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Flashback - Mahesh Babu - Celebs pick their favourite picture

Stories in a song

Mahesh Babu, who has been organising classical concerts for decades, shares a picture of his favourite musician and storyteller sarod player Ali Akbar Khan

Kevin Lobo

Posted On Sunday, June 24, 2012 at 09:13:54 AM

Ali Akbar Khan sahib is one of my favorite artistes. There is a certain quality to his intrumentation, it’s meditative music at its best. This particular picture was taken just before a concert at the now defunct Rang Bhavan. He used to hardly ever play at concerts in Mumbai, and this one was even more special, because after playing some beautiful raags on the sarod, he introduced his son, Alam Khan to the classical world for the first time.

Khan sahib was also famous for his storytelling talent. He could go on for hours narrating one anecdote after another. I remember when I was organising concerts with SPICMACAY (Society for Promotion of Indian Classical Music and Culture Amongst Youth.), of which I was a co-founder — I lost my slippers before a concert. When Khan sahib heard of it, he said, “You come along with me, and become MF Husain for one day.” He offered me his hotel room to stay in and in return, I’d have to listen to his stories.

(left) A younger Mahesh Babu with sarod maestro Ali Akbar Khan (centre)

He was very fond of his father and guru baba Allauddin Khan. He told me this incident: His mom used to practise in a small room with a harmonium. His father overheard the composition from the door and loved it.

Without telling his mother, he decided to teach Khan sahib the composition in the evening. When Allauddin Khan sat with Ali Akbar Khan for riyaaz and started the composition, the latter was irritated to no end. It turns out his father was trying to teach him his own composition! 

Once, he was staying in a hotel where a rock band was playing in the banquet room. He tried listening to it for some time, but just couldn’t stand it. He ended up sleeping with ear plugs.







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