The recently-released Bollywood movie Andhadhun, about a blind pianist, showed us just how tough life can be for the visually-impaired. And in a move seemingly inspired by fiction, accomplished classical pianist Anil Srinivasan has decided to raise funds for the cause through a performance with a twist.
His ‘Concert in the Dark’ have Anil playing the piano while blindfolded, and proceeds from the event will go to the Gnanadharshan Seva Foundation.
Talking about the initiative Anil says, “Gnanadharshan Seva Foundation is a home in Chennai for visually-impaired girls and women aged 6-22 years. It is run by a visually-challenged man. Initially, I, like any other individual, contributed some monetary help. But once I visited the home, I was moved by their plight and decided that I needed to do more. In this wake of several women coming forward with their #MeToo stories, I thought how difficult it would be for these visually-challenged girls. If my craft can bring any positive impact on them, then why not!”
Anil is the first recipient of the Sangeet Natak Akademi youth award for creative and experimental music. In his career, he has collaborated with several popular musicians, and he’s also delivered TED talks.
This Sunday, he delivered an hour-long performance and where he remained blindfolded for the entire duration. “Music is something that comes from the soul. So we have planned the concert in a way that will have the audience seated in a dark auditorium for an hour. I played a medley of various genres from Bollywood retro to jazz,” Anil says.
Doesn’t the idea of going blindfolded seem daunting, we wonder? “It was a little difficult for me to perform. Being blindfolded means that I cannot make eye contact with people, which plays an integral part in allowing me to sense the pulse of the audience and perform accordingly,” Anil says.
The pianist hopes that in future too Hyderabadis will turn out in large numbers to support different causes like this one, and he says the concert did help the audience to better understand the challenges faced by the visually-impaired.
