'My dad's still my hero!'

In this day and age when fusion is the new mantra and amalgamation with western beats is the ticket to Grammy nomination, Shrinivas Joshi, the youngest son of Bharat Ratna - Pt Bhimsen Joshi - comes across as a whiff of fresh air because he has doggedly stuck to purity of gayiki, keeping the tradition of his illustrious Kirana gharana in focus.
But, there's more to Shrinivas than mere classical rendition.NT tries to unravel the man behind the mellifluous ragas, as he visits Nagpur to perform at the maiden Savai Gandharva festival.
Nagpur’s Savai Gandharva
Music aficionados in Nagpur are already singing hallelujah, having enjoyed the first-ever Savai Gandharva festival (initiated by Pt Bhimsen Joshi in Pune) having been organised in Nagpur. The buzz is that it's going to be an annual feast for the senses. But, the man, who has been responsible for organising this fest in Pune since 2002, clarifies: "It is a one-off event because this is the 125th birth year of my father's guru, Savai Gandharva. So, Maharashtra government's cultural department wanted to celebrate this momentous occasion with other music lovers of the state. And we were pleasantly surprised when Nagpur scored high on popularity list. Nagpur is special because my father spent a long time with Savai Gandharva here learning the intricacies of gayiki. What's more! My father got married to my mother in Nagpur! So, for our family, this place will always remain very special!"
Goodbye IIT
At 42, Shrinivas has already carved a niche for himself in the eclectic world of classical music. But, not many know that he forayed in this sphere after graduating from IIT Delhi. Ask him if he ever repents saying boo to corporate world, and he replies rather serenely: "Never! Till graduation, I was confused about my real calling, although I was learning music from my father since childhood. But, one fine day I decided to take to music full-time and started accompanying Pandit ji, and I don't even remember when I started performing solo!"
Dad: The doyen!
Now that he's chosen his own path, does he get bogged down by people's over-expectations? After all, having a living legend for a father can be little frustrating at times because there are always comparisons! He accepts that it's a challenging situation, but adds: "If you look at it positively, people's over-expectations also motivate you to give better than your best! If all the children and disciples of living legends get scared of comparisons, how would the gharanas carry forward their precious traditions? Till date my father is my hero and I'm really happy and proud carrying forward his legacy of khyal gayiki, abang and bhajans. In fact, I've recently presented the journey of my father's life through bandish, which is a novel experience. I hope the new generation likes it!"
Bollywood buff!
Unlike many of his ilk, Shrinivas readily admits that he's "very fond of Bollywood music." Ask him to spell out his favourites and pat comes the reply: "I like myriad genres touched in B'town by Shankar Ehsaan Loy in their inimitable versatile manner. My all-time fave song is Mitwa from KANK." And what's his take on the latest item songs like Munni and Sheila? With a naughty chuckle, he replies: "Item songs sunne se zyada dekhne ki cheez hein!"
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