. I was my parent’s decision. They took me to him and I was very nervous. It was not my first music lesson. I had been going to music classes since I was a child. But because of his personality, I was tense.
I trained under him for seven to eight years. I called him jethu. He used to live and train at the Sangeet Research Academy and I visited that place every Sunday morning. I, along with his other students, used to sit in a big hallway where he used to take lessons.
Then suddenly came a time when my film commitments overlapped with my music and I had to give it up. Jethu was very unhappy. Every time we met after that, he said, “Chharli keno? Abar shuru kor. Aye amar kaache.” (Why did you leave? Come over and start again). I used to call him to my film screenings.
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He came when Chitrokar was screened at Nandan. He wasn’t in the best of health then. I sang a song in the film and he again told me to start singing again, to pursue it seriously.
I saw a humble and a nice person in Jethu. Artistes, who are in performing arts, are either good on stage or a brilliant teacher. Rarely will you find a perfect blend of these two traits. Jethu was blessed with both the qualities.
I was always in touch with Jethu. His daughter in-law, Sumana Bhaduri, became a dear friend. She hosted an event for him and I sang there. It was Jethu’s composition.
The relationship between guru and shishya goes beyond other give-andtake relationships. It transcends to a familial relationship. My relationship with Jethu was like that. I was a part of his musical family and he will be deeply missed.
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