Breathing life into bamboo
In 1920, Barisal (now in Bangladesh), a boy wanders along the banks of the Kirtankhola river, his curious eyes scanning the waters. The air is filled with the songs of birds. As he searches for a stick to play with, his gaze falls upon a flute floating on the surface. In the silence, a note is born. A gentle whisper of breath, a subtle vibration of the air, and the instrument's sweet melody unfolds. For nine-year-old Pannalal Ghosh, this was more than just music — it was a language of the soul, and a sound so divine, it transported him to a realm beyond the ordinary.
Two years later, while exploring the outdoors, he meets a wandering sadhu — his eyes radiating wisdom and calm. The sadhu, holding a shankh (conch) and a flute, looks at Pannalal and offers him the instrument with a gentle smile. “Music will be your salvation.” His words resonated within Pannalal. In that very moment, he felt an inexplicable sense of purpose, as if the universe had whispered its secrets in his ear.
Who would have known these chance encounters would change the course of life of the young lad, who would eventually come to be known as the one who revolutionised the Hindustani classical music with his melodic bansuri skills! Born into a family of musicians on July 24, 1911, at Barisal, Pannalal began his initial training under his father, Akshay Kumar Ghosh, a renowned sitarist.
During the early 1930s in Kolkata, he underwent training under Ustad Khushi Mohammed Khan, a harmonium virtuoso and classical music maestro. After his guru’s passing, Pannalal sought guidance from Pandit Girija Shankar Chakraborty, a scholar and musician of great repute. However, it was his training under Ustad Allauddin Khan in 1947 that transformed his art. Allauddin Khan's wisdom, rigorous training and deep understanding of music breathed new life into Pannalal's flute playing.
His distinctive playing style seamlessly merged gayaki (vocal-inspired) and tantkari (stringed instrument-inspired) elements. It was in 1940 that Sneh Bandhan, his first film as an independent music composer was released, bringing to life timeless melodies with hits like Aabroo ke kamaanon mein and Sneh bandhan mein bandhe hue. A decade later, he joined forces with two Indian music legends — Ustad Ali Akbar Khan and Pandit Ravi Shankar — for the groundbreaking score of Aandhiyan (1952).
As years went by, he became a household name. With every note, people would say, he wove tales of love, longing and transcendence, stirring the soul while allowing emotions to flow freely.
