BENGALURU: There is rarely a musician, with whom the legacy of a style of music itself comes to an end. Annapurna Devi was one of them,” says Nityanand Haldipur, a disciples of the acclaimed surbahar player. On Tuesday, a documentary on her life was screened at Indian Institute for Human Settlements in the city.
Produced by Sangeet Natak Akademi and directed by Nirmal Chander, the film, titled Guru Maa, starts with the legend’s death ceremony. It also takes viewers to her home in Maihar, Madhya Pradesh, where she learned music from her father, Ustad Allauddin Khan, the founder of the Maihar-Senia gharana. “Baba was strict about following the nuances of each raaga, and so was Annapurna ji. She was a carrier of her father’s heritage,” Haldipur adds.
The 69-minute film attempts to understand her life and the tough decisions she took. Haldipur says that only three recordings of her are available, some of which were secretly recorded while she was playing with her first husband, Pt Ravi Shankar.
The documentary includes an interview of her with Shekhar Sen, chairperson, Sangeet Natak Akademi. She talks about Baba and her brother Ali Akbar Khan. "But here too, she hardly looks at the camera," Haldipur recalls.
Surrounded by male exponents in the field, the contributions of Devi often went amiss. "At 13, she became adept in playing Surbahar, which is more complicated than sitar. When she decided to quit public performances, there were not many to stop her. The male-dominated society just kept quiet," he adds.
The film has been majorly developed through her disciples’ experiences, including those of Hariprasad Chaurasia and Nikhil Banerjee. They speak about her motherly affection, her last days, and how the death of her second husband and son sent her in shock. "Many of us didn’t know much about this iconic musician. Her life is fascinating. She dedicated it to preserve music in its pure form," said Vidya Kiran, a classical music student.