Sitarist Ustad Shujaat Khan says his work must not be forced on the youth: 'It’s too beautiful'

Ustad Shujaat Khan

From the start of the year, Ustad Shujaat Khan has been going from city to city, stage to stage, taking his music to listeners across the country with his Strings & Wind tour. Back-to-back concerts may be demanding, but for the sitar maestro, they are also a blessing earned over decades. "I am tired every day," said Khan, 60, to mid-day. "When I come home from a concert, my body aches; my hips, shoulders, and fingers hurt. But this is the culmination of all the efforts of my life. If I didn't do this, what the hell would I do?"

The sitarist performed in Hyderabad on February 14. Performing, he insisted, is both duty and delight. "This is my job, and my pleasure."

For Khan, who - like his father, sitar virtuoso Ustad Vilayat Khan - trained in the Imdadkhani gharana, music has been at the centre of his life. An art that you learn and perfect patiently, and listen to intently. Today, when mainstream music has a short life span, Khan isn't perturbed about his brand of melody. Drawing parallels between his work and culinary offerings, he explained, "It's the difference between fast food and traditional foods. I want to present the same age-old biryani, dosa, lemon rice, which you can sit and quietly enjoy. I am not forcing you. I am not selling my biryani."

Classical music is sacred to him, and he is clear that it can't be imposed on the youth. "Please don't force-feed my music to anyone. It's too beautiful to be force-fed."

Ustad Shujaat Khan's next concert is in Mumbai on March 28