A disciple of Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri, Subhen Chatterjee is an internationally acclaimed tabla player.  Founder of the popular fusion band, Bandish Fusion, he has performed with many eminent personalities which includes the likes of Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, Pandit Jasraj, Ustad Shahid Parvezi amongst others. His band performed at Spring Fest this year with Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt playing as the band’s guest performer.

TSA: Did you enjoy coming to KGP and performing? How was the crowd?
Shubhen:  KGP has always been close to my heart and our association dates back to the 1980s. We had just formed     our band then-one of the first fusion bands in India. There were very few bands of this genre in those days. I remember Shakti (of Zakir Hussain fame) being one but, unlike ours, that catered more to the western population. The very first performance of our band, Karma, was on 17 May 1985. And the very next year, we got an opportunity to perform at two college festivals and Spring Fest was one of them. This is our fifth or sixth time here. So I have had a very strong musical connection with IIT Kharagpur and that was also evident from the audience’s excellent response. The kind of music we play thrives on improvisation. If we get support from the audience, we feel like giving even more. Yesterday, around 90% of our concert was improvisational – a measure of how much we enjoyed performing here.

TSA: Your brand of music is unique and distinctly different from what we get to hear these days. Right from you being at the Tabla to your son playing the drums, your band boasts of a remarkable variety. How do you manage to fuse music from such different schools the way you do?
Shubhen: (smiles) Fusion is often confused with confusion. It’s not as difficult as people make it out to be. Yes, you need to have an understanding of the rhythm in the music. And you need to know what you are mixing with what. A reasonably good knowledge about both kinds of music is definitely required. Yesterday, I played a composition based on a very famous jazz piece, Take Five. It’s based on five beats but our Indian music doesn’t have a 5 beat system. So I doubled the sequence in order to fuse it with my composition. That’s the way you go about the whole process.

TSA: Your band has been in existence for almost 25 years now. How has your music evolved over time?
Shubhen: (smiles again) A wonderful question. I was always interested in ragas. I was involved with Spic Macay which, by the way, has been doing an excellent job of popularizing Indian classical music. But somehow I felt that their concerts involved more lecturing than performing. What we wanted to do was provide something more entertaining to the audience-a more musical experience. We started out with 5 members and entirely acoustic instruments. We were given appreciation but we felt we could do more to reach out to a greater audience. So we decided to make our music a little louder while being melodious at the same time. This led to the introduction of drums and violin in our band. Over the years, we realized that we would need to constantly innovate on our soundscape to generate mass appeal. We began using the ghatamto give the audience a taste of south Indian taal. In the meanwhile, my son, Shambhit, was also getting popular with the youth. Last year, he won the MTV drummer award of the year as well. We decided to include him and a guitarist, Shubham in our team. It has helped us in making our soundscape more modern and contemporary.

TSA: What would you suggest to someone who wants to pursue Indian classical music?
Shubhen: I have always laid stress on the importance of learning music. Listening to popular songs and reproducing them is fine. There’s nothing wrong in listening to and singing a Sonu Nigam song, but in order to truly enjoy music, one needs to go into its depth. You need to understand the rhythm, the beats, the raga on which it is based. It has always been my advice to people that if they learn music, they will make their musical experience much more enjoyable. Another important aspect is a need for a proper Guru. Indian classical music is based on systematic principles which cannot be learnt without a master.  Lastly, practice is the only thing which can make you perfect. The more you riyaaz, the better you get.

TSA: Over the last decade, we have seen significant usage of technology in music. Your take on it.
Shubhen: I am personally very happy with the way technology is being used to assist musicians. It all depends on how you use it – as long as the essence of the music is preserved and sounds are not distorted, there is no harm in using technology. Additionally, technology has enabled us to reach out to a much larger audience. Platforms such as Youtube are great tools. Every kind of music imaginable is now just a click away.

TSA: A final word to KGP students.
Shubhen: Performing at Spring Fest has always been pleasurable. I would like to request the organizers to reserve at least one slot for classical or fusion music along with rock and pop so that the audience is left with a taste of all kinds of music. I would particularly like to thank the organizers for their hospitality as well as the students for their support during the concert.

Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt is a noted slide guitarist. A pioneer in the field of Indian classical music and the creator of Mohan Veena, he is a Padma Shri and has also won a Grammy Award (1994) for his famous album, A Meeting by the River. Having worked with famous musicians such as Ry Cooder, Taj Mahal, Jerry Douglas and Matt Malley, and having toured almost the entire globe, he is no less than a legend today. The Scholars’ Avenue got a chance to interact with him after his breathtaking performance at Kalidas during Spring Fest.

TSA: Sir, first the Grammy, then the Padma Shree. How has the journey been like?
PVMB: It has been very satisfying of course. I am very happy. But then, a musician doesn’t work to win awards. We do our duties with humility and honesty and whatever awards we win are due to God’s grace. Occasional recognition is definitely an encouragement. Awards like Grammys are well known internationally and they do go a long way in popularizing your music.

TSA: You have had the opportunity to work with various western musicians like Ry Cooder, Taj Mahal and Jerry Douglas to name a few. You have successfully managed to bring out albums in collaboration with them. Your award winning album was with Ry Cooder.  How was your chemistry with them given their sense of music being a tad different from ours?
PVMB: The chemistry was excellent, and working with them was a new experience. I have some really pleasant memories. (pauses) The association depends largely on the musician’s skill and talent. While working with them, we do change our music but the soul and the purity of the tunes, hallmarks of Indian music, are never lost. And Indian classical music system having every scale mathematically possible definitely helps. This flexibility allows us to easily catch their tunes.

I like experimenting with different genres of music and meeting new people. I recently worked with jazz pianist Glen Charles. We made our album, Groove Caravan, in Edmonton, Canada. Also, last year, my album with Matt Malley (Oscar, Golden Globe and Grammy nominee), Sleepless Nights, released and it’s been getting good reviews. So yes, journey’s been wonderful.

TSA: You have been touring extensively. Any experiences you would like to share?
PVMB: Yes, I do get to tour a lot and have had an opportunity to visit 41 countries till now. (pause) I remember the first time I recorded with Ry Cooder. We only had the night to do the recordings. I had a flight from LA to New York at 6 in the morning. We were recording inside a church to make use of the natural reverb inside the cavernous hall. I managed to have a composition ready in mind in 10 minutes. The entire recording was completely impromptu. I had my Mohan Veena, and I was amazed to see Cooder working with 6 guitars simultaneously. We recorded the entire night and finished at 5:00 am and made 4 compositions in the process. Those went on to release in the form of the album, A Meeting by the River, which stayed on the Billboard charts for over 40 weeks.

There was one more interesting experience, with a Chinese lady, Jiebing Chen. At that time, she didn’t know English and I had no idea about Chinese. So I was, without doubt, hesitant initially. However, the seven musical notes are universal. That is more than enough to come together and make music.
TSA: Tell us more about the Mohan Veena.
PVMB: The Mohan Veena is basically a modified guitar. It has an arched body instead of a flat one. It consists of twenty strings out of which about twelve are sympathetic strings – they work as resonators. When tuned correctly, these start vibrating when a note is played on one of the main strings. I also added athumba at the left end. Since it no longer resembled a guitar in appearance and construction, somebody suggested that I change its name- so I christened it Mohan Veena after my middle name in 1967.

TSA: What, according to you, are the most important qualities required to learn music?
PVMB: The student needs to have some aptitude for music. Discipline and a sense of responsibility are also important. They also have to be prepared for any possibility- just being talented doesn’t mean you’ll be successful. Nevertheless, they must work hard. You should do your Karma and leave the rest to God.

TSA: Thanks a lot for sparing time for us.

PVMB: Thank you. It’s been a pleasure

Chandresh Kudwa is one of India’s most worshipped guitarists, and has played with a number of bands including Thor, Freedom, Nexus, Vedic Chant and Dream Out Loud. He is also involved in a project called Axe-Tortion, a collaboration of various guitarists from across the country. The Scholars’ Avenue caught up with Kudwa this Spring Fest, and he obligingly shared his views on life, the guitar and everything…

TSA: What is your inspiration in life?
C.K: Life is inspirational in itself. You could choose to look at it in the most negative way possible and it may feel like a real downer or you could look at the various people and things around you with a more positive perspective and get inspiration on a daily basis. As far as music and guitarists go, Steve Vai and Joe Satriani inspired me most. Some drummers have also been pretty inspirational for me.

TSA: At what age did you first pick up the guitar?

C.K: 14 years.

TSA: Any guitarist who inspired your style of playing?

C.K: At this point of time, I feel I have a style of my own and a way of playing that makes me come up with stuff more naturally without having to pause and think about what to play. It is only through years of practice that you reach a stage where you don’t get stuck. Now, I can take up a guitar and just strum away without worrying about what ‘line’ to choose.

However, if tomorrow I am asked to play for a T.V commercial and they ask me to play something bluesy or Hendrix, I will try to search inside me for that, but that is not me…it will just remain a job where I lend my services to a commercial project.

TSA: A career in music is not the most sought after. Moreover, you are an improvisation guitarist which appeals only to a small community of people. How do you manage?

C.K: It is upon the individual to figure out whether he/she has the talent to succeed, since today a career in music is much easier due to exposure through Internet and social networking websites. Luckily, my parents were very supportive so I had no problems. However, it’s about earning that faith in you. Going and playing in a rock band and doing all the stuff you are not supposed to won’t inspire that confidence. Deep down inside even you need to realize how good or bad (talent wise) you are for others to have that faith in you. You could be a good musician and not get enough support from your parents – in that case you are plain unlucky. However if you are just another ‘so-called’ musician then maybe you deserve it.

TSA: Improvisation is really advanced guitar work. Did it come to you naturally?

C.K: Improvisation cannot come naturally to anyone. It only comes with a lot of hard work, learning and practice. If I listen to a two-second part today, it might take me as long as two years to get it right. A lot depends upon individual skill too.

TSA: There is a lot of blood and toil behind C.K, so to speak, and love for the guitar. One piece of advice you would like to give any guitarist/musician just starting?

C.K: Yes…I just love it (playing the guitar). One piece of advice I would like to give is to develop patience, not just for music but for life in general. If you want something fast, it’s not going to happen. Develop patience and determination and you shall achieve what you want.

Indian Ocean is India’s foremost contemporary fusion music band, and has to its credit the first live album released by anIndian band. They were in town recently for Spring Fest 2011, and were kind enough to acquiesce to our request for a Q&A, which is reproduced below.

1. Music that was relaxing, interesting and engaging- all rolled into one memorable evening! You’ve surely got to hear the great amount of positive feedback to your performance. What was it like for you?

It was wonderful. The last time we were here was not such a great experience, but after this show all we have is great memories. All in all, it was great fun.

2. You very easily fell into casual conversation with the gathered crowd. Has it always been this way with the audiences that you play before?

We are fairly comfortable with ourselves and with being on stage. The casualness is something we really like.

3. Why the long duration between this and the previous release? How effective has distributing songs over the web been? These, and any other details you’d like to tell us about.

We take long to make music because of a couple of reasons, one being that we are lazy and the other that our songs brew like good coffee. Only when all of us are happy do our songs reach the audience, so it takes time. The free distribution has been great as it cuts out the middle man and we can interact with our fans directly.
4. We heard songs with lyrics in at least three languages at the concert and of course, the awesome bass tapping! How do you bring in these different styles into your music?

We don’t think, “Oh! We must make a song in this language, or that language.” It’s far more organic. One of us will get influenced or hear something which we like and that’s what inspires us.
5. What do you have to say about themes of your albums or songs?

We have nothing to say – We feel they speak for themselves.

6. How would you comment on the general taste of those who listen to Indian Ocean? Which kinds of songs have been best received? Do you plan to score music for more films in the coming future?

If the scripts come our way we will definitely do the ones we like. The other part of your question is way too corporate to answer… People like what we play and that’s that.
7. Indian Ocean has been successful and active for many years now. How has your own music changed over the years?

Change is the most constant thing, as we all know, and we are no different. The music has evolved over the years and will continue to do so.
8. Before we forget, let’s slip this one in: how did the name of the band come about?

Susmit’s father suggested it and we all loved it.

9. What would be your advice to those who pursue music seriously?

Just have fun while you’re doing it, that’s all.
10. Lastly, what will we see Indian Ocean doing next?

Hopefully more gigs and having a great time.

So if you have any questions that you think affects a sizable set of students, please do post them as comments here.

Thank You!!

–

The Scholars’ Avenue Team

The stalwart of the Department of Electrical Engineering, Professor T K Basu retired recently leaving behind a rich legacy from his time here at Kgp, first as a student and then as a professor. Professor Basu also taught at IIT Bombay and later served as the head of the Center of Educational Technology which was instrumental in developing the video courses for Kgp students. Now busy in another professional sphere at Kolkata, The Scholars’ Avenue managed to catch up with Prof. Basu on his farewell visit to the Institute, unearthing some candid moments and a lot of nostalgia.

TSA: As is well known, your association with Kharagpur goes right back to your student days; what memories do you have of that time?

TKB: I was a student at IIT Kharagpur from 1963-70 and was a boarder of the Patel and JCB halls of residence. I was the Mess Secretary at Patel for two years at a time just before the Green Revolution when there was acute scarcity of food in India.

Kharagpur shaped me as an individual and helped me build my confidence. I remember those used to be highly taxing days with 37 periods over five and a half days. We had NCC after 4:30 three days a week for two hours and would hardly get any rest. We had a lot of submissions especially drawing, workshop PT files and very extensive practicals. We had both open and closed book exams in a trimester system. I remember having 12 papers in my third year.

Apart from self-confidence, I gained exposure to different cultures, languages and personalities. Kharagpur in a way is mini-India. You start noting your limitations, not only in your personality, but in your culture and daily habits, unlike in a closed society. I now miss the competitions that the Gymkhana used to have in all languages. Even with three competitors, there used to be inter-hall and open IIT elocution and music competitions in languages like Punjabi and Malayalam. We had dramatics and debate competitions as well.

Nowadays the semester is very tight; students don’t have any time to think, to socialize, to participate in games & sports and cultural activities. I think the semesters should be longer. There should be more holidays during the semester. Students should be encouraged to take up different activities like trekking. The best period on campus is the winter time. We never had a winter break. Brigadier Bose started the winter sports trend in the ‘70s when he was the Director of the institute. That period then used to be full of sports and games.

TSA: What were your hobbies and extra-academic pursuits?

TKB: I was into cards. I represented Patel Hall in Bridge competitions. After joining the department in 1980, I took charge of the department society and introduced Bridge competition between the faculty and the students. I looked at this as a platform to break barriers between the students and the teachers, an activity that both parties enjoyed.

TSA: Any negatives that you witnessed during your student days?

TKB: I managed to stay away from the negative things going on around me. Even today, I am against ragging. In those days, ragging used to be partly interesting. There was more discipline and discretion that is not there today. Now ragging has become very vulgar and aggressive. India was yet to benefit from the impending green revolution; the food was of very poor quality.

On a relevant note, I’ve noted that the students have become more indifferent to what’s going on around them over the years. Even the teachers are less interested in student affairs now. Of course, the classrooms weren’t as large then. There should be more platforms for interaction. Instead of having a compressed semester followed by long breaks, have longer working periods with different activities to engage teachers, their families and students together.

TSA: Back in our October 2007 Issue, Prof S K Som, in his interview as the new Dean of Academic Affairs opined,

“Personally, I feel that the academic performance is not as good as it should be, especially for the Undergraduate students. This could possibly be due to loss of interest and motivation after stepping into IIT. This problem has increased in recent times. I have been here for a long time. The love for academics that was seen in students earlier is seen in very few students now.

Do you agree that the love of academics that was seen in many students earlier is seen in very few students now? It is often noted by teachers that a large section of students at IITs who are academically inclined eventually lose their interest for a plethora of reasons. How do you think the Institute and the faculty can address this issue?

TKB: This is not the fault of the students alone. The students’ aspirations are moulded by their parents. Now a student comes to IIT to get a rubber stamp and get a better job, not to become a good academician. Many students aim to go abroad and earn more money. These aspirations have been moulded by the schools, by the parents, by the society. Even then I feel that IIT still attracts a bright section of students who are committed to academics. IIT students should not be cut out for run-off-the mill jobs. Working for money does not live up to your potential.

Now that I am out of IIT, I can concede that it’s not only the students who have grown to show less inclination towards academics. The faculty is also responsible. The faculty should take more care when they are teaching. On the other hand, if the faculty member has to publish papers for promotion and bring forward projects, it becomes a distraction from the main job of teaching. This is not the faculty’s fault; rather this is the fault of the system that has been created from the top which the faculty is constrained to follow. I’m not saying that these things are not necessary, but none of these should serve as a substitute for teaching. Teaching is primary.

It is also very important to keep the students motivated as they study. I find that the conventional timetable schedule system of taking classes should be broken. Appoint a few more teachers. Research scholars and M.Tech students should be trained to teach. Pick a few good students early and interest them in teaching. At the same time, let them go on to improve their academic qualifications. Nowadays we want readymade teachers! Bright students go away to other foreign universities or for jobs; only a few of the middle-rankers come for MTechs and only  a few genuinely motivated come for PhDs, who too join jobs on completion. Motivation has to be created at a very early age. It’s a wrong selection process that you want people of a very high standard, but you don’t give them time to grow.

TSA: What are the positive changes that you’ve observed in the students over the years?

TKB: Students are now much more informed. And the fact that IITs are still attracting bright students is heartening indeed.

TSA: What is your view on the steady loss of our students to other countries?

TKB: Jawaharlal Nehru once said, “The IITians are the entrepreneurs of modern India who will build the country”. You must realise your potential. One of our Outstanding Alumnus awardees: Mr. R N Khanna (Electrical Engineering ’61) left his cosy job at Siemens, Germany to set up a small factory in the garage in his backyard. This establishment is now one of the largest power equipment companies in Noida. Even today, I don’t think India is getting much in return for the education. I believe that if public money is going into their education, the students of IIT must serve the state for at least five years, preferably in the public sector. Except for higher studies, nobody should be permitted to go anywhere without compulsory service.

TSA: As the head of Centre of Educational Technology, you have seen Indian Education system from close quarters. Mr. Kabil Sibal has plans to liberalize the current university and school system. What’s your take on such a drastic change?

TKB: I don’t support the privatization of education at all. I support the idea of education totally nationalized. Develop a uniform syllabus and therefore, a uniform education for all. Education should be for everyone- rich and poor, free of cost. Why should anybody be deprived of primary schooling. Don’t you feel the small kid serving tea and washing dishes in Tikka’s deserves as much education as you did? Every child should have a childhood. There should not be any sort of discrimination.

I’m in favour of an Open-IIT system- an open education system. Why should there be restricted education. After all, IIT is meant for the country; it is the country’s asset. Even in MIT, they have a system for taking in some general students. JEE has caused a lot of damage to the IIT system. With such a large student population and a limited number of seats, the competition becomes very dirty and breaks all kind of ethics, and that is reflected in professional lives of students later on. It’s not necessary that you must have an IIT degree to be successful. How many entrepreneurs have an engineering degree? When I was the co-ordinator of the IIT-Kharagpur- NUS student exchange programme, I went to Singapore and found that two drop-outs who turned entrepreneurs were among the largest employers on campus.

I believe that outstanding students should be free from other subject requirements so that they can pursue their interests with dedication. I am in favour of special topic subjects in the final year, if electives are being offered. Give a chance to the students to learn on their own and be tested accordingly.We lack the flexibility of the Russian and American systems. We can have a different kind of assessment mechanism. I’m not in favour of a regular routine kind of examination system. There should be some subjects where there should be more of flexibility. I fully agree with Kapil Sibal’s initiative to not have any Board examinations in class X. I am usually in the minority when I campaign for no exams. People laugh at me, though students like me! No examination does not mean no assessment. By no examination, I mean no conventional examination. Kabil Sibal does not say that there will be no evaluation. You can have evaluation on a day to day basis.

I believe that the best system is that when I teach, I should be the absolute evaluator. Why should a third party come and judge my students? It is the teacher’s responsibility to ensure the quality and the student’s responsibility to ensure that he can defend whatever his teacher has taught him. The system of having an invigilator during the examination is bad. When there is an exam at CET, there is no teacher in the class. I believe that way a student realizes that it is his responsibility as well and the desire to copy diminishes. Make at least 50% of the examinations open-book exams. The tendency to cheat will go. Moreover this will ensure that the students are more thorough with their course material. I have been getting a very strong moral support in my approach to the various issues of teaching and learning by my senior colleague Prof. A.K.Ray of CET and also by Prof. A.K.Ray of ECE deptt.(currently VC of BESU, Shibpur)

TSA: What is your opinion on students taking up alternative career paths?

TKB: I am not against different career paths. For instance, as an electrical engineer, I myself wouldn’t mind taking up some aspects of finance modelling as the skill set required is similar though ends may be different. I believe that technical people are required from time to time in every line of work. Sometimes, they are better suited to understand and appreciate various problems. Technical people are required today in various walks of administration.

TSA: Do you think that the IIT faculty was justified in protesting against the pay scales?

TKB: I don’t really want to comment on this. But the fact that the Government has set different standards for other Universities is somewhat insulting to the IIT faculty. Whatever scale the Government suggests should be consistent. On the other hand, the Government spending on infrastructure and other facilities in IITs is good enough in itself.

I was initially at NIT Kurukshetra and later at IIT Bombay- the pay scales were the same. There was hardly any difference in the scales everywhere. In 1991, the post of Associate Professor was created. I would personally say that being in an IIT is good enough. IIT professors should not get any special scale. But again, there is a strong lobby of bureaucrats who are against teachers. This is something that I don’t like.

TSA: Where are you now heading?

TKB: I’ve already joined Aliah University, which is the latest university set up by the Government of West Bengal. This is a university that focuses on the education of minorities. I’m joining as the Dean of Science and Engineering. There is no separate college presently. This is an institute modelled on the principles of our IIT system. I believe that students should be employable once they pass out- education should generate jobs. The IIT model is saleable. However there are some changes that should be incorporated in the education model even in the IITs. First and foremost, current examination systems should be smashed. If a student fails, it’s the failure of the teacher also as he has not been able to inspire the student to study. When I fail a student, I feel restless: I try to help the student. But everybody cannot be passed. You must call the student, point out his weaknesses and try to help him out. The students should be counselled properly. I believe that the teachers are the best counsellors. We plan to incorporate some of these changes in our system at Aliah University.

TSA: Speaking of counselling, is it not disturbing that there have been several student suicides in Kharagpur over the past few months?

TKB: Parents should understand that not everyone can be an engineer or a doctor. Everyone should simply aim to be good citizens of the country. Different jobs require different people. Indeed, we have a much skewed education model. We have several engineering colleges with no teachers and seats going vacant. As far as the situation in IIT goes, I think the students need more counselling at the first year level. Learning should not be a burden- there should be joy in learning. The generation gap that has come up of late also needs to be dealt with.

About the counselling centre that has been set up recently, I don’t know how professional the counsellors are. In fact, I believe, if you are good at heart, you do not need any external counsellors. I remember the time when I successfully counselled a group of drug addicts, especially a couple of tough cases. All that was needed was a little special care. Their improvement was truly extraordinary, proving that in life, even the last person can never be written off. I have faith in all my students. If someone is a liability, it’s because he was made one.

TSA: What’s your take on the issue of reservation?

TKB: For several years, a large section of the population was suppressed and therefore provided with reservation to aid in their uplift .There will definitely be a decrease in the overall quality, but I think it is necessary. But I believe there should be a check as well; benefits should not be passed on from generation to generation. This facility is a matter of self-respect and should be used as a last resort for uplift. The problem of reservation can easily be countered with some sympathy and practical outlook. After all, social injustice should not be tolerated.

TSA: Any final message to the students of this institute?

TKB: I would like to tell all the IIT students to have more of creative activities on campus. Insist on more holidays and longer semesters so that you can participate in such activities. These are an essential part of life. Extra Academic Activities should be made compulsory for all the 5 years. You professional life requires team spirit which comes with working together and playing games. I wish you all the best.

Read on as he gets candid with TSA.

TSA: As a child, you embarked on a different path, when you decided to pursue music. You came from a family with no background in music. What message would you want go give to people who aspire to do something very different from what everyone expects them to?

HC: Yes, I came from a family of wrestlers, but my love for music led me to where I am today.  One should just go with what God wants him to do. It is true that what your parents say is important and they are a manifestation of God in your life. But ultimately do what you think you are meant to do. Your motivation and your drive to pursue your interests will take you where you like it best.

TSA: As a child, it is difficult to learn music because you don’t understand what you are doing and you don’t appreciate its beauty. And by the time you begin to enjoy it, you are too late to start learning.

HC: It is important to find a good teacher. A good teacher will make you understand and appreciate music. And it’s not difficult to find that kind of a teacher. When a person has an urge to smoke, even in the dead of the night, he will try his best and find a shop that is still open to get his cigarettes. If you have an addiction for art you will find the right guru. Also, no age is too late to start learning music.

TSA: You initially started learning Classical Vocals. How did you make a transition to the flute?

HC: Yes, I started with vocals but later, I was enraptured by the Bansuri. But that doesn’t mean I stopped singing. An instrumentalist sings through his instrument. You might not have a melodious voice but that doesn’t stop you. When you are not a good looking person, you do not stop dressing up nicely, do you?

TSA: What do you think of technology being involved in bettering the design and structure of instruments in order to enhance their appeal?

HC: You can make music out of any instrument. Look at the Bansuri. It’s just an unattractive piece of bamboo.  No strings or leather. Nothing that gives it the look of an instrument. In spite of that, it is capable of creating such a beautiful melody.

TSA: Tell us about your experience with Western music and international musicians.

HC: There is something for us to learn from Western music, and there is always something which they can learn from us as well. Working with a Western artist is a process of give and take. I am a faculty at the Rotterdam Music Conservatory. [He heads the World Music Department there].  It is a University in the Netherlands, bigger than yours, with about 6000 students learning music. People in the West are very enthusiastic to embrace our culture, and they are very curious about the same. They are amazed at the fact that they take the help of music sheets to play for half and hour and we can go on for hours without any aid. I have been a faculty at Rotterdam for 20 years now. I spend 6 months every year in that place. But I get paid for the whole year (Grins).

TSA: What do you think of the numerous reality shows on TV? Do you think they are a good way of finding talent?

HC: They do find talent. But what about grooming the talent? They only groom their external appearance. It ends at a contract or big prize money. Nobody cares what might happen to the child later on. Even parents think it’s good because their child is earning some money. Instead they should give the child a proper education, find him a place in a music academy or take him to a guru under whom he or she can further improve upon their skills.

TSA: Music needs a lot of discipline. What do have to say about the traditional guru-shishya relationship, especially in the present context?

HC: I think that kind of devotion still exists. When you have a good teacher, you respect him or her. My Guru, Shrimati Annapurna Devi, was not even a flute player, she was a vocalist. You don’t need a flute player to learn the flute. She was the daughter of Ustad Allauddin Khan, a world renowned legend and a maestro of several instruments. I haven’t seen a better musician.

TSA: As students, we find very little time to pursue our interests such as learning a new instrument.

HC: IIT Bombay has a centre for learning music. You should have one too. You will get good teachers as long as you pay them well. If you are really interested, you should fight for it. If you are given a room without a bathroom, you will fight for it, won’t you?

TSA: How was your experience in IIT Kharagpur?

HC: I have been here four times already and I liked it. I have come here even before you people were born. I however like IIT Delhi, Madras and Bombay campuses better. It is not about being a new or old place, but I think they are better maintained.

An aggressive corporate – ad guru, gastronome and restaurateur, cigar connoisseur, scuba diver, globe trotter or a celebrity who has become a �page three� phenomenon, call him what you want, but the fact remains that he is the brain behind many of India’s most memorable ad campaigns. Here he is, in candid conversation…

PK: The Scholars’ Avenue � is it one of those underground campus newspapers? Like the one in IIT-B?

TSA: No Sir, we are overboard! The Scholars’ Avenue is the campus newsletter, for students and faculty alike.

PK: Oh! In St. Xavier’s, they had this team of enthusiasts who went to print with the most honest of critical reviews (of classes) by the least obedient of students. They would drop stacks from the tower, littering the basketball court with paper! It weren’t just the students hopping to grab these floating fiascos, the fathers would join in as well, equally eager (read ‘anxious’) to see how they were featured! It was a couple of years before the racket was finally busted. I got all this low-down from my employee, a dropout from Xavier’s

TSA: Sir, as we understand, most of your employees are drop-outs?

PK: Most? All! I got a gang of conmen working under me, just short of hiring a murderer or a rapist!

TSA: What about your employees from film-schools and acting institutes?

PK: They are dropouts as well. Parents were bugging them to earn a living, so they joined the army barracks. However, after hours of jogging with rifles on your shoulders, they decided ‘acting’ was a better alternative.

TSA: Sir, how did you get started with advertising? Could you elaborate on the humble beginning?

PK: It was a pleasant afternoon. I was walking past an office. People were lunching on the lawn outside this bungalow. Then, I notice these nice pair of legs in a mini-skirt, the best I have seen in a while. I walk inside, approach her and strike a conversation with ‘I want to join this company’. Amused, she looks at me and says, ‘Do you even know what we do?’. I replied, ‘I don’t care any longer’.

TSA: You are one of the most successful directors in the ad-genre of filmmaking. What would you personally hold as the most distinguishing trait in a good director?

PK: It’s all about visualizing the script when you read it. Direction is like vocabulary, finding the right words, apt under the circumstances. What makes a good director is his ability to see it all in his head. If you can’t see it, you are blind. Then you do what you do for either bucks or reference.

TSA: Your favourite advertisements, apart from your own.

PK: Would be the Nike one � the advertisement was beyond just creativity. On paper, the concept’s just too chaotic … a boisterous mob in a traffic jam with a bunch of opportunists seizing the moment with some cranky cricketing fervour! Really can’t imagine how the company trusted the ad-designer with this one! Great ads aren’t just about good directors but clients who have confidence in their copyrighters. Most of the leading copyrighters I know have all been IITians.

TSA: Ads apart, Prahlad Kakkar is cigars and scuba diving. You own a cigar factory and an island for scuba-diving. How did you get started on these business ventures?

PK: I preferred cigars to cigarettes. But then, cigars were too expensive, a Cuban cigar costs me $ 15 when I could manufacture equally good Cigars in the Philippines for a couple of dollars! So, the idea was not to make money but to smoke cigars for free. People say I am rich, just because I own an island for my scuba-diving sport! The annual lease for the island just over a lakh rupees!

TSA: If you had to describe yourself in a word or a line…

PK: When I was in college, I had three girl-friends at a time. I would juggle them around. In fact, those days, I needed to maintain a notebook to jot the dates down, just to make sure I don’t mess with the names and places! It was all going smooth till one evening, the three of them independently turned up at the same party! I was cornered and that night, I lost the three of them in one shot and I had this ‘rotten’ tag tailing me. It was then I decided that regardless of what they say, I shall say the truth. I am bluntly honest.