With legendary Sarangi Nawaz Sultan Khan’s demise, the world lost a creator of intriguingly pathos evoking melodies, however his disciple Dr Kashyap Dave, anaesthesiologist who learnt Sarangi from Khan last 25 years and is in close association with him since 1960, lost a father-figure and mentor.
Sharing his precious memories of past decades, Dave said, “Khansaab lived an anecdotal life which was like a journey from Bhilvas to Buckingham Palace. And I am fortunate to have known him since initial years as an artist that he spent in Bhilvas of Rajkot and at my place in Morbi.” Kashyap was also a ‘doctor’ to Khansaab’s sarangi, as only he was allowed to tune his sarangi while he came to perform in city.
Mohammad Rahim Tulla, former royal singer of state Morbi was guru Dr Dave’s father Prof B J Dave, ex-head of L E College of Engineering and Khansaab, who was staying in Bhilvaas in Rajkot during 1960s came in contact of his father through Tulla. An intimate circle of music lovers that included Tulla, Khansaab, Dave, Rasiklal Andharia – a vocalist of Bhavnagar and Shahnai-player Gaekwad from Vadodara spent weekends together at Morbi discussing, creating and practising classical music. And Dr Dave had the rare chance to grow up amidst these informal home-based music meets.
From early 1960s to 1971, the decade that Padma Bhushan awardee Sarangi nawaz Sultan Khan, spent in south Gujarat while he worked at Rajkot Akashvani radio station, were the founding years that groomed Khan from a music artist into an iconoclast performer. “Khansaab first break was at Rajkot Akashvani radio station before he shifted to Mumbai with help of Mangeshkar family,” said Dave.
Even after he came into limelight, Khansaab was less a celeb, more humble and humane. He has won numerous musical awards including, twice, the Sangeet Natya Academy Award, also known as the President’s Award, as well as the Gold Medalist Award of Maharashtra and the American Academy of Artists Award in 1998. In 1997 he was requested to perform at Prince Charles 50th birthday celebrations.
In 1998, Khan was selected to represent Saurashtra folk music at National Folk Festival due to his association with Rajkot radio station. “After his commendable performance the authorities wanted to express their honour and asked him, what he wanted in return. At that time, Khansaab asked them to give him the Sarangi instrument he played on his first job at Rajkot radio station.
He is also globally remembered for his sarangi tunes in film Gandhi and the blockbuster Umaravjaan. He sang “Albela sajan aayo re…”along with Shanker Mahadevan in the Hindi film “Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam” in 1999. He also sang along with Zakir Hussain in Mr and Mrs Iyer.
