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Pandit Bhimsen Joshi
 When
we talk about Indian Classical Music, one name
that immediately comes to mind is Pandit Bhimsen
Joshi. No words can adequately describe him. Pandit
Joshi, who is riding the crest of popularity and has
ridden it for the last several years, is a musical
marvel. His singing invariably provides listeners
with a divine musical experience. His voice is mellifluous
and unmatched. It has the intrinsic ability to transport
his listeners to an altogether different world. Today,
Pandit Bhimsen Joshi is rightly reckoned as an institution
by himself.
 "All
the awards I have received are due to my gurus who
have taught me. They guided me over the years and
made me able enough to stand here. They had sown the
seeds and we are reaping the fruits," said the
maestro, on receiving the Aditya Vikram Birla Kalashikhar
award, in Mumbai. Pandit Joshi resides at Pune
with his wife, two sons, daughters-in-law, and grandchildren.
got a chance to interact with him and his family
members when they were in Mumbai to attend the function
organised by the Sangeet Kala Kendra. "It
feels great when your husband gets this kind of respect
and recognition," said Pandit Joshi's wife,
Vatslyaji Joshi. Talking about her husband's
natur , she added, " He is a very disciplined
man and demands the same sort of actions from people
around him. He can be equally strong or soft, depending
on the situation. He is very particular about his
food habits. I have spent 50 years with him and I
thank God for blessing me with a husband like him."
 "For
my father, music is everything; the rest does not
matter. He is a very simple man, and does not like
to be in the limelight. He has succeded in inculcating
that attitude in his children. We, being his children,
respect him for this sort of upbringing,uot; said
Jayant B Joshi, the musical maestro's son. When asked
about his interest in music, Jayant added,"Having
been born in a family of a noted musician, I grew
up hearing music in and around me. But I never thought
of taking up music as my career. My brother Srinivas
has taken the the opportunity to carry on the family
tradition in Indian classical music."
Pandit Joshi is a man of few words. Commenting on
the present scenario of Indian classical music, he
says,"Hindustani Music was there, it is present
today, and will be there tomorrow. We do not have
to worry about the audience. Today it may be 400 but
tomorrow it will be 4000. The recognition of Indian
Classical Music will never diminish.quot; Talking
about the next generation he added, "The younger
generation is equally talented, it is our duty to
nurture them and bring out their hidden talents."
This man, who has limitless potential and creativity,
loves to watch television. "He spends hours watching
television, if he is not practicing. He loves to watch
action movies," confides Pandit Joshi's daughter
in law Laxmi. Today when the concept of a nuclear
family has reached even the remotest areas of India,
Pandit Joshi has succeeded in holding all his family
members together under one roof. Pandit Bhimsen Joshi
does justice to both his roles, as a great musician
and a beloved father.
By : Sharmistha Chakraborty
Photographer : Uma Kadam
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