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Soothing music, lines that unite minds at poetry festival

Last Updated 05 August 2017, 22:02 IST
The Bengaluru Poetry Festival got off to a splendid start with the likes of Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Chandrashekar Kambar, Gulzar and Pavan Varma gracing the occasion.

Poetry, according to most people, has gone into a slump of sorts over the last decade or so with more people opting to write prose. But the second edition of the festival was out to prove otherwise, with a host of poets as well as poetry aficionados coming out in large numbers.

Sarod Maestro Khan discussed his book ‘Master on Masters’, in which he writes about 12 legendary musicians with whom he has collaborated or knows personally. “This is just like a humble tribute to those musicians who I’ve had the chance to collaborate with and those I look up to,” said the 71-year-old.

He went on to give anecdotes from the time he met the then President, Dr Rajendra Prasad, when his father was to perform in Delhi, and how his father told Dr Prasad, that being the President, it was his duty to protect Carnatic and Hindustani music.

Khan spoke fondly of Ustad Bismillah Khan and described him as the best shehnai player ever. The maestro went on to discuss the gifted M S Subbulakshmi and praised the filter coffee she prepared.

The Ustad said Carnatic and Hindustani music are the same and not two different styles, but have certain distinctions.

Girish Karnad and Padmavati Rao (known as Akshata Rao in the Kannada film industry), launched Padmavati’s book, ‘Kuch Pyaar, Kuch Tadap,’ a compilation of poems authored and translated by her. The book has poems which speak about love and longing and are a tribute to old Hindi movies.

Karnad joked that the reason he was at the event was because he wanted to become a poet when he was younger, and was jealous that Padmavati became a poetess.

Padmavati, who has acted in a host of Kannada movies and a couple of Hindi movies, said she had translated her own works into English, because ‘Dilchaspi hai par bhaashanahipata’ (people are interested in reading, but do not know the language).

This, she feels, will get more people to read poetry and enjoy it. It was especially great to see so many youngsters at the event, she said.

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(Published 05 August 2017, 22:01 IST)

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