Vocalist Rahul Deshpande who was bestowed the Dinanath Mangeshkar award is enjoying acclaim on reprising his grandfather and legend Vasantrao Deshpande’s character in a biopic spoke to Yogesh Pawar about the award, the film, turning actor and composer and how he deals with the mass adulation coming his way.
You were recently conferred the Dinanath Mangeshkar award. Your reaction.
Ten years ago our organisation – Vasantrao Deshpande Pratisthhan - had gotten a similar award soon after we revived the old musical play Katyar Kaljat Ghusli. This time, the award felt even more special because it was conferred on me in an individual capacity as a classical singer. My grandfather Vasantrao Deshpande was a disciple of Master Dinanath Mangeshkar. In that sense, this award is like a blessing from the first family of music.
How special was it to be a fellow awardee with PM Narendra Modi, actors Asha Parekh and Jackie Shroff and playwright Chandrakant Kulkarni?
It was super special. I am just an ordinary soul and each of my fellow awardees are such tall personalities with amazing achievements. I could not interact with PM Modi due to his security arrangements but could sense power in his presence at the ceremony.
Were you expecting Mee Vasantrao to get so much love from people?
Knowing how much people loved Vasantrao Deshpande as a vocalist, I was expecting a warm response. But the amount of love people have shown for the film is overwhelming. Some of the responses are articulated in ways that illuminate whole new layers in the film and its narrative that I hadn’t even thought of. I have received over a thousand really long messages that describe the film and the writer’s reaction to it in painstakingly minor detail.
You turned actor and composed music for this film for the first time…
Making this film has been a long and arduous nine-year journey. It took five years only to find a producer. So it was exhausting and full of challenges but I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything. This is not about acting or composing for the first time but goes far, far beyond. It has taught me so many new skills and given me experiences and memories of a lifetime.
The film competed with multi-crore films like RRR and KGF for screen space. Do you feel better slots in better theatres would have helped the film more?
It felt daunting that our film was competing with multi-crore flicks like RRR and KGF for screen space. We could hardly do anything compared to these big films’ promotional budgets. All our response is 100% organic and largely word-of-mouth. 2-3 days ago, I watched the movie with my sister at a theatre to see audience response. We were pleasantly surprised to meet several who had watched the film 5-6 times. They were still enthusiastic about watching it again and again.
How do you explain this?
I really don’t know... My guess is that many in the audience see resonances for their own stories when they or any of their efforts have gone unsung. They see a similarity in the struggles of Vasantrao and their own lives. It paid off to keep the central character so human.
Many who watched the film at IFFI were disheartened over the fact that it didn’t win any awards…
Yes, it was disheartening to see that our film did not bag any awards at IFFI. One has to make peace with these things. We are thankful that our film was chosen to be screened there.
Could you walk us through how long Mee Vasantrao was in the making from a seed idea to its final release?
Nipun (Dharmadhikari) and me have worked on three musical plays together – Sanshay Kallol, Sangeet Maanapmaan and Sangeet Saubhadra. While travelling to Konkan for a show for the former in 2012 I just casually asked Nipun if we could explore making a film on my grandfather. I had been recounting a lot of anecdotes and memories about him and his life which are now part of family lore, playing both his music and old interviews for Nipun and the others for a while. They were all quite taken with my grandfather’s personality.
Nipun agreed immediately and suggested we get down to researching to make a viable story. Nipun then spent a lot of time with my father, my aunts (father’s sisters) and others who knew my grandfather to talk about him.
We compiled all his audio, audiovisual interviews, many pieces written on him and the pieces he had written. In two months, Nipun came up with a screenplay. Though he read out what was only the first draft, all of us gathered there were left moist-eyed. While we now had something solid to work with, the entire team was firm about not pedestaling or deifying Vasantrao and keeping him as human as possible. We wanted to tell the story of his journey till the musical play Katyar…
That play changed his life…
Yes. After that play, he got recognition, love and huge following from audiences. Many are aware of the glory that came his way after Katyar… Nipun wanted to concentrate on his life and times before. I give complete credit to him for his vision foresight in deciding which part of Vasantrao’s life we should keep in the movie. He was convinced that exploring these relatively hitherto unknown stories would make for an interesting film.
What was the most easy/difficult part about getting into your grandfather’s character?
Some things have come to me in heredity. I don’t know how but many both at home and outside have pointed out how I have the same posture (the way I sit to perform), and style (the way I use my hands and eyes when I perform) of my grandfather from very early on. So that was easy. But it was difficult to get into the skin of his character going beyond. Though I’m his grandson, we’re different individuals and our lived realities are completely different. Also, this is my debut film. In the end, I submitted to the Nipun’s vision. We would do a lot of homework and discuss every scene and shot threadbare before the take. All credit should go to Nipun who had focus, perspective and conviction about what was written and full faith in me to pull it off.
You have actually performed a lavani in the film with amazing grace. Was that easy?
This was indeed the most difficult part of the film since I had never ever done anything like it or even imagined doing so. But hats off to the choreographer Sharvari Jamenis who put me through the paces for the lavani. When a man does something feminine there is a very thin line before things cross over into the crass and tropey. I wanted to ensure that didn’t happen. And Sharvari got that nuance right. Two days before we shot, I was completely tense. But once I took the plunge and actually began shooting, I completely surrendered to the moment. I’ll be doing great disservice if I don’t mention Shakuntala Nagarkar who has brilliantly portrayed the character of Akka, the lavani dancer. She was very supportive and encouraging during the shoot.
You were stepping into the shoes of one of the most astonishingly handsome man of his times… Did that play on your mind?
(Laughs) I’m well aware my grandfather was a very handsome man and known for his looks in his time. It did not play on my mind since I was clear that I wasn’t going to simply get the look right but capture the essence of the kind of man he was from within. I only wanted to internalise and keep it convincing as possible.
How do you think your grandfather would’ve reacted to this fame and adulation for his biopic which took its time finding him in real life?
I can’t say for sure how we would have reacted but in the film Vasantrao once tells his children not to pursue any art form to find a co-relation with making money. He says one must pursue art for its own sake. In real life, I must have been two-and-half-years old when he once asked my father if he could adopt me. My father underlined how I was as much his as a grandchild. He said, ‘When I could do so many things with my voice no one wanted to listen and I had really struggled to find platform to sing and now in my advanced age when my voice is tired, people keep coming up with invites to perform. I want to train Rahul in a way that it will remind audiences of my musical prowess of the past.’ Unfortunately, it couldn’t be because he passed away within a year of this.
And you lament that…
My grandmother told me that though my grandfather passed on his strong inner desire to teach me outlived him.
I’m convinced this could be so. For 12 years, for eight hours and more daily, I have sat and done my music sadhana in front of his photograph. Whatever little I’ve achieved musically is because of that. Articulating this is tough, one has to experience it. I think this is what helps me at every step of my life.
What do you feel about every single musical achievement of yours being held up to your grandfather’s prowess?
I feel very insignificant in front of my grandfather’s musical prowess. I’m not saying this to be modest but mean it. How can I ever match up to what he achieved at a very young age despite his circumstances? I have my own path to tread which he has lit up for me. I don’t know when I’ll reach my destination, but I want to stick to this path with the tenacity of a sadhaka.
Was Mee Vasantrao also about stepping out of his shadow?
I don’t think so. This is not about creating my own style… I want to simply surrender to music and let it work its magic every time I sing. In these past three years, I have been looking at other singers’ work. Look at LataJi. How does a singer explore so much in a given melody within minutes, akin to what a classical singer does with a bandish in a concert? Why would I even want to step out of my grandfather’s shadow? I feel blessed to be born in this family, to his musical legacy. My musical journey has given me insights into the kind of man my grandfather was. If anything, Mee Vasantrao is a way of making the world aware of this.
So many characters in the film both fictional and real have had their own time on screen in separate films like Katyar Kaljat Ghusli and Bhai. How easy/tough was it to have these characters woven into this film?
Both KumarJi (Kumar Gandharva) and Pt Bhimsen Joshi were really close friends of my grandfather, both tall legends in their own right. While we wanted to tell the story authentically, we did not want to merely use these characters like embellishments for a scene or two. One is too respectful of these legends and their music to even think like this. In a sense, we tried to make Pu La’s character as a composite representing all his friends. The decision was also about logistics. As it is, we struggled to fit all the material we have shot into a three-hour film.
Were you also part of the casting decisions?
We discussed the casting yes, but Nipun always had the final say. It is only right that he took those calls as the captain of the ship. This is not to say that we had no creative disagreements. But this is part of the churn of anything creative, so much more so in filmmaking.
Where all did you shoot the film?
Our first shoot schedule was in Gangtok. Unfortunately, the weather was such that though we were there for only four days we could actually shoot only for about four hours. We shot in Nagpur for a month. There was this very old 250-year-old wada there, where we shot the chawl, the place where he first sings, the place where he interacts with his father for the first time and also some Lahore scenes.
We then shot in Pune at multiple locations – Deccan College, Gokhale Institute. We also shot in two studios in Mumbai for the Lahore bits and had to shoot against a chroma for the days we lost in Gangtok. We also shot some bits of the Lahore sequences in a small place called Vaso (Kheda district) in Gujarat. There were some bits shot in Maharashtra’s Phaltan and Sangli too. Despite the multiple locations it was all thoroughly enjoyable.
Which was the most challenging of the 22 compositions to work on and/or perform and why?
I admit that music was a challenging aspect of this project. While we retained some of old compositions my grandfather sang, there were so many situations which demanded new music to help propel the story ahead or connect two situations. I composed seven new songs. Yet when you watch the film, you don’t get a sense that you’ve watched as many as 22. We had to edit out two songs by the way.
Did you create options or went with one tune?
I created several options in some instances. For example, for the most challenging number – the lavani – I composed two options. The one retained was finalised by the director Nipun. Remember this was also the first time I was composing. I created seven tunes for the ghazal, eight tunes for Vithhala darshan devun zaa and two each for the Lalana song and for the last song – Kaivalya Gaan. This was an amazing trip for me. I now wonder why I didn’t compose anything before I began composing ghazals during the lockdown because I enjoy the process so much.
Audiences stay glued till the Bhairavi composition in the end.
The words of the last song – which speak of you becoming one with your art and through it the Divine – were so moving that it is something every true artiste will aspire.
I tried to keep the music in accordance with the spirit of the lyrics. I have watched 25 shows of the film in different cinema theatres, and everyone stays back for the song which is playing when the end credits roll. Not one person leaves till the last credit has rolled out and the song finishes in a flourish. The music works for both those initiated into classical music and others. But that is not me… that’s just the power of Indian classical music!
Was the omission of all references to his film career deliberate?
Unlike a web series, where we could’ve explored all the different aspects of my grandfather’s extremely colourful and eventful life, in a film one is tied down by the time limit.
Are you planning a web series?
There is nothing on the anvil yet. But if we do one, there is still so much of his untold story to be told.
Are you already in talks with any OTT platform for the film’s onward journey?
We aren’t talking with any OTT as of now but yes, in the future we will. As of now, people are still coming to theatres to watch the film which is still doing exceptionally well in Pune and Mumbai.
You had already sung for Katyar Kaljat Ghusli, the film. Did that make it easy/difficult to reprise the same natyageets here?
In Katyar Kaljat Ghusli I was still singing the traditional natyageets in hand-me-down tunes from decades ago. This was different. Even when I sang the classic Gheyi Chhand Makrand, I consciously made it very different from the way I sang it for Katyar… Here the tempo is faster, and the treatment and content of the song is also completely different. I wouldn’t call it difficult though. It was fun trying to think out of the box and come up with a different feel of an already popular song.
Unlike Katyar Kaljat Ghusli, the film which villainises Khan saheb and his family as a community, here the few scenes send out a message on secularism.
You know there’s so much that is alike about Khan saheb’s character in Katyar…, the original Purshottam Darvekar play and my grandfather. When Subodh Bhave was making the film, he felt it will be easier on audiences if he kept it completely black and white. So there was a complete villainisation of Khan saheb which made audiences sympathise with PanditJi.
But that’s not how the play worked. In the play, Khan saheb has immense respect for PanditJi and his music. His grouse is with the patron and courtiers, used to only one style of singing for 20-25 years. They are unwilling to even listen to a new style though the new artiste has worked hard to create it. But that’s how a gharana system works.
In the end Khan saheb concedes Sadashiv who has blended the best of both Panditji’s and his style has become a common point between them. Despite praising him, he honestly admits his gurus’ training and his gharana does not allow such a mix. In fact, in the play Khan saheb says he could give his daughter’s hand in marriage to Sadashiv but can’t train him in the style of his gharana. That was the fulcrum of conflict in Katyar…, the play. The film was different. Both are different works and need to be seen as independent.
You were not very keen on seriously pursuing music at one point in time and trained to be a CA?
I was pursuing my articleship for two years when Bhai Kaka (Pu La) told me: ‘You weren’t born to do this but sing. Give all this up and focus your energies on singing.’ The more I thought about what he said, the more sense it made and finally I gave up Chartered Accountancy for music.
Your music concerts, your presence at a reality show, your outings on stage as musicals, and now this film have all garnered so much adulation from audiences…
I can’t thank each and every one enough for being so encouraging and accepting me as a singer and now in my first outing as an actor. Some of the tallest people who I look up to have been very generous in their praise. At a special screening of Mee Vasantrao for filmmakers, Ashutosh Gowariker said: ‘Rahul! What are you going to next surprise us with? An exhibition of your paintings??’ and wanted to know how I was so natural on camera. I’m truly humbled by the response on social media, emails and in the calls. While I accept this in all humility, I’m well aware this is as much a reflection of the love people feel for my grandfather.
Praise has come from Ustad Zakir Hussain too…
Ustad Zakir Hussain had a close rapport with my grandfather so it was truly special that he was there for launching the first look of the film. He has still to see the film and our entire team is eager to hear from him.
You once performed for Ghulam Ali saab?
Many many years ago Nana Patekar Sir had an accident and Ghulam Ali saab was in Pune. He wanted to visit and enquire into the actor’s wellbeing. NanaJi called and asked me to come over with my sister. He did not say why. Only when we went over to his home and went upstairs to his bedroom to see him, he suggested we bring the harmonium from the drawing room. Only when we did so he finally told us Ghulam Ali saab was coming. I was overjoyed.
What was interaction with Ghulam Ali Khan saab like?
Ghulam Ali saab was sweetness personified and so down to earth. Nana told him I sing and asked me to sing. When my sister Deepti began singing UstadJi first accompanied her on the harmonium and finally began to sing himself. It was magical. Just the memory gives me goosebumps.
Both your sister Deepti’s singing and your daughter Renuka’s presence has also gotten a lot of warmth and response from audiences. Will we be seeing more of them?
Deepti is a really brilliant singer. Unfortunately, she did not pursue it. But I now want to push for her to take it up seriously. I’ve always loved her singing when I didn’t know how to sing. She is gifted with a beautiful voice and has been complimented by Bhai Kaka, Nanaji, Ghulam Ali, Asha Bhosale and many others.
As for Renuka I don’t know what to say. As my daughter I dote on her but I feel conflicted about all the attention coming her way by just being there. I feel proud she is able garner such a response, but I do not want this to come in the way of her innocence as a child. She should find her own path and seek achievements which will bring her fame and adulation in her own right.
Your decoding/familiarising audiences with technicalities of music using popular songs has one of the largest global followings. What is evoking this huge response?
I have learnt so much from listening to LataJi, AshaJi, Mehdi Hassan saab, Ghulam Ali, Suresh WadkarJi, HariharanJi and other stalwarts. They are all my gurus.
When I started my youtube channel I remember asking my organisers for recordings of my performances and none of them gave them to me. But it was a blessing in disguise. Foxed about what to put up on my youtube channel I sang Lag Ja Gale, the popular Lataji bhajan Mogra Phulala several nirgun bhajans.
And then you began exploring every song’s layers…
I began exploring the songs for the sheer joy of it. It was all organic and unplanned. If you see the recordings, you can make out how unrehearsed and extempore it is. I don’t know how to play a keyboard. During the lockdown I’ve struggled to pick up basics and you can make that out when I play. The love people showered on my initial renditions kept me going. I think this has worked because the viewer/listener becomes a part of my music room. The experience becomes personal and one-to-one which is more intimate than a chamber concert. I am also saying stuff that comes to mind even as I sing. Some of it makes sense in hindsight and some of it doesn’t. I think the only thing that might be working with audiences is that they are convinced about my honesty.
Some criticise classical music for creating a niche exclusive space and ecosystem? What do you think?
Classical music has never been a mass thing. It requires a learning curve even for listeners to appreciate it fully. Having said that, if you are good listener, you can enjoy classical music even if you don’t understand it technically. Also remember, music cannot and will not exclude. Ultimately no matter where you go, irrespective of genre or style music is bound by the same 12 notes. Personally, I don’t like to categorise, much less create hierarchies.
When I reprise a song, unfolding its layers, I explore it like a canvas and make my own painting. This can only happen if you know your classical music. So if you have the ragas - Yaman or Puriya Dhanashree and if you mix and match you keep finding newer shades and nuances. The abstraction of pure classical music, the beauty of a thumri and the joy in a bhajan are all equally dear to me.
Do you agree that artistes – given their hold on audiences – need to take up social responsibility and speak up on issues affecting people?
If it really affects you and such articulation is going to help in resolution of a problem then not only artistes but everyone must speak up. There was a time I too did that. But I realise that often such statements don’t really help in resolution of the problem. I would rather concentrate on becoming a better artiste and a better person. Especially since there is more than enough to explore within one’s own art. This can be a 24x7 thing. Even while watching a film or talking to my wife she sometimes remarks that I’m not fully there. But that’s because the creative processes continue parallelly. I like to stay in that zone.
