv-Hari, their first big hit and one that etched the duo in the annals of Bollywood history.
