Born into a fourth-generation musical family in Kolkata, Pandit Debojyoti Bose’s cultural inheritance was shaped not just by bloodline but by rigorous training under Ustad Amjad Ali Khan of Delhi. He recalled that at the age of nine, he started playing tabla guided by his father. At 12, his mother introduced him to the strings of melody, and he switched to sitar, and eventually sarod.
His father, Pandit Biswanath Bose, a noted tabla exponent and disciple of Pandit Kanthe Maharaj, laid the foundation of 'taal', while his mother, Bharati Bose, introduced him to melody. She was a disciple of Ustad Mushtaq Ali Khan and Ustad Ali Akbar Khan.
In a conversation with TMS, Pandit Bose said, "Although music was inherent in the family, our parents were very liberal. They always told me and my siblings to do what we love. Music felt an inseparable part of our lives."
Bose's life has been about passion and the curiosity to find more. Shaped by endless travel from the age of 16, he said, he realised that he wanted to dedicate his life to music. "Even after decades of practising, I am a musician first. I don't do it because I want medals pinned across my chest or to gain fame. I do it because this is what makes me complete," he said.
He said his guru, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, surprised him by being present during his Delhi show at Kamani Auditorium. He said no award is bigger than performing in front of him. “He appreciated my work and sat through the evening, and I was overwhelmed. I consider it an achievement," he said.
Carrying it forward
Bose has been the ustad’s disciple for over 45 years and carries forward the legacy of the Senia Bangash Gharana. He has absorbed not just the technique but the true significance of the guru-shishya parampara. He said, "Guruji hasn't just taught me the instrument; he has guided me through the darkest phases of life. After I lost my father at a very young age, Guruji has guided me, supported me and made sure that I can sustain myself."
Affectionately known as Tony, Bose blends traditional rigour with lyrical innovation. "There is ample scope of structuring, restructuring and remodelling after one learns the basics. Our Indian classical music is so rich that it is wrong to tie it to just one formula," he said.
Sagging interest?
He has performed in several countries, and feels that the West is more interested in the sarod and Indian classical music than the audience back home. "I fear that people in this country will let go of the heritage because of Westernisation, particularly among younger audiences. Preserving this culture is very important," he said.
He said it is important to preserve tradition while engaging with contemporary sensibilities. Bose's music serves as a reminder of the depth of the gharanas, where discipline and devotion to the guru are key to the preservation of classical heritage.