As we remember the Shehnai maestro Ustad Bismillah Khan Sahib on his 4th death anniversary, let`s have an insight to the legend`s life and his remarkable contribution to the nation.
Bismillah Sahib was the third classical musician to be awarded the Bharat Ratna in 2001, the highest civilian honour in India and gained worldwide acclaim for playing the shehnai for more than eight decades.
He was perhaps single handedly responsible for making the shehnai a famous classical instrument. He brought the shehnai to the center stage of Indian music with his concert in the Calcutta All India Music Conference in 1937. He was credited with having almost monopoly over the instrument as he and the shehnai are almost synonyms.
Khan is one of the finest musicians in post-independent Indian Classical music and one of the best examples of Hindu-Muslim unity in India and had played shenai to audience across the world. He was known for his vision of spreading peace and love through music.
Khan had the rare honor of performing at Delhi`s Red Fort on the eve of India`s Independence in 1947. He also performed Raga Kafi from the Red Fort on the eve of India’s first Republic Day ceremony, on January 26, 1950. His recital had become a cultural part of India`s Independence Day Celebrations, telecast on Doordarshan every year on August 15. After the Prime Minister`s speech from Lal Qila (the Red Fort,) in Old Delhi, Doordarshan would broadcast a live performance by the shehnai maestro. This tradition dated from the days of Pandit Nehru.
Khan had a brief association with movies. He played the shehnai for Dr Rajkumar`s role of Appanna in the Kannada movie Sanaadi Appanna. He acted in Jalsaghar, a movie by Satyajit Ray and provided sound of shehnai in Goonj Uthi Shehnai. Noted director Goutam Ghose directed Sange Meel Se Mulaqat, a documentary about the life of Khan.
Khan died on August 21, 2006 due to a cardiac arrest.
Sangeet Natak Akademi, New Delhi, instituted the `Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar` in 2007, in his honour. It is given to young artists in the field of music, theatre and dance.
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