For the last couple of years, actor-turned-director Amol Palekar has been a regular at Pune-based Dhrupad vocalist Uday Bhavalkar’s public concerts and private baithaks. So when Palekar began making Anaahat, the story of a queen in the 10th century BC pushed to discover a sexual side of herself she never knew existed, he knew that the pristine notes of Dhrupad would fit his film beautifully. “Despite having had a classical musician in the family (his uncle Mohanrao Palekar was a well-known Hindustani vocalist), I have no claim whatsoever even to being able to recognise ragas,” says the Pune-based Palekar, in Mumbai for the editing. “But I am a keen listener who can make out when a concert is good.” So music is not reduced to “items” in his films, but is an essential element as it is in this latest film based on Surendra Varma’s play Surya Ki Antim Kiran Se.. In fact, this is a play that Palekar had staged in Marathi in 1972. It was the base on which Palekar’s wife Sandhya worked to create an entirely new screenplay. Canned within 18 days at the ruins of Hampi in Karnataka, Palekar’s Marathi historical has Sonali Bendre and Anant Nag in lead roles, with Deepti Naval in a key supporting role. “So far, even in films on the legendary singer Tansen, only the Khayal has been used, never the Dhrupad,” says musician Manik Munde, who has added the graceful intoned beats of the pakhawaj (vital to Dhrupad music) to the film’s background score. Bhavalkar, who spent hours with Palekar selecting ragas, has lent his voice to the film, while Bahauddin Dagar has played one of India’s most ancient instruments, the Rudra Veena. Says Palekar, who hopes to release the film around June, “Since the film is set in the 10th century, we wanted to use the early form of pure music. The music is woven in the story itself.” So the king (played by Nag) often uses music not words to express emotions. Dhrupad is so pristine, gurus often stop teaching their disciples if they get an inkling that their training is being used to get into other “impure” forms like film music. Said to have emerged from the Sama Veda, Dhrupad is either sung or played on the Rudra Veena, an instrument that has mythological links with goddess Saraswati, who is portrayed as holding it in her hand, or Ravana who played it to please Lord Shiva. “However, it’s not only about Bhakti rasa (devotion) but also about Shringara rasa (romance). Thus many Dhrupad compositions about Parvati such as Saj narav shik solah shringar are mainly romantic descriptions,” says Bhawalkar. Busy at a rehearsal, clad in a yellow kurta, the thirty something says he is sure guru Ustad Zia Fariduddin Dagar, will not disown him for singing in this film. Bhawalkar has even sung the Dhrupad style in Europe, with dancer Astad Deboo emoting to the music. “I don’t feel this is sacrilege. On such occasions, people who would otherwise never listen to the Dhrupad get to hear it, if only for five minutes,” defends the young singer.
