Told by	Swapna Mukherji
Obtained by	Suranjita Paul
Date	2nd March 2017
Place	60/2/7 Kabi Bharati Sarani, Lake Road. Kolkata- 700029
About the speaker	Swapna Mukherji is a well-known Sitar Player. She is the daughter as well as a disciple of Sri Amiya Bhushan Chattopadhyay [disciple of Pt. Lakshman Bhattacharya].  She was a graded Staff artist of All India Radio, served both in Raipur and Calcutta Station of All India Radio.
Tags	Lakshman Bhattacharya, Amiya Bhushan Chattopadhyay, Sukumar Basu, Aparesh Chatterjee, Badal Das, Sitar, Sarod, 1921, 2012, Moody, All India Radio, Broadcast, Garstin Place, Programme, Chetla Conference, Shyambazar,
Language	Bengali

Swapna Mukherji speaks:

 

Verbatim:

?????????? ??, ????…. ??????? ???????????, ???? ???????? ????? ???? ???? ?????? ????? ????? ?????, ???? ???????? ???????????? ??? ??-??? ???? ??? ???? ??? ??? ???? ???? ????? ???? ????? ???? ??? ??????? ??? ????? ??????? ???? ??????? ??? ???? ?????, ????? ?????????? ??? ???? ????? ?? ??? ?????? ?????? ???? ???? ??, ???? ??? ???? ?? ??????? ??? ?????? ??????? ????? ???????? ????-? ???? ???? ?? ???? ???? ???? ?????

?? ????????? ?????? ?????? ?? ??????? ?????, ???? ???? ?????, ???? ?????????? ??? ?? ????? ?????? ????? ?????, ?????? ?????? ??? ???? ?????? ????? ??? ?? ????? ???? ??????????? ????? ?????? ??, ??????? ?? ????? ??? ?????? ???? ??? ????

?????? ?????????, ??????? ?????, ??? ?? ???? ????????? ??? ????? ???? ???? ???? ???? ??????? ?? ?????? ???? ????? ???? ?????????? ???? ????, ? ??????? ????? ??? ??? ?????? ???? ?? ???? ???? ???? ????? ?????? ??? ??????, ??? ????? ?????? ??? ???? ?????, -‘???? ???? ???? ????? ??? ????? ???? ????? ?????? ???? ???? ??’? ???? ????? ??? ??? ????? ????? ?????? ????? ?? ‘????? ??? ???? ?????? ??? ?? ???? ???????, ?????? ???? ???? ??? ????? ?????? ??? ????? ????’- ??? ?? ???????? ???? ???? ?????? ????????? ???????

??’? ??’? ????? ????? ????? ?????? ?? ?????????? ????????? ?????, ????? ?????????? ??????? ?????? ????? ????? ???? ??? ????? ????? ?????? ??, ?????? ???? ???? ????? ???, ?????? ???? ??? ??????? ???? ?????? ??????? ???? ??????? ???? ???? ???? ??? ???? ?????, ??? ????? ??? ??????? ?????? ???? ??? ????? ???? ??? ??? ????? ?????? ??? ???? ?????? ????? ??????, ????, ???? ???????? ?? ??? ?????? ?? ???? ?? ?? ???? ?????? ??? ??? ??????? ????? ?????? ????? ???? ?????? ???? ??? ???? ????? ?? ??? ???? ?????? ??’? ????? ????? ?????? ???? ??? ????? ?? ??????? ???? ??? ??? ??? ???? ???????

?????? ?????? ?? ?? ???? ??? ????? ?? ??? ????? ?? ??? ???? ??? ???? ????? ??? ??? ?? ???????? ?????? ????? ???? ????, ???????????? ?????, ???????????? ??? ??????????? ???? ???? ???? ????? ?????? ???? ???? ????? ?????? ????? ???? ??-??????? ?????? ????? ????? ???, ???? ??? ??????? ??? ?????? ??……???? ????? ????? ?????? ????

???? ?? ????? ???? ?????, -‘?? ??? ??? ?? ??’?

??? ??? ?? ??’? – ‘???? ???? ????, ??????? ?????!’

?? ??? ???? ????? ??? ????? ???? ????? ????? ???? ?? ?? ??? ???? ???? ?????? ??? ???? ??? ??? ??? ?? ????? ????? ????? ???? ??? ????? ???? ???, ???? ???? ??? ????? ????? ???? ?????

Verbatim by: Dr. Suranjita Paul

Translation:

My father, Amiyabhushan Chattopadhyay, was one of Lakshmanda’s, that is, Lakshman Bhattacharya’s favourite students. I remember the names of a few others because they used to visit my father. For instance, there was Sukumar Basu. There was someone called Aparesh Chattrjee – I had only heard of him, never seen him. There was someone called Badal Das who could play the sitar and the sarod. He was born in 1921 and passed away in 2012.

Lakshman da was an incredible artist. He was very moody and somewhat apathetic towards worldly interests. He was dead against self-publicity and avoided it at all costs. He had a tendency of disappearing, so his students would take turns to make sure that he stayed put.

 In those days, programmes on the radio used to be broadcast live. My father used to keep an eye on him. Our house was very close to the Akashbani Bhavan. My father would bring him to our house and make him stay there. He would get angry and say, “Why are you following me like this? Don’t keep me under surveillance!” Father would change the subject and say, “We are so fortunate to ahve found a guru like you. The more time we can spend with you, the better it is for us.” And he would make him perform for the radio.

It had happened a few times that Lakkhan da had a programme, but he was nowhere to be found. This happened a few times during the Chetla conference. These are all stories I’ve heard from father. They’d find him at the crematorium. He used to go and sit there. He seemed indifferent about the world. Maybe he liked it att he creamatorium, that’s why he sat there. He was extremely genial and pleasant. He called my grandmother ‘mother’, and referred to my mother as ‘bouma’ or daughter-in-law. He had a tender disposition. I’ve never heard from father anything about his rage. He was like this, but he was also very, very moody. The students would take turns to keep an eye on him.

Anyway, such measures did not prove preventive in the end. He passed away when he was just 39. He was unmarried. He was at his brother’s house in Shyambazar. I don’t know the exact address. He passed away in that house. His nephew came to our house, dressed in mourning. My father was the first person he informed. Father was shocked when he saw him and asked, “What has happened?” Then he said, “Uncle passed away. He had fever for a couple of days!” He paased away at a very young age. I wonder what would have happened had he lived. He had attained such fame at such an young age that even now his name is heard in certain corners. For instance, you have come to ask me about him!

Translated by: Sarbajaya Bhattacharya

 Picture Courtesy:

Smt. Swapna Mukherji, Renowned Sitarist and graded Staff artist of AIR

Note: Shri Amiya Bhushan Chattopadhyay is the father of Smt. Swapna Mukherji – Editor

 

Edited & Designed: Dr. Suranjita Paul

Data processed at SAP-DRS Lab, Department of Instrumental Music, Rabindra Bharati University