Pluralism in verse

Krishnaraj Iyengar 

At his humble suburban Mumbai home, melody-soaked Urdu eloquence fills the air, the gentle drizzle outside creating the perfect ‘mizaaj’. Born Moin Khan, he prefers to call himself Mohan, which he proudly declares as ‘Krishna bhagwan ka naam’ and a blessing.

He has taken ghazal, one of India’s most cherished forms of light classical music, to soulful heights through the influence of his mentor, revered ghazal doyen Ustad Mehdi Hassan, and the depth of his legendary ideal, classical colossus and vocalist Ustad Amir Khan’s gayaki. Immersing himself in the works of towering poets like Jigar Muradabadi, Momin and Ghalib, his fingers glide over the harmonium complimenting his mellifluous voice as he passionately shares a piece of his soul.

How did you come to be called Mohan Khan?

In my region in Rajasthan, where many Muslims often have Hindu names, the locals were unable to pronounce ‘Moin’, my birth name. My father, Ustad Ghasit Khan, had composed a bandish dedicated to Krishna, “Hai hai rangeela chhabeela raseela Mohan baatein na banaao”. I wanted to be named ‘Moin Hassan’ after Mehdi Hassan sahab. My tabla teacher Aziz Khan saheb named me ‘Mohan Khan’. The principal of the Maharani College, where I studied, suggested that I retain Mohan as well as Moin as that would enable me to preserve both faiths within me. And I agreed. I honestly do not differentiate much between both my names!

Pluralism is a way of life with classical musicians, isn’t’ it?

God is one. Love is the essence of life and my greatest wealth. I even sing in temples. Differences are manmade and I stir clear of bigoted people as art knows no boundaries. Your faith must bring you happiness. Ishwar, Allah are but one. ‘Sur’ is essentially formless and signifies Ishwar while ‘taal’ signifies ‘insaaf ka taraazu’ ( balance of justice). My first wife and I had a love marriage and she was a Hindu who continued prasticing her faith even after marriage. Following the heart is the true essence of faith. 

You began as a tabla player. How and why the transition?

I learnt tabla from Aziz Khan saheb and even accompanied veterans like Pt. Vishwamohan Bhatt, Ustads Vilayat Khan, Amjad Ali and Rais Khan. I even bagged the Taal Mani award. Vocal always drew me and I listened to and adored Ustad Amir Khan. Tabla was not lucrative. Once at Mumbai’s prestigious Haridas Sangeet Sammelan, I took the place of sarod maestro Sharan Rani in her absence, as a vocalist and sang Amir Khan saheb’s khayal ‘Guru bin gyan main na paavun’ in Marwa in the presence of leading stalwarts.

I admired Mehdi saheb and took to his ghazal style  and met him in Jaipur. During his Mumbai trips, I fervently persuaded him and he finally accepted me as a disciple. 

So what is ghazal then?

‘Apne mehboob ke saath guftagu’. Conversing with your lover. Though many would think the poet is addressing a human lover, it is actually God, the divine beloved that ghazal reaches out to. Music is essentially a function of the soul (rooh ka kaam), which takes it towards the supreme soul. After all, this is nothing but Ma Saraswati ki tabarruk. Music is ibaadat indeed, a form of devotion..

How do you distinguish your style from that of Ghulam Ali or Jagjit Singh?

Mehdi saheb pioneered the classical flavour in ghazals, closer to khayaal. He employed raagdaari extensively. I compose music for ghazals penned by historic poets as well as modern ones. While the mood of the lyrics decide which raag the ghazal should be set to, the rhythms of tabla compliment and accentuate the lyrics and the beher or metre. While light raags like Kirwani and Bhairavi are often used, we even find ghazals sung in serious ones like Darbari and Nat Bahirav.

In the olden days, ghazals had more of a mujra flavour. While I find Ghulam Ali’s to be a thumri-oriented style, Jagjit was more towards film. Mine is completely classicised.

Any ghazal that has deeply touched you...

(Sings) “Allah agar taufeeq na de, insaan ke bas ka kaam nahin. Faizaan e muhabbat aam sahi, irfaan e muhabbat aam nahin” by Jigar Muradabadi. It means, unless Almighty bestows his grace, man can never achieve what he aspires for. While the grace of love many receive, the enlightenment of love (irfaan-e-muhabbat) is a unique blessing. After all, if it wasn’t for his grace, I wouldn’t have taken to something as sublime as music at all!

Your message to modern ghazal singers…

Sing ghazal! If you have chosen ghazal, stick to it and retain its purity.