'More than brothers, we are good friends'

HANDSOME MUSICIANS

Accompanying their father — sarod maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, to various Indian and international music festivals, the talented duo has won the hearts of music-lovers both in India and across the globe.

Being the disciples of their father, the two men started playing sarod at a very young age.

 “Though I started playing sarod at an early age, I started enjoying it only by the time I was 13 or 14,” says Amaan. “The thought of travelling, performing, sound checks, green rooms — everything fascinated me. I always felt any creative field is uncertain even if you are the son of someone famous. But I was ready to take the risk,” beams Ayaan.
Both of them agree that it’s always an honour to perform with their abba, who has been a constant support and ‘guru’ in every way.

 “We feel elevated while performing with abba. We are privileged and fortunate for getting many opportunities. As a father, abba is very caring, loving and compassionate. But as a guru, he is strict and wants work to be done,” they say.

At the same time, they don’t forget to praise each other. Amaan says, “Ayaan is a good musician, very talented and serious about his work. He is a nice and funny person.”
While Ayaan prompts him jokingly, “Say good sense of humour instead of funny,” and adds, “I feel lucky to have Amaan as my elder brother. He is very protective and always looks after me. More than brothers, we are good friends and share things with each other.”

Though they have given numerous performances in the West, they say it gives them a great pleasure when they perform in their own country.

“The Western audiences are disciplined and encouraging. Both of us have received a lot of affection from them. But it’s a very special feeling to perform in your home country and receive love and affection from the audiences here,” explains Ayaan.

The creative siblings also wrote Abba — God’s Greatest Gift To Us in 2002 — based on the life of their legendary father.

This year, they released their second book titled 50 Maestros 50 Recordings and also released an album called The Music Room and Sarod Symphony with their father. “We have produced nearly 25 to 30 albums which can be used for different occasions,” quips Amaan.

The young talents have a number of friends in Bangalore and recollect some fond memories of the City.

“We visit the City frequently and hence have made many friends here. The City is nice but the traffic is really bad. Bangaloreans are traditional, yet modern. We have received a positive response from the City everytime we have performed here and the audience is fantastic,” they exclaim.

What do these dashing guys do in their free time? “I spend time in the gym, watch movies and attend concerts. I love riding fast, but I am not fond of reading. I am now trying to cultivate the habit,” gushes Amaan, while Ayaan wishes to stay at home listening to music, watching movies and catching up with friends.