Ragas rule his heart

SD Sharma

Mohali-based bureaucrat Kashish Mittal has recently been accorded the prestigious A- grade artiste status in Hindustani classical music by the All-India Radio and Doordarshan. Presently posted in NITI Aayog, New Delhi, Kashish has served as additional deputy commissioner, Chandigarh, holding charge of various departments, and later DC, Tawang.   

After completing his B.Tech from IIT Delhi in Computer Science and Engineering, he had his internship at University of California, San Diego, California in 2008 before clearing his IAS exams in 2011. 

We catch up with Kashish to talk about his balanced approach to his passion and profession.

How and when were you were attracted to classical music?

Coming from a musical family, I and my younger brother, Lavish Mittal, were initiated into Hindustani classical music by our parents during our childhood, who loved to listen to classical music. We have been pursuing this art form ever since. 

Why Hindustani classical vocal music?

Our parents and gurus have been our inspiration since the beginning. Vocal music has always attracted me, but later, as I grew, I found out that vocal is the supreme genre as all instrumentalists too learn vocal music, which is the base.

Who is your guru? 

Initially I learnt from Prof Harvinder Singh, a disciple of Pt. Yashpaul, the maestro of the Agra Gharana. Later, I trained under Pt. Yashpaul for advanced training and have been learning from him ever since.

In the present music scenario, where does classical music stand?

Classical music is a fundamental art form and is the foundation of all forms of music. I think classical music has stood the test of time, and has managed to retain its identity over centuries despite the advent of many other forms of music. I am sure that classical music will continue to enrich the lives of generations and inspire them in the times to come. 

What is the role of gharanas? 

I feel that the guru-shishya parampara and tutelage under gharanas are integral part of our music tradition and crucial for producing performing artistes of the highest standard. Therefore it is essential to preserve this tradition in order to spread classical music across the world. 

Do you favour fusion music?

I respect and admire all forms of music. But personally, I have pursued classical music as it is very close to my heart.