Ministers and politicians should listen to the flute, says Chaurasiya

(L-R) Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia and Amarendra Dhaneshwar at an interactive session called 'Antaranga'

"Flute should be played in every household as it creates a very positive ambience. Especially our ministers and politicians should listen to the flute as its natural melody creates harmony among people," said renowned flutist, Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia during an interactive session with a renowned vocalist, Amarendra Dhaneshwar held at 'Sawai Gandharva Smarak' near Rahul Theatre, Shivaji Nagar today.

Pt. Chaurasia was speaking at a special program called ‘Antaranga' that has been a part of the iconic 'Sawai Gandharva Bhimsen Mahotsav' a festival that solely presents Indian Classical music. The festival will be held from Wednesday, December 11 to Sunday, December 15, 2019, in Pune.

Speaking about Indian Classical Music, the maestro said that it has gained recognition around the world and is loved by everyone. "The musicians and performers must study what should be performed considering the type of audience. In this way we can take the Indian Classical Music to a greater extent," he stated. Pt. Chaurasia also regarded the role of his Guru, Annapurna Devi, renowned surbahar player for shaping his future. "I still sit in front of her photo and practice my music," he said.

Asked about his take on the belief, which prohibits females from playing the flute, Pt. Chaurasia stated, "I have many female students across the world. The flute is for everyone and there can be no partiality or gender barrier at all."

As a part of another program- ‘Shadja' two short films were shown to the audience, which included ‘Ustad Amir Khan' directed by S.N. Sastri followed by ‘Pandit Ramnarayan- A Tryst with Sarangi' directed V. Packirisamy.

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