A documentary that traces the musical journey of Pandit Ronu Majumdar premieres tomorrow
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"A true musician endures a lot of hardships. It's immensely satisfying when their contribution and journey is documented," says flautist Pandit Ronu Majumdar, ahead of the premiere of a documentary on his musical journey. Titled Bansuriwala, the film, produced by the Films Division of India, will release tomorrow. It will be screened at the Films Division Screening Centre.
The film encapsulates Pandit Majumdar's exploration of and journey with the flute. "The documentary focuses on my struggle period, my gharana, and my association with stalwarts like RD Burman and Pandit Ravi Shankarji. It also includes opinions of living legends about me," says the veteran, adding that he never expected a film would ever be made on him.
Pandit Ronu Majumdar (second from right) interacts with fellow Classical music gurus (from left)âu00c2u0080u00c2u0088Pandit Prabhakar Karekar, tabla maestro Ustad Zakir Hussain and percussionist Taufiq Qureshi during Swaranjali 2017 at Nehru Centre, Worli
"The film's director, Viplab Majumdar, was certain that he wanted to make a documentary. I have seen the final cut. I got emotional seeing my whole journey brought into a 57-minute movie in such a beautiful manner. This is a milestone, and I feel honoured. This puts more responsibility on my shoulders," says the flautist, who was nominated for the Grammy Award (1997) for his album, Tabula Rasa, with renowned American Banjo player, Bela Fleck, over two decades back.
When we asked Majumdar to pick other Indian musicians who deserve to be captured on celluloid, he named Hindustani Classical vocalist Pandit Venkatesh Kumar and sitarist Ustad Shahid Parvez Khan.
Bansuriwala's director feels his life story is an inspiration for the new generation. "There's enormous talent in our country, but it's important to have self-motivation to brush up one's skills and reach the goal. Pandit Majumdar's story showcases that," the director adds.