When Security Wouldn't Let The Ustad In

'The security guards at the stadium did not recognise him. He kept saying he was Zakir Hussain but they did not permit him to enter.'
'Zakir bhai was calm and told me it is not their fault. They were doing their job.'

Ustad Zakir Hussain's passing has left a painful void and precious memories to hold on to.

I spoke to two of his admirers in Kolkata: Tabla player Dipankar Acharya, 68, who was the secretary of the Calcutta Cine Musicians Association, and Shyamal Kumar Das, 63, owner of the Narayan Badya Bhandar, a store in Chetla in South Kolkata that sells and services tablas.

As a teenager Acharya was a huge fan of tabla maestro Ustad Alla Rakha. The first time he saw Ustad Alla Rakha's eldest son, Zakir Hussain, was at an event in 1971 where renowned tabla player Ustad Karamatullah Khan, who was also Acharya's guru, was going to perform.

Three generations of musicians were playing at an event in the true guru shishya tradition at a programme at the Children's Little Theatre's Aban Mahal auditorium in the Dhakuria area of Calcutta.

Ustad Karamatullah Khan craved a paan but the organisers were slow in fulfilling his request.

Acharya watched an enthusiastic 20-year-old Zakir Hussain rush out to buy a paan. He returned with the paan, did his pranam and offered it to the maestro.

The youngster with a curly mop of hair and his gentle demeanour left a huge impression on 15-year-old Acharya.

It was Acharya who introduced Shyamal Das to Ustad Zakir Hussain in 1995.

Some years later at a music programme in Nazrul Manch, Ustad Zakir Hussain recognised Das in the audience. He was seated in the front row. He noticed a tabla cover in Das' hand.

"Zakir bhai pointed at it and looked questioningly at me," reminisces Das. "I told him the tabla cover was for him and I had kept a tabla in the green room to gift him. He called me to the stage. With much appreciation he accepted my gift with his favourite expression, 'bahut acchha'.

"He wanted to pay me and took out money from his pocket. I said no it is a gift. He insisted I accept the money as a gift and he put it in my palm."

After the performance, when he left the stage, Das requested him for a photograph. He agreed with a smile.

"Just before the photographer could click, Zakir bhai affectionately closed the top button of my kurta, saying it would look better in the photograph," Das remembers, pointing to the framed photograph on the wall of his tabla store.

With his simplicity, his jovial, friendly, disposition, the ustad endeared himself to those who interacted with him.

Years later, the ustad bumped into Das as he was leaving the Rabindra Sadan auditorium after a performance.

'Shyamal bhai, how are you? I played your tabla. Bahut achha.' Das was elated and treasures these words of appreciation.

"He made us feel special and gave us so much respect by using our tablas though his main tabla supplier was based in Bombay."

The legend who took classical Indian music to a global audience treated those who fine-tuned his tablas with utmost respect and often called them on stage to introduce them to his audience.

Memories come rushing back. Das and Acharya were seated in the first row at a Dover Lane music conference event in Nazrul Manch.

"Zakir bhai was on stage. He saw us and gestured to us. People on either side of us thought he was calling them. But he was looking at Das. He had recognised the craftsman and owner of the tabla store. He called him on stage and requested him to adjust his tabla as it needed tightening," Acharya remembers.

"When Das refused to take money, Zakir bhai was insistent, He said it was a gift. Das requested him to autograph the Rs 500 note as he would treasure it."

There was one occasion when Das saw the ustad visibly upset. At a reputed music event in the city, a senior tabla player who had been debilitated by a paralytic attack was shifted from the first row to the second row. The ustad thought this was very disrespectful and seniority had to be respected.

Acharya's organisation had a music event at the Netaji Indoor Stadium in 1995 where singers Bhupen Hazarika, Ajoy Chakrabarty, Arati Mukherjee and Usha Uthup were goin to perform.

A day before the event Acharya learnt that the ustad was in Kolkata to perform at the Uttarpara Sangeet Chakra, a prestigious event in West Bengal's Hooghly district.

"Zakir bhai was staying at the Taj Bengal. We went to request him to release a music cassette at our programme on the way to his event in Uttarpara. He was kind enough to agree. He said he wouldn't be able to play but could attend for about 15 minutes.

"Our programme was scheduled to start at 4 pm. We had asked Zakir bhai to come at 5 pm and he was there sharp on time. Other than a few of us no one knew he would be making a brief appearance. There was nothing in the banners.

"The security guards at the stadium did not recognise him. He kept saying he was Zakir Hussain but they did not permit him to enter. One person witnessed this and came rushing to me. I was on stage. He told me 'Zakir bhai has been detained by the security.' I jumped off the stage and rushed out. The security said, 'He keeps saying he is Zakir Hussain.' I said 'Yes, yes he is Ustad Zakir Hussain'.'

"Zakir bhai was calm and told me it is not their fault. They were doing their job. They didn't know he was coming."

This was the famed Zakir bhai: Always a picture of calm and composure.

When he was on stage at the Netaji stadium he displayed his generosity of spirit, Acharya recalls.

"We play commercially in films. He never made us feel inferior. Zakir bhai told the audience, 'We classical musicians need one or two hours but these musicians are more efficient. In five minutes they can entertain you.' The audience was told you must appreciate them and give them their due respect."

Overwhelmed by his words, the musicians requested him to play for a few minutes. "Zakir bhai said his tablas were in the car. We told him there are 20 on stage choose any one. It may not be as good as yours. He selected mine. Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty took his harmonium and sat next to Zakir bhai and began singing a commercial song, not a classical number. Zakir bhai played the tabla and truly enthralled the audience."

I too will cherish memories of watching him perform in Kolkata last year: His divine smile and the magic of his craft.

Feature Presentation: Rajesh Alva/Rediff.com