Yesterday marked the 99th birth anniversary of singer and musician Bhupen Hazarika. The artist, who passed away in 2011, once visited Mumbai. Here is a throwback interview of his during his visit to the city.
Bhupenda, what brought you from Assam to Mumbai?
I came to Mumbai to work in the Indian People’s Theatre Movement (IPTA) with Salil Chowdhury, Balraj Sahni and other Marxist intellectuals. At IPTA, I once again met Hemant Kumar, whom I had met earlier. He took me around to meet all the big music directors and singers in Mumbai. I remember my first meeting with Lata ji. She took one look at me and said, ‘Jitna naam hai utni umar nahin hai’ (laughs). I had just returned from the United States and I had never seen her. I wanted her to sing a song for my first film as a director, Tunes From The Deserted Path about a moonlit night in Assam. And she did it. The song became so famous, she selected it as one of her personal favourites in her first golden disc.
And was it Hemant da who introduced you to Lataji?
Yes. I remember when Hemant da took me to meet her, she was playing with her brood of puppies. She was sitting on the floor in her home in Walkeshwar. From her window, I could see the sea. She was a petite girl. And she spoke to me and Hemant da in fluent Bengali. She immediately agreed to sing for me. The minute she sang for my film, my distributors clamoured to buy my film. I didn’t have much money back then.
Hemant Kumar played your host in Mumbai?
I shall never forget Hemant da’s generosity. He used to take me to his house and give me his son and daughter’s room. Hemantda, Lataji and I became friends. We would visit places like Pune together. Hemant da’s wife Bela ji was also very nice. Whenever I came to Mumbai and needed a recording studio H,emant da would cancel his own recording to accommodate mine. Lata ji would also go out of her way to help me. That sort of affection is very rare nowadays. In fact, it’s gone.
I remember Hemant da took me for a song in the Uttam Kumar starrer Jeebon Trishna, although he was Uttam Kumar’s constant ghost voice. I became very famous singing for the Bengali superstar. Uttam Kumar insisted that I sing that particular song in his film. I tried to wriggle out, pleading I’d be assaulted if anyone but Hemant da sang for Uttam Kumar. But Hemant da insisted. Fortunately, the song ‘Sagor sangame’ became very famous. Later Gulzar translated it into Hindi in my album Main Aur Mera Saaya.
It’s our good fortune that right from the 1930s’ onwards, All India Radio has recorded and preserved the voices of our classical artistes. Do you know, All India Radio was known as the BBC- Short for the Bukhari Brothers Corporation? They have a whole audio treasure in their archives. Now we need to promote and market the audio treasures. We’re also thinking of computerising all the departments of Sangeet Natak Academy. Another thing we must do is help youngsters to recover the classical element in our music. There will always be a conflict between the old and the new. Take for example fusion music. It’s not as though it’s a ‘90s phenomenon. A lot of it has been done in the past as well, but in an aesthetic manner. The only thing is, the audience should choose what to buy carefully. If they only buy new things, then how do we encourage the older artistes?
But how do we encourage consumers to buy classical music?
Let me give you an example. When I was in the competition in the charts with ‘Dil hoon hoon karey’ (Rudali), I went by the need of the script. But I also hoped that the music in the film would be accepted by younger generations. You cannot create confusion in the name of fusion. The sitar of Ravi Shankar and the violin of Yehudi Menuhin have been fused beautifully because neither has sacrificed his classical roots in coming together. Likewise, Hariharan and Leslie Lewis’ fusion is feasible – My own ‘Dil hoon hoon karey’ was in the market alongside songs about the blouse and khatiya. I thought there would be no buyers for my songs. But the album sold to the tune of six crore rupees. The NFDC made that much money out of the music and the film.
Not even two paise. I was a member of the board of directors at the NFDC. Board of Directors paise lete hain kya? Nahin lete hain. I had told them I’d work for them only on condition that I don’t get paid. If the music company had decided to pay me later, tab theek hai. Finally, I got so little money for Rudaali that I don’t even want to mention it. But I got the love and appreciation of listeners all over the world.
Do you think any of today’s composers have it in them to carry forward the tradition of film music initiated by people like you and Hemant Kumar?
Well there’s AR Rahman. People become immediately entranced by whatever he composes. Rahman is a phenomenon. He’s young and talented. And he has his fingers on the pulse of the young generation. Illayaraja too is a great composer. Like Salil Chowdhury, he knows both Western and Indian musical styles. Rahman too belonged to that group until he was reduced to a consumer product. I remember once I went to Hyderabad after Rudaali was released. The South Indian press wanted my opinion on Rahman. I told them he should take it easy. He has even composed a song ‘Take it easy policy’ (laughs). He’s a great talent but his talent shouldn’t be over-utilised.
I’m glad he’s expanding his creativity, incorporating North Indian folk, and so on. Nine of us including Lata ji, Asha ji and Jagjit Singh sang ‘Jana Gana Mana’ under Rahman’s supervision. The project has been produced by the Vande Mataram producer Raja Bala. I was like a chorus singer singing for Rahman. He told me to sing in my own way. He also joined us in the singing. He got so excited that he picked up the guitar and started playing impromptu during the recording. I could make out Rahman loves me.
Do you know Urmila Matondkar is a great fan of yours?
(Shyly) I’ve heard this. It feels very good when youngsters appreciate my music. A few years ago, I was at the John F Kennedy airport in New York when a very handsome and tall Pakistani gentleman approached me and said, ‘Hazarika saab, gaate jaiye aise nagme’. He had heard my songs in Rudaali in Islamabad on pirated tapes. Do you know what he said? ‘Hum log acchche cheez chori karke sun lete hain aur har Pakistani ke ghar mein dil hoon hoon karta hai’. And then he disappeared into the crowds. In London, a Supreme Court judge from Pakistan organised a private concert with me. More than half the audience was composed of Pakistanis. And mind you, this was during the Kargil incident. The Muslims touched my feet just like the Hindus do to show their reverence for an artiste. I feel I’ve got the same love from Pakistani music listeners as my Indian fans.
Are you amused or disheartened by present day musical trends?
I’m a little sad. I’ve observed five decades of changing styles and trends. But you can’t kill a raga like Bhairavi or a clean melody by Hemant Kumar or Lata Mangeshkar. But why don’t they have music as a subject in all the schools? They teach ‘Do re mi’ to the children in the schools out West. Why don’t they teach Sa re ga ma to our kids? Only then can the whole nation sing ‘Jana Gana Mana’ in one voice. We musicians shouldn’t abuse youngsters for falling tastes. We should criticise music companies for marketing rubbish. There’s a lot of mediocrity in the name of music. My hopes are pinned on AR Rahman. There are other youngsters also coming up.
Such as?
Ah there you have got me! Yehin mushqil ho jata hai na. I find that spark in Hariharan. I also have great respect for Ilaiyaraja. I have a feeling he’ll come back with some great music.
What plans do you have for the future?
I want to make a film in Assamese. It’ll be a lyrical film. That’s my forte. I know only one language, and that’s music. Also a lot of musicians want to do fusion albums with me in Shubha Mudgal’s style. If I do fusion, I won’t use parallel or contradictory ragas. Melodious fusion would help the cause of music in the coming millennium. Otherwise, the way things are going, sometimes I fear music will get scared and run away from us.
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