Hyderabad is very special: Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia

It’s very easy to spot Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia’s room. You simply have to follow the notes of his flute. The maestro, who was in town for a show by Surmandal on Saturday, seemed calm as he practiced before the show.

“Don’t go by how I look. I feel nervous right now, in fact before every show I get nervous... it’s just that I’ve learnt to look calm over the years,” he says as he starts laughing. “Hyderabad is a very special city and playing here feel very nice. I have known Mohan Hemmadi, organiser of the show, for long and he has done such good work for music,” he says.

Despite performing in thousands of shows, the maestro’s first solo show wasn’t really something that was planned. “It was a punishment!” he says, “When I started playing the flute, I would go to homes of friends and perform... one day I was sitting in one of the gallis of Allahabad and this man came to me and hurried me into accompanying him,” he says.

And before he knew what was happening, “I was in an auto with this stranger who kept saying that I needed to play the flute. I was threatened into a performance and when I reached the venue, I was pushed onto a stage... there was a houseful of guests. I was this boy wearing khaki half-pants and a short sleeved shirt and I had to play the flute... after the performance I ran home,” he explains.

For the maestro, taking up music came naturally, but the choice of playing the flute was more of a “convenience”. “All the other instruments were expensive and they took time to make. The flute however, was more natural and easy to make,” he says.

The flute and Hariprasad have always been “good friends”. Even throughout the conversation he makes sure that his flute is not very far from him. “Yehi toh mera sabse acha dost hain (the flute is my best friend). I’m so busy that I don’t have much time for anything... but no matter where I’ve gone my flute has always been with me,” he says.

But, things were not always like this. “I wanted to try vocals... in fact I even learnt it, but I couldn’t reach a few notes and so my guru told me that I should not give up music, but maybe just try out an instrument. His advice was that I try out an instrument that was closer to my voice... and that was another reason why I chose the flute,” he says.

So does it mean he misses singing? “No. I still sing, it’s just through the flute now.”