For My Guru, Ustad Zakir Hussain
When I first met my Guru, Ustad Zakir Hussain (Zakirbhai as I fondly called him), I was just five years old. My family had organised a musical programme of Pandit Jasraj and Ustad Zakir Hussain to honour the memory of my maternal grandmother, Sarojben Vyas. Backstage, I wandered into the green room, captivated by the presence of a tabla. Unable to resist, I began playing it. Zakirbhai entered the room, curious about who was playing his instrument. He asked, “Aapko bajana hai?” (Do you want to play it?) With innocent determination, I said, “Yes.” Smiling, he sat me on his lap, placed my tiny hands on the Tabla, and showed me how to play. Little did I know that this moment would forever change my life. Ustad Zakir Hussain became the first to place my hands on the Tabla, setting me on a path of musical devotion and excellence. Years later, at the age of 11, I had the courage to ask my Gurus, Ustad Alla Rakha and Ustad Zakir Hussain, to be strict with me, to …








