Utsav
File:UTSAV.jpg Movie poster
Directed by	Girish Karnad
Produced by	Shashi Kapoor
Written by	Krishna Basrur, Girish Karnad (Screenplay) Sharad Joshi (Dialogue)
Starring	Rekha Amjad Khan Shashi Kapoor Shekhar Suman
Music by	Laxmikant Pyarelal
Cinematography	Ashok Mehta
Editing by	Bhaudas Divakar
Release date(s)	23 August 1984
Running time	145 min
Country	India
Language	Hindi

Utsav (Hindi: उत्सव; English: The Festival) is a 1984 Hindi film, produced by Shashi Kapoor and directed by Girish Karnad.

The film stars Shashi Kapoor, Rekha, Amjad Khan, Anuradha Patel, Shekhar Suman, Anupam Kher, Shankar Nag, Neena Gupta, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Annu Kapoor, Sanjana Kapoor and Kunal Kapoor.

The role played by Shashi Kapoor, who is also the producer of this movie, was originally to be played by Amitabh Bachchan. However, Bachchan later declined and therefore the producer himself decided to step up to fill in. The film's music is by Laxmikant Pyarelal and is still noted for its songs like, 'Man Kyun Behka', a rare duet by Asha Bhosle and Lata Mangeshkar, and Anuradha Paudwal's 'Mere Man Baje Mridang' for which she won the Filmfare Best Female Playback Award in 1985. Suresh Wadkar also has a song, 'Saanj Dhale Gagan Tale'.

Overview[link]

The film is an adaptation of two classical Sanskrit plays- Charudatta by Bhāsa, and its later adaptation in 6 Century A.D. , Mrichakatika by Śhudraka. The story is about a courtesan, Vasantasena (Rekha), and her chance meeting with a poor man, Charudatta (Shekhar Suman), in Ujjain.

Cast[link]

• Shashi Kapoor....Samsthanak
• Rekha....Vasantsena
• Amjad Khan....Vaatsyayan, author of Kamasutra; narrator
• Shankar Nag .... Sajjal, the thief
• Kulbhushan Kharbanda .... Teacher of Aryak
• Shekhar Suman....Charudutt
• Neena Gupta .... Madanika, courtesan slave in Vasantsena's house
• Anuradha Patel .... Aditi, Charudutt's Wife
• Anupam Kher .... Samsthanak's friend
• Annu Kapoor .... Masseur who is trying to be an ascetic
• Sanjana Kapoor .... A courtesan slave in Vasantsena's house
• Kunal Kapoor .... Aryak, the revolutionary.
• Harish Patel .... Maitreya, Charudutt's friend.
• Yunus Parvez .... One of the gamblers, who later becomes the owner of the masseur
• Satish Kaushik....Cart driver

Soundtracks[link]

Awards[link]

• 1985 National Film Award for Best Art Direction: Nachiket Patwardhan, Jayoo Patwardhan
• 1985 Filmfare Best Lyricist Award: Vasant Dev - "Mann Kyun Behka"
• 1985 Filmfare Best Female Playback Award: Anuradha Paudwal - "Mere Man Baje Mridang"

External links[link]

• Utsav at the Internet Movie Database
• A study of film Utsav

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Sai Baba of Shirdi

Sai Baba of Shirdi
Born	Unknown
Died	October 15, 1918.
Era	19th to 20th Century
Region	India

Sai Baba of Shirdi (Unknown – October 15, 1918), also known as Shirdi Sai Baba (Marathi: शिर्डीचे श्री साईबाबा, Urdu: شردی سائیں بابا), was an Indian guru, yogi, and fakir who is regarded by his Hindu and Muslim devotees as a saint. Many Hindu devotees - including Hemadpant, who wrote the famous Shri Sai Satcharitra - consider him an incarnation of Lord Krishna^[1] while other devotees consider him as an incarnation of Lord Dattatreya. Many devotees believe that he was a Satguru, an enlightened Sufi Pir, or a Qutub. No verifiable information is available regarding Sai Baba's birth and place of birth.

Sai Baba's real name is unknown. The name "Sai" was given to him upon his arrival at Shirdi, a town in the west-Indian state of Maharashtra. Mahalsapati, a local temple priest, recognized him as a Muslim saint and greeted him with the words 'Ya Sai!', meaning 'Welcome Sai!'. Sai or Sayi is a Persian title given to Sufi saints, meaning 'poor one'.^[2] However Sāī may also refer to the Sanskrit term "Sakshat Eshwar" or the divine. The honorific "Baba" means "father; grandfather; old man; sir" in Indo-Aryan languages. Thus Sai Baba denotes "holy father", "saintly father" or "poor old man".^[3]

Sai Baba remains a very popular saint,^[4] especially in India, and is worshipped by people around the world. He had no love for perishable things and his sole concern was self-realization. He taught a moral code of love, forgiveness, helping others, charity, contentment, inner peace, and devotion to God and guru. Sai Baba's teaching combined elements of Hinduism and Islam: he gave the Hindu name Dwarakamayi to the mosque he lived in,^[5] practiced Hindu and Muslim rituals, taught using words and figures that drew from both traditions, and was buried in Shirdi. One of his well known epigrams, "Sabka Malik Ek " ("One God governs all"), is associated with Islam and Sufism. He always uttered "Allah Malik"("God is King").^[6]

Some of Sai Baba's disciples became famous as spiritual figures and saints, such as Mhalsapati, a priest of the Khandoba temple in Shirdi, and Upasni Maharaj. He was revered by other saints, such as Saint Bidkar Maharaj, Saint Gangagir, Saint Janakidas Maharaj, and Sati Godavari Mataji.^[7][8] Sai Baba referred to several saints as 'my brothers', especially the disciples of Swami Samartha of Akkalkot.^[8]

Early years[link]

Historians and devotees agree that there is no reliable evidence for a particular birthplace or date of birth. Various communities have claimed that he belongs to them, but nothing has been substantiated. It is known that he spent considerable periods with fakirs, and his attire resembled that of a Muslim fakir.

Little has been officially documented on the early life of Shirdi Sai Baba. An account of Shirdi Sai's missing childhood years has been reconstructed by his disciple Das Ganu, after researching in the area around the village of Pathri. He collected this story in four chapters on Sai Baba, later also called the Sri Sai Gurucharitra.^[9][10] Das Ganu states that Sai Baba grew up in Pathri, with a fakir and his wife. At the age of five, says Das Ganu, the fakir's wife put him in the care of the saintly desmukh Venkusha, where the boy stayed several years. Dasganu calls the young Sai Baba the reincarnation of Kabir. Because Das Ganu was known to take poetic liberties when telling stories about Sai Baba, and as there are no other sources to corroborate this story, it usually is left out of biographies of Sai Baba of Shirdi. Sai Baba's biographer Narasimha Swamiji states that Sai Baba was born as the child of Brahmin parents: "On one momentous occasion, very late in his life, he (e.g. Sai Baba) revealed to Mahlsapathy the interesting fact that his parents were Brahmins of Patri in the Nizam's State. Patri is part of Parvani taluk, near Manwath. Sai Baba added, in explanation of the fact that he was living in a Mosque, that while still a tender child his Brahmin parents handed him over to the care of a fakir who brought him up. This is fairly indisputable testimony, as Mahlsapathy was a person of sterling character noted for his integrity, truthfulness and vairagya." ^[11]

The above mentioned account is largely overlapped by the narration by Sathya Sai Baba, Sathya Sai Baba states as well that the fakir and his wife adopted the baby that was to become Sai Baba shortly after his birth.^[12] However, Sathya Sai Baba's stories are not considered credible by most of Shirdi Sai Baba's biographers.

According to the book Sai Satcharita, Sai Baba arrived at the village of Shirdi in the Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra, British India, when he was about 16 years old. He led an ascetic life, sitting motionless under a neem tree and meditating while sitting in an asana. The Shri Sai Satcharita recounts the reaction of the villagers:

The people of the village were wonder-struck to see such a young lad practicing hard penance, not minding heat or cold. By day he associated with no one, by night he was afraid of nobody.^[13]

His presence attracted the curiosity of the villagers, and he was regularly visited by the religiously inclined, including Mhalsapati, Appa Jogle and Kashinatha. Some considered him mad and threw stones at him.^[14] Sai Baba left the village, and little is known about him after that. However, there are some indications that he met with many saints and fakirs, and worked as a weaver. He claimed to have fought with the army of Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi during the Indian Rebellion of 1857.^[15] It is generally accepted that Sai Baba stayed in Shirdi for three years, disappeared for a year, and returned permanently around 1858, which suggests a birth year of 1838.^[16]

Return to Shirdi[link]

In 1858 Sai Baba returned to Shirdi. Around this time he adopted his famous style of dress consisting of a knee-length one-piece robe (kafni) and a cloth cap. Ramgir Bua, a devotee, testified that Sai Baba was dressed like an athlete and sported 'long hair flowing down to the end of his spine' when he arrived in Shirdi, and that he never had his head shaved. It was only after Baba forfeited a wrestling match with one Mohdin Tamboli that he took up the kafni and cloth cap, articles of typical Sufi clothing.^[17] This attire contributed to Baba's identification as a Muslim fakir, and was a reason for initial indifference and hostility against him in a predominantly Hindu village.^[18] According to B.V. Narasimhaswami, a posthumous follower who was widely praised as Sai Baba's "apostle", this attitude was prevalent up to 1854 even among some of his devotees in Shirdi.^[19]

For four to five years Baba lived under a neem tree, and often wandered for long periods in the jungle around Shirdi. His manner was said to be withdrawn and uncommunicative as he undertook long periods of meditation.^[20] He was eventually persuaded to take up residence in an old and dilapidated mosque and lived a solitary life there, surviving by begging for alms, and receiving itinerant Hindu or Muslim visitors. In the mosque he maintained a sacred fire which is referred to as a dhuni, from which he gave sacred ashes ('Udhi') to his guests before they left. The ash was believed to have healing and apotropaic powers. He performed the function of a local hakim, and treated the sick by application of ashes. Sai Baba also delivered spiritual teachings to his visitors, recommending the reading of sacred Hindu texts along with the Qur'an. He insisted on the indispensability of the unbroken remembrance of God's name (dhikr, japa), and often expressed himself in a cryptic manner with the use of parables, symbols and allegories.^[21]

Sai Baba participated in religious festivals and was also in the habit of preparing food for his visitors, which he distributed to them as prasad. Sai Baba's entertainment was dancing and singing religious songs.

After 1910 Sai Baba's fame began to spread in Mumbai. Numerous people started visiting him, because they regarded him as a saint with the power of performing miracles, or even as an Avatar.^[22] They built his first temple at Bhivpuri, Karjat.^[23]

Teachings and practices[link]

Shirdi Sai Baba, leaning against the wall of his masjid, with devotees

Sai Baba opposed all persecution based on religion or caste. He was an opponent of religious orthodoxy – Christian, Hindu and Muslim.^[24] Although Sai Baba himself led the life of an ascetic, he advised his followers to lead an ordinary family life.

In his personal practice, Sai Baba observed worship procedures belonging to Hinduism and Islam; he shunned any kind of regular rituals but allowed the practice of namaz, chanting of Al-Fatiha, and Qur'an readings at Muslim festival times.^[25] Occasionally reciting the Al-Fatiha himself, Baba also enjoyed listening to moulu and qawwali accompanied with the tabla and sarangi twice daily.^[26]

Sai Baba encouraged his devotees to pray, chant God's name, and read holy scriptures. He told Muslims to study the Qur'an, and Hindus to study texts such as the Ramayana, Bhagavad Gita, and Yoga Vasistha.^[27] He advised his devotees and followers to lead a moral life, help others, love every living being without any discrimination, and develop two important features of character: unflinching perseverance (Shraddha) and waiting cheerfully with patience and love(Saburi). He criticized atheism.^[28] In his teachings, Sai Baba emphasized the importance of performing one's duties without attachment to earthly matters, and of being content regardless of the situation.

Sai Baba interpreted the religious texts of both Islam and Hinduism. He explained the meaning of the Hindu scriptures in the spirit of Advaita Vedanta. His philosophy also had numerous elements of bhakti. The three main Hindu spiritual paths – Bhakti Yoga, Jnana Yoga, and Karma Yoga – influenced his teachings.^[29]

Sai Baba encouraged charity, and stressed the importance of sharing. He said: "Unless there is some relationship or connection, nobody goes anywhere. If any men or creatures come to you, do not discourteously drive them away, but receive them well and treat them with due respect. Shri Hari (God) will certainly be pleased if you give water to the thirsty, bread to the hungry, clothes to the naked, and your verandah to strangers for sitting and resting. If anybody wants any money from you and you are not inclined to give, do not give, but do not bark at him like a dog."^[30] Other favorite sayings of his were: "Why do you fear when I am here", and "He has no beginning... He has no end."^[31]

Sai Baba made twelve assurances to his devotees:
1. Whosoever puts their feet on Shirdi soil, their sufferings will come to an end.
2. The wretched and miserable will rise to joy and happiness as soon as they climb the steps of [the mosque] Dwarakamayi.
3. I shall be ever active and vigorous even after leaving this earthly body.
4. My tomb shall bless and speak to the needs of my devotees.
5. I shall be active and vigorous even from my tomb.
6. My mortal remains will speak from my tomb.
7. I am ever living to help and guide all who come to me, who surrender to me, and who seek refuge in me.
8. If you look at me, I look at you.
9. If you cast your burden on me, I shall surely bear it.
10. If you seek my advice and help, it shall be given to you at once.
11. There shall be no want in the house of my devotee.
12. If you take a step towards me, I will take 100 steps towards you.

Worship and devotees[link]

The Shirdi Sai Baba movement began in the 19th century, while he was living in Shirdi. A local Khandoba priest - Mhalsapati Nagre - is believed to have been his first devotee. In the 19th century Sai Baba's followers were only a small group of Shirdi inhabitants and a few people from other parts of India. The movement started developing in the 20th century, with Sai Baba's message reaching the whole of India.^[4] During his life, Hindus worshiped him with Hindu rituals and Muslims considered him to be a saint. In the last years of Sai Baba's life, Christians and Zoroastrians started joining the Shirdi Sai Baba movement.^[4]

Shirdi is among the major Hindu places of pilgrimage.^[32] The first Sai Baba temple is situated at Bhivpuri, Karjat. The Sai Baba Mandir in Shirdi is visited by around twenty thousand pilgrims a day and during religious festivals this number can reach up to a hundred thousand.^[33] Shirdi Sai Baba is especially revered and worshiped in the states of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, and Gujarat.

The Shirdi Sai movement has spread to the Caribbean and to countries such as the United States, Australia, United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, and Singapore. The Shirdi Sai Baba movement is one of the main Hindu religious movements in English-speaking countries.^[34]

Notable disciples[link]

Sai Baba left behind no spiritual heirs and appointed no disciples, and did not even provide formal initiation (diksha), despite requests. Some disciples of Sai Baba achieved fame as spiritual figures, such as Upasni Maharaj of Sakori. After Sai Baba died, his devotees offered the daily Aarti to Upasni Maharaj when he paid a visit to Shirdi, two times within 10 years.^[35] Sai Baba had many devotees, and the most notable among them are:

1. Nana Saheb Chandorkar: Deputy Collector – legend has it that Sai Baba saved this man's daughter from labor complications.
2. Ganapath Rao: police officer who resigned to become an ascetic, and also known as Das Ganu. He was an itinerant who spread Sai Baba's message.
3. Tatya Patil: had immense faith in Sai Baba and served him until Sai Baba took samadhi. Sai Baba used to treat Tatya Patil as His nephew.
4. Baija Mai kote patil: Sai Baba treated her as His elder sister and equivalent to mother. She was Tatya Patil's mother.
5. Haji Abdul baba: He served Sai Baba until Sai Baba died in 1918.
6. Madhav Rao Deshpande: Later known as Shama, one of the staunch devotees of Sai Baba.
7. Govindrao Raghunath Dabholkar (Hemadpant): Sai Baba allowed him to write the Shri Sai Satcharita.
8. Mahalsapati Chimanji Nagare: A priest of Khandoba Temple.
9. RadhaKrishna Mai: A great devotee of Baba, cleaned the temple every day and looked after Baba's needs.

108 Shirdi Sai Baba Slogans (mantras) are sung by devotees in praise of him as worship.

Reported miracles[link]

Sai Baba's millions of disciples and devotees believe that he performed many miracles such as bilocation, levitation, mindreading, materialization, exorcisms, making the river Yamuna, entering a state of Samādhi at will, and lightning lamps with water, removing his limbs or intestines and sticking them back to his body (khandana yoga), curing the incurably sick, appearing beaten when another was beaten, after death rising on third day like Jesus Christ, preventing a mosque from falling down on people, and helping his devotees in a miraculous way. He also gave Darshan (vision) to people in the form of Rama, Krishna, Vithoba and many other Gods depending on the faith of devotees.^[36]

The marble statue of Sai Baba of Shirdi, in the Samadhi Mandir in Shirdi, 2008

According to his followers he appeared to them in dreams after his death, and gave them advice. His devotees have documented many stories.^[37]

Shirdi Sai Baba in 1918

Historical sources[link]

Biographers of Sai Baba (e.g. Govindrao Raghunath Dabholkar, Acharya Ekkirala Bharadwaja, Smriti Srinivas, Antonio Rigopolous) have based their writing on primary sources. One such source is the Shirdi Diary by Ganesh Shrikrishna Khaparde, which describes every day of the author's stay at Shirdi.

Speculation about the unknown episodes of Sai Baba's life are primarily based on his own words.

The most important source about Sai's life is the Shri Sai Satcharita, written in Marathi in 1916 by Govindrao Raghunath Dabholkar, whom Sai Baba nicknamed Hemadpant. Consisting of 53 chapters, it describes Sai Baba's life, teachings, and miracles. The book compares Sai Baba's love to a mother's love: caring and loving, but reprimanding when needed. It describes Baba's lifestyle, his selfless attitude, and his love for his devotees. The book describes how one should surrender one's egoism at God's feet and trust one's guru. It explains how God is supreme and His devotees should trust Him and love Him. It teaches that God is omnipresent in all living things, so that everything on Earth must be treated with love and respect.

Sri Sai Baba and His Teachings by Acharya Ekkirala Bharadwaja is an in-depth study of Sai Baba's life routine and activities. B.V. Narasimhaswamiji has written important books such as Sri Sai Baba's Charters and Sayings and Devotee's Experiences of Sai Baba.

In various religions[link]

Sai Baba depicted on a tapestry

Hinduism[link]

During Sai Baba's life, the Hindu saint Anandanath of Yewala declared Sai Baba a spiritual "diamond".^[38] Another saint, Gangagir, called him a "jewel".^[38] Sri Beedkar Maharaj greatly revered Sai Baba, and in 1873, when he met him he bestowed the title Jagad guru upon him.^[39][40] Sai Baba was also greatly respected by Vasudevananda Saraswati (known as Tembye Swami).^[41] He was also revered by a group of Shaivic yogis, to which he belonged, known as the Nath-Panchayat.^[42]

Islam[link]

In Islam, Sai Baba is mainly considered as a Muslim fakir. He also appears in Sufism as a Pir. Meher Baba declared Baba to be a Qutub-e-Irshad - the highest of the five Qutubs, a "Master of the Universe" in the spiritual hierarchy.^[43] Sai Baba is also worshipped by prominent Zoroastrians such as Nanabhoy Palkhivala and Homi Bhabha, and has been cited as the Zoroastrians' most popular non-Zoroastrian religious figure.^[44]

Meher Baba met Sai Baba only once in his lifetime, during World War I, in December 1915. Meher Baba was still a youngster named Merwan Sheriar Irani when he met Sai Baba for a few minutes during one of Sai Baba's processions in Shirdi. This event is considered as the most significant in Meher Baba's life. Shri Sai Satcharita (Sai Baba's life story), makes no mention of Meher Baba. But in Lord Meher, the life story of Meher Baba, there are innumerable references to Sai Baba.^[35] Meher Baba credited his Avataric advent to Upasni, Sai Baba, and three other Perfect Masters – Hazrat Babajan, Hazrat Tajuddin Baba, and Narayan Maharaj.

Sathya Sai Baba (1926–2011) claimed to be a reincarnation of Sai Baba; he had a considerable number of followers in the 20th and 21st century.

In culture[link]

Sacred art and architecture[link]

In India, its a common sight to find a Sai Baba temple in any city or town, in every large city or town there is at least one temple dedicated to Sai Baba.^[4] There are even some in towns and cities outside India. In the mosque in Shirdi in which Sai Baba lived, there is a life-size portrait of him by Shama Rao Jaykar, an artist from Mumbai. Numerous monuments and statues depicting Sai Baba, which serve a religious function, have also been made. One of them, made of marble by a sculptor named Balaji Vasant Talim, is in the Samadhi Mandir in Shirdi where Sai Baba was buried.^[45] In Sai Baba temples, his devotees play various kinds of devotional religious music, such as aarti.^[46]

Stamp[link]

Indian Postal Service released a Sai Baba commemorative stamp in May 2008.^[47]

On July 30, 2009, the New and Renewable Energy Minister Farooq Abdullah inaugurated what has been acclaimed as the largest solar steam system in the world, at the Shirdi shrine. The Shri Sai Baba Sansthan Trust paid an estimated Rs.1.33 crore for the system, Rs.58.4 lakh of which was paid as a subsidy by the renewable energy ministry. It is said the system can cook 20,000 meals per day for pilgrims visiting the temple.^{[12][48][49][50]}

Film and television[link]

Sai Baba has been the subject of several feature films in many languages produced by India's film industry.

See also[link]

• Shirdi Sai Baba movement
• Sai Gurucharitra

References[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Sai Baba of Shirdi

Further reading[link]

• Arulneyam, Durai, The Gospel of Shri Shirdi Sai Baba. A Holy Spiritual Path, New Delhi, Sterling, 2008. ISBN 978-81-207-3997-0
• Babuji, Sri Sainathuni Sarath, 'Arati Sai Baba,The Psalm Book of Shirdi Aratis, Saipatham Publications, 1996 available online
• Bharadwaja, Acharya, Sai Baba the Master, Andhra Pradesh, Sree Guru Paduka Publications, 1996 available online
• Dabholkar, Govindrao Raghunath (alias Hemadpant), Shri Sai Satcharita Shri Sai Baba Sansthan Shirdi, (translated from Marathi into English by Nagesh V. Gunaji in 1944) available online or downloadable
• Dabholkar, Govind Raghunath, Shri Sai satcharita : the life and teachings of Shirdi Sai Baba (1999)
• Hoiberg, D. & Ramchandani, I., 'Sai Baba of Shirdi', in Students' Britannica India. Page available online
• Kamath, M. V. & Kher, V. B., Sai Baba of Shirdi: A Unique Saint, India: Jaico Publishing House (1997). ISBN 81-7224-030-9
• Osborne, Arthur, The Incredible Sai Baba. The Life and Miracles of a Modern-day Saint, Hyderabad, Orient Longman, 1957. ISBN 81-250-0084-4
• Panday, Balkrishna, Sai Baba’s 261 Leelas. A Treasure House of Miracles, New Delhi, Sterling, 2004. ISBN 81-207-2727-4
• Parthasarathy, Rangaswami, God Who Walked on Earth. The Life and Times of Shirdi Sai Baba, New Delhi, Sterling, 1996. ISBN 81-207-1809-7.
• Rao, Sham P. P., Five Contemporary Gurus in the Shirdi (Sai Baba) Tradition, Bangalore: Christian Institute for the Study of Religion and Society, 1972. LC Control No.: 75905429.
• Rigopoulos, Antonio, The Life and Teachings of Sai Baba of Shirdi State University of New York press, Albany, (1993) ISBN 0-7914-1268-7.
• Ruhela, S. P. (ed), What Researchers Say about Sri Shirdi Sai Baba, Faridabad, Sai Age Publications, 1994. ISBN 81-85880-85-9
• Ruhela, S. P. (ed), Sri Shirdi Sai Baba – The Universal Master, Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd, New Delhi, 1994. ISBN 81-288-1517-2
• Ruhela, S. P. (ed), Truth in Controversies about Sri Shirdi Sai Baba, Faridabad, Indian Publishers Distributors, 2000. ISBN 81-7341-121-2
• Venkataraman, Krishnaswamy, Shirdi Stories, Srishti Publishers, New Delhi, 2002. ISBN 81-87075-84-8
• Warren, Marianne, Unraveling the Enigma. Shirdi Sai Baba in the Light of Sufism, Revised edition, New Delhi, Sterling Publishing, 2004. ISBN 81-207-2147-0
• White, Charles S. J., The Sai Baba Movement: Approaches to the Study of India Saints in Journal of Asian Studies, Vol. 31, No. 4 (Aug., 1972), pp. 863–878
• White Charles S. J., The Sai Baba Movement: Study of a Unique Contemporary Moral and Spiritual Movement, New Delhi, Arnold-Heinemann, 1985.
• Williams, Alison, Experiencing Sai Baba’s Shirdi. A Guide, revised edition, Shirdi, Saipatham Publications. 2004 ISBN 81-88560-00-6 available online
• Walshe-Ryan, Lorraine, I am always with you, Reprint 2008, New Delhi, Sterling Publishing, 2006. ISBN 978-81-207-3192-9.

External links[link]

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (March 2009)

Ranbirraj "Raj" Kapoor (Hindi: राज कपूर, Punjabi: ਰਾਜ ਕਪੂਰ, Rāj Kapūr, 14 December 1924 – 2 June 1988), also known as The Show-Man, was an Indian film actor, producer and director of Hindi cinema.^[1] He was the winner of nine Filmfare Awards in India, and a two-time nominee for the Palme d'Or grand prize at the Cannes Film Festival for his films Awaara (1951) and Boot Polish (1954). His performance in Awaara was ranked as one of the top ten greatest performances of all time by Time magazine.^[2] His films were commercial successes that attracted worldwide audiences, particularly in Asia and Europe. The Government of India honoured him with the Padma Bhushan in 1971 and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1987 for his contributions towards Indian cinema.

Early life and Background[link]

Raj Kapoor was born in Peshawar, British India (present day Pakistan), to a Khatri family of kapoor's and Ramsarni (Rama) Devi Kapoor (née Mehra). He was the eldest of six children in the family.^[3][4][5] He was the grandson of Dewan Basheshwarnath Kapoor and great-grandson of Dewan Keshavmal Kapoor, part of the famous Kapoor family. Two of Raj's brothers are actors Shashi Kapoor (a.k.a. Balbir Raj Kapoor) and the late Shammi Kapoor (aka Shamsher Raj Kapoor); the other two died in infancy. He also had a sister named Urmila Sial.

Raj Kapoor attended Colonel Brown Cambridge School, Dehradun in the 1930s.

Career[link]

At the age of eleven, he appeared in films for the first time, in the 1935 film Inquilab. After acting in several other films the next 12 years, Raj Kapoor's big break came with the lead role in Neel Kamal (1947) opposite Madhubala in her first role as a leading lady. In 1948, at the age of twenty-four, he established his own studio, R. K. Films, and became the youngest film director of his time making his directorial debut with the film Aag. Aag marked the first of many films in which he and Nargis appeared together. In 1949 he co-starred alongside Dilip Kumar in Mehboob Khan's blockbuster Andaz which was his first major success as an actor.

He went on to produce, direct and star in many box office hits such as Barsaat (1949), Awaara (1951), Shree 420 (1955), Chori Chori (1956), Jagte Raho (1956) and Jis Desh Men Ganga Behti Hai (1960). These films established his screen image as The Tramp modelled on Charlie Chaplin's most famous screen persona. In 1964 he produced, directed and starred in Sangam which was his first film in colour. This was his last major success as a leading actor. Outside of his home productions his other notable films were Anari (1959), Chhalia (1960) and Teesri Kasam (1963). He produced, directed and starred in his ambitious film, Mera Naam Joker which took more than six years to complete. When released in 1970, it was a box office disaster.

In 1971 he launched his eldest son Randhir Kapoor in Randhir's acting and directorial debut Kal Aaj Aur Kal which also starred Raj's father Prithviraj Kapoor as well as Randhir's would-be-wife Babita. He launched his second son Rishi Kapoor's career when he produced and directed Bobby (1973) which was not only a huge box office success but also introduced actress Dimple Kapadia, later a very popular actress, and was the first of a new generation of teen romances. Dimple wore bikinis in the film which was quite unique for Indian films then.

In the latter half of the 1970s and early 1980s he produced and directed films which focused on the female protagonists: Satyam Shivam Sundaram (1978) with Zeenat Aman, Prem Rog (1982) with Padmini Kolhapure and Ram Teri Ganga Maili (1985) which introduced Mandakini. He acted in fewer films by the late 1970s and early 1980s and focused on producing and directing films. He starred alongside Rajesh Khanna in Naukri (1979) and played the title role alongside Sanjay Khan in Abdullah (1980).

Raj Kapoor's last major film appearance was in Vakil Babu (1982) wherein he appeared with his younger brother Shashi. His last acting role was a cameo appearance in a 1984 released British made-for-television film titled Kim.

Death[link]

Raj Kapoor suffered from asthma in his later years; he died of complications related to asthma in 1988 at the age of 63. At the time of his death, he was working on the movie Heena (an Indo-Pakistan based love story). The film was later completed by his sons Randhir and Rishi Kapoor, and narrated by his brother Shammi Kapoor. The movie was released in 1991 and became a huge success at the Box Office. When he was being conferred upon the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, where his brother Shashi Kapoor was also present, the crowd was clapping around when President Venkataraman, who saw Kapoor's discomfort, came down the stage to give the award to the legend in the middle of thundering claps where he was breathing his last breath. And suddenly Kapoor collapsed, and was rushed to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences for treatment. The country's top cardiologists tried their best, but could not save him.^[6]

Legacy[link]

Raj Kapoor is appreciated both by film critics and ordinary film fans. Film historians and movie buffs speak of him as the "Charlie Chaplin of Indian cinema," since he often portrayed a tramp-like figure, who, despite adversity, was still cheerful and honest. His fame spread worldwide. He was adored by audiences in large parts of Africa, the Middle East, the former Soviet Union, China, and Southeast Asia; his movies were global commercial successes. Raj had the knack of getting the best out of any one, since he had mastered all departments of film making and even marketing them.^{[peacock term]} When Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru died in 1964 coinciding with release of Sangam, he took the opportunity to create a scene when Gopal ashes were immersed in Ganges, like Pandit Nehru described in his poetic will. His films reflected the Era in which it was made.

He had a great understanding of the public taste and a great sense of Box-Office. He was one of the pioneers of the Indian cinema, who talked about the potential of Hindi cinema emerging as a great revenue earner from the world market in fifties, which has become a reality today.^[7]

Many of Raj Kapoor's movies had a patriotic theme. His films Aag, Shree 420 and Jis Desh Men Ganga Behti Hai (In the country where the Ganges flows) celebrated the newly independent India, and encouraged film-goers to be patriots. Raj Kapoor commissioned these famous lyrics for Mera Joota Hai Japani, a song from the movie Shree 420:

Mera joota hai Japani (My shoes are Japanese)

Ye patloon Inglistani (These trousers are English)

Sar pe lal topi Roosi (The red cap on my head is Russian)

Phir bhi dil hai Hindustani (But still, however, my heart is Indian)

The song is still extremely popular and has been featured in a number of movies since Shree 420 was released. Indian author Mahasweta Devi stopped the show with her inaugural speech at the 2006 Frankfurt Book Fair when she used these lyrics to express her own heartfelt patriotism and debt to her country.

Raj Kapoor was a canny judge of filmi music and lyrics. Many of the songs he commissioned are evergreen hits. He introduced the music directors Shankar-Jaikishan and the lyricists Hasrat Jaipuri and Shailendra. He is also remembered for his strong sense of visual style. He used striking visual compositions, elaborate sets, and dramatic lighting to complete the mood set by the music. He introduced the actresses Nimmi, Dimple Kapadia, and Mandakini, as well as launching and reviving the careers of his sons Rishi, Randhir and Rajiv. He was also famous for making his actresses wear revealing clothing which was not very common in Indian cinema.

Personal life[link]

The Kapoor family lived in Peshawar and were khatris but they were also landowners in the canal colony of Lyallpur, British India, which is now called Faisalabad in the Punjab province of present-day Pakistan where the family lived for a while. He was married to Krishna Kapoor, sister of actors, Rajendra Nath and Prem Nath.^[8][9]

Kapoor is also known to have had a longtime romantic relationship with the renowned actress Nargis during the 1950s.^{[citation needed]} The couple starred in several films together, including Awaara and Shree 420.

Three of Kapoor's grandchildren are currently stars in the Bollywood film industry. His granddaughters are Karisma Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor, the daughters of Raj's son Randhir Kapoor and his wife Babita. His grandson Ranbir Kapoor is son of Rishi Kapoor and his wife Neetu Singh.

Awards[link]

Kapoor had received many awards throughout his career, including 9 Filmfare Awards and 19 nominations. His films Awaara (1951) and Boot Polish (1954) were nominated for the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. His acting in the former was rated as one of the "Top-Ten Performances of all time", by the Time Magazine.^[2] His film Jagte Raho (1956) also won the Crystal Globe award at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.

The Government of India honoured him with the Padma Bhushan in 1971 and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1987 – the highest award for cinematic excellence in India. In 2001, he was honoured with “Best Director of the Millennium” by Stardust Awards. He was named “Showman of the Millennium” by Star Screen Awards in 2002.

In June 2011, Noah Cowan, Artistic Director of TIFF Bell Lightbox, and Sabbas Joseph, Director, Wizcraft along with members of the Kapoor family came together to pay tribute to the life and work of Indian actor, director, mogul and legend Raj Kapoor, as presented in partnership by TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival), the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA), and the Government of Ontario.Indian Mirror Reports suggest Kapoor will be inducted onto the Brampton Walk of Fame in Ontario, Canada.^[10]

Association with other artists[link]

Shankar-Jaikishan[link]

Shankar-Jaikishan were his music director of choice. He worked with them in 20 films in all including 10 of his own films from Barsaat until Kal Aaj Aur Kal. (Jagte Raho with Salil Chowdhury and Ab Dilli Dur Nahin being two exceptions in this period). Only after Jaikishan died, did he turn to a different music director – Laxmikant-Pyarelal for Bobby, Satyam Shivam Sundaram, and Prem Rog (later on his children used Laxmikant-Pyarelal for Prem Granth also) and Ravindra Jain for (Ram Teri Ganga Maili and Henna). It is interesting to note that Raj Kapoor acted in a movie with music by Madan Mohan only once i.e. Dhoon (1953) which featured duet Hum pyar karenge by Hemant Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar, only instance Hemnat Kumar giving playback to Raj Kapoor, and did only one movie with O. P. Nayyar (Do Ustad).

List of films with Shankar-Jaikishan: (18 Films)

Nargis[link]

• Raj Kapoor and Nargis worked together in 16 films including 6 of his own productions.

Mukesh and Manna Dey[link]

Mukesh was Raj Kapoor's almost exclusive singing voice in almost all of his films. Also, when Mukesh died, Raj had said, Main ne apni aawaaz ko kho diya... (I have lost my voice...). However Manna Dey has also sung many notable and super-hit songs for Raj Kapoor, for instance in Shree 420 and Chori Chori. Examples of such Manna songs are best illustrated by the following list:

• "Laga Chunri Mein Daag" (Dil Hi To Hai)
• "Pyar Hua Iqrar Hua" (Shree 420)
• "Ae Bhai Zara Dekh Ke Chalo" (Mera Naam Joker)
• "Dil Ka Haal Sune Dil Wala" (Shree 420)
• "Aaja Sanam Madhur Chandni Mein Hum" (Chori Chori)
• "Jahan Mein Jati Hoon Wahin Chale Aate Ho" (Chori Chori)
• "Yeh Raat Bhigi Bhigi, Yeh Mast Fizayen" (Chori Chori)
• "Masti Bhara Hai Samaan" (Parvarish)
• "Mur Mur Ke Na Dekh" (Shree 420)
• "Chalat Musafir" (Teesri Kasam)
• "Belia Belia Belia" (Parvarish)
• "Lallah Allah Tera Nigehbaan" (Abdullah)
• "Mama O Mama" (Parvarish)

Filmography[link]

Further reading[link]

• The Kapoors: the first family of Indian cinema, by Madhu Jain. Penguin, Viking, 2005. ISBN 0-670-05837-8.

References[link]

Notes[link]

• Rajadhyaksha, Ashish; Willemen, Paul. Encyclopedia of Indian Cinema. London: British Film Institute; New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 1994
• Kishore, Valicha. The Moving Image. Hyderabad: Orient Longman, 1988

External links[link]

• Raj Kapoor at the Internet Movie Database
• 12 Indians who are famous in Russia

Nithyasree Mahadevan
Background information
Born	(1973-08-25) August 25, 1973 (age 38)
Origin	Thiruvaiyaru, Tamil Nadu, India
Genres	Carnatic music - Indian Classical Music and Playback singing
Occupations	Singer
Years active	1987 - Present
Labels	HMV, EMI, RPG, AVM Audio, Inreco, Vani, Amutham Inc., Charsur Digital Workshop, Carnatica, Rajalakshmi Audio etc.

Nithyasree Mahadevan, (born August 25, 1973) also previously referred to as S. Nithyashri, is an eminent Carnatic musician and playback singer for film songs in many Indian languages. Nithyashree has performed in all major sabhas in India and has presented her concerts in many destinations around the world. She has received multiple awards and honours, and has released more than 100 commercial albums.

Early life[link]

Nithyasree was born to Lalitha Sivakumar and I. Sivakumar. Her paternal grandmother, D. K. Pattammal, ^[1] and her granduncle, D. K. Jayaraman, ^[2] were prominent Carnatic vocalists who were established disciples of Ambi Dikshithar, Papanasam Sivan, Muthiah Bhagavathar, and others. Her maternal grandfather was the mridangam maestro, Palghat Mani Iyer.

Her mother, Lalitha Sivakumar, was her first guru (teacher).^[2] Like her mother, Nithyashree was also the disciple of D. K. Pattammal, and would accompany her in concert. Nithyashree's father, an accomplished mridangist and disciple of Palghat Mani Iyer, would constantly show his support and accompany Nithyashree when she performed.^[3]

Music career[link]

Touring[link]

Nithyashree has performed in all major sabhas all over India and has presented her concerts in the United States of America, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, United Arab Emirates, Germany, France, Singapore, Malaysia and various other destinations throughout the world.^[3]

Titles and Awards[link]

Nithyashree's maiden performance was titled 'best concert of the series'. She is an A.I.R. Prize Winner (1990) and has been an 'A' grade artist. She has been awarded the "Yuva Kala Bharathi" title by Bharath Kalachar in 1994, "Innisai Maamani" by Tamil Nadu Welfare Association, "Kalaimamani" by Hamsadhwani in 2000,^[4] "Isai Paeroli" by Kartik Fine Arts in 2001,^[5] and various other prestigious awards such as ", "Padma Sadhana" (2004), and "Naada Kovida" (2006).^[6][7] She has received "Best Concert Award" from The Music Academy during the music festivals a couple of times and has also performed for the "Sangeeth Natak Academy" twice in their International Music Festivals in Bombay and Hyderabad. She has also received the "Best Promising Artiste" from "Mohanam" Music Club, and made a thematic album of compositions popularising the raga Mohanam. She was awarded a doctorate degree from Sathyabama university of Jeppiar in Chennai in late 2007.

Performances[link]

Nithyashree's first Carnatic performance was for the Youth Association For Classical Music on 10 August 1987. The concert lasted 1 hour, and was scheduled between 6:00pm and 7:00pm. Prominent Carnatic musicians that were present at the concert, included D. K. Pattammal, D. K. Jayaraman, Vijay Siva, R. K. Sriramkumar, as well as the chief guest at that concert, K. V. Narayanaswamy.^[8]

She has given numerous concerts consisting of only patriotic songs to commemorate the 50th year of Indian Independence, a few with D. K. Pattammal before her grandmother stopped performing in public.

D. K. Jayaraman and D. K. Pattammal were known for singing and popularising the compositions of Papanasam Sivan, having learnt them directly from the composer himself. Nithyashree has continued this tradition. She has also given a lecture demonstration in Coimbatore for Manoranjitham on "Papanasam Sivan - A Legend", and made two special thematic albums that solely contained his compositions.

Like D. K. Pattammal, Nithyashree has also popularised compositions of Gopalakrishna Bharathi. She presented a paper on the Life and Contribution of Gopalakrishna Bharathi for the Music Department of PSG College, Coimbatore. Her two thematic albums that solely consisted of his compositions have been very popular, both online and offline.

Nithyashree's commanding, high-pitched voice is well suited to various genres of music including Carnatic music, devotional music, as well as patriotic and popular songs.

Playback singing[link]

Nithyashree's introduction to Tamil playback singing came when A.R. Rahman called her to Panchathan Recording Inn, in Chennai, for a voice test sometime in the 1990s. The output from her visit was used for the song "Kannodu Kanbadellam" in the movie Jeans starring Aishwarya Rai and Prashanth. This became particularly popular which resulted in many songs in the same combination like "Minsara Kanna" from Padayappa, "Sowkiyama Kannae" from Sangamam, and "Manmatha Maasam" from Parthale Paravasam.^[9]

Some of her other songs include "Kumbakonam Sandhayile" from New, "Oru Nadhi Oru Pournami" from Samurai, "Kana Kaangiren" from Ananda Thandavam as well as "Thaai Thindra Mannae" from the film Aayirathil Oruvan.^[9]

She also successfully branched out to Telugu and Kannada playback singing, with songs such as "Ra Ra..." from Apthamitra.

Personal life[link]

Nithyashree and her husband, Mahadevan, have two daughters, Tanujasree and Tejasree.^[10]

Notes[link]

References[link]

• Musical Nirvana biography

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (April 2009)

Zakir Hussain
Zakir Hussain in Konark Natya Mandap, Orissa, India 2012
Background information
Born	(1951-03-09) 9 March 1951 (age 61)
Origin	Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Genres	Hindustani classical music, jazz fusion
Occupations	Tabla Maestro
Instruments	Tabla
Years active	1963–present
Labels	HMV
Website	www.zakirhussain.com

Zakir Hussain (Hindi: ज़ाकिर हुसैन, Urdu: ذاکِر حسین), (born 9 March 1951), is an Indian tabla player, musical producer, film actor and composer.

Early life[link]

Hussain was born in Mumbai, India to the legendary tabla player Alla Rakha.^[1] He attended St. Michael's High School in Mahim, and graduated from St Xaviers, Mumbai.^[2]

His younger brothers are noted percussionists, Taufiq Qureshi and Fazal Qureshi and Maral Qureshi.

Musical career[link]

Hussain was a child prodigy, and was touring by the age of twelve. He went to the United States in 1970, beginning his international career which includes more than 150 concert dates a year.^[3] In 1973, he appeared on George Harrison's Living in the Material World album. A prolific composer, he has received widespread recognition.

Hussain is a founding member of Bill Laswell's 'World Music Supergroup' Tabla Beat Science.^[4]

Hussain participates in the Silk Road collaborative musical project. [1] He teaches Tabla to advanced students in both San Francisco and Mumbai. Zakir participates in the Global Drum Project with percussionists from around the world.

In 1992, Hussain founded Moment! Records, which features original collaborations in the field of contemporary world music, as well as live concert performances by great masters of the classical music of India. The label presents his own world percussion ensemble, The Rhythm Experience, both North and South Indian classical recordings, Best of Shakti and the Masters of Percussion series. Moment Records’ 2006 release Golden Strings of the Sarode, with Aashish Khan and Zakir Hussain, was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Traditional World Music Album category for that year.

John McLaughlin collaborations[link]

Hussain worked with John McLaughlin on several Indo-Jazz projects, beginning with their collaboration in the band Shakti (band) on the albums Shakti (1975 Columbia), A Handful of Beauty (1976 Columbia),and Natural Elements (1977 CBS). McLaughlin later appeared on Zakir's album Making Music. Twenty years later, they rejoined in the band Remember Shakti, recording the albums Remember Shakti (1999 Universal Records), The Believer (2000 Universal Records), Saturday Night in Bombay (2001 Universal Records), Live at 38th Montreux Jazz Festival (18 July 2004), and Live at Miles Davis Hall (8 July 2004). They also appeared in the DVD The Way of Beauty. Both bands performed live both in the U.S. and abroad as recently as 2008.^[5]

Mickey Hart collaborations[link]

Hussain has collaborated with Mickey Hart on many projects, beginning with Hart's first solo album Rolling Thunder, and including Diga, At The Edge, Planet Drum, Mickey Hart's Mystery Box, Supralingua, Spirit into Sound, and Global Drum Project. He has been part of several of his bands including the Diga Rhythm Band, Planet Drum, Bembe' Orishas, and the Global Drum Project. Mickey Hart, Zakir Hussain, Shiv Kumar Sharma, Chandan Sharma, Sonu Nigham. (2009) Mumbai Steadily These projects have brought him together with such masters of world percussion and music as Sikiru Adepoju, Airto Moreira, Flora Purim, Babatunde Olatunji, and Giovanni Hidalgo.

The first Planet Drum album, released in 1991 on the Rykodisc label, went on to earn the 1992 Grammy Award for Best World Music Album, the first Grammy ever awarded in this category.^[6][7] The Global Drum Project album and tour brought Mickey Hart, Zakir Hussain, Sikiru Adepoju, and Giovanni Hidalgo together again in a reunion sparked by the 15th anniversary of the ground-breaking album Planet Drum. The album Global Drum Project won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary World Music Album at the 51st Grammy Awards Ceremony held on 8 February 2009.^[8]

Bela Fleck and Edgar Meyer collaborations[link]

When Bela Fleck and Edgar Meyer were asked to compose a triple concerto by the Nashville Symphony, they both named Hussain as their first choice for the third member. The piece, titled The Melody of Rhythm; Concerto premiered on 9 September 2006 with Leonard Slatkin conducting the Nashville Symphony. The trio composed several more songs together, and included both the concerto and additional works on a CD released in 2009 entitled The Melody of Rhythm – Triple Concerto & Music for Trio (2009 E1 Music). On the recording, the orchestral parts are performed by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, with Leonard Slatkin once again holding the baton. The liner notes indicate the trio has more projects in mind for the future.^[9]

Film career[link]

Hussain starred in the Merchant Ivory Film Heat and Dust in 1983, for which he also composed the score. He composed, performed and acted as Indian music advisor for the Malayalam film Vanaprastham,^[10] a 1999 Cannes Film Festival entry which was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the AFI Los Angeles International Film Festival (AFI Fest) in 1999, and won awards at 2000 Istanbul International Film Festival (Turkey), 2000 Bombay International Film Festival (India), and 2000 National Film Awards (India). He has composed soundtracks for several movies, most notably In Custody and The Mystic Masseur by Ismail Merchant, and has played tabla on the soundtracks of Francis Coppola's Apocalypse Now, Bernardo Bertolucci's Little Buddha, and other films.^[11] He also composed the soundtrack of the Aparna Sen's Mr. and Mrs. Iyer, being himself the singer of some of the songs, for the first time in cinema.

He starred in several films specifically showcasing his musical performance both solo and with different bands, including the 1998 documentary "Zakir and His Friends",^[12] and the documentary "The Speaking Hand: Zakir Hussain and the Art of the Indian Drum" (2003 Sumantra Ghosal).^[13] He also performs in the DVDs The Rhythm Devils Concert Experience (2008), and The Way of Beauty (2006) with the band Remember Shakti.

Personal life[link]

Ustad Zakir Hussain performing at Konark, Orissa

Zakir Hussain married Antonia Minnecola, a Kathak dancer and teacher, who is also his manager.^[14]

Zakir Hussain has two daughters Anisa Qureshi and Isabella Qureshi. Anisa Qureshi graduated from UCLA and is trying her hand in video production and film making. The other daughter, Isabella is studying as a dance major in Manhattan.^[15]

He was named an Old Dominion Fellow by the Humanities Council at Princeton University, where he resided for the 2005–2006 semester as full professor in the music department.^[16] He was also a visiting professor at Stanford University.^[17]

Discography[link]

• Mysterium Tremendum (2012) – Mickey Hart Band
• Global Drum Project (2007) – Mickey Hart, Zakir Hussain, Imran Hussain, Chandan Sharma Sikiru Adepoju, Giovanni Hidalgo – Shout Factory
• Soukha – V. Selvaganesh (with John McLaughlin, Zakir Hussain, Vikku, Shrinivas) – Naive
• Sangam (2006) – Jazz collaboration with bandleader Charles Lloyd.
• Punjabi Dhamar (2004)
• Raag Chandrakauns (2004)
• Live at 38th Montreux Jazz Festival (18 July 2004) – Remember Shakti
• Live at Miles Davis Hall (8 July 2004) – Remember Shakti
• Energy (2003)
• The Best of Mickey Hart: Over the Edge and Back (2002) – Mickey Hart
• Selects (2002)
• Live in San Francisco at Stern Grove (2002) – Tabla Beat Science
• Summit (2002) – George Brooks (Earth Brothers Music BMI)
• Golden Strings of the Sarode (2001) – Aashish Khan & Zakir Hussain
• Saturday Night in Bombay (2001) – Remember Shakti (Universal Records)
• Tala Matrix (2000) – Tabla Beat Science
• Spirit into Sound (2000) – Mickey Hart
• The Believer (2000) – Remember Shakti
• Remember Shakti (1999) – Remember Shakti
• And the Rhythm Experience (1998)
• Night Spinner (1998) – George Brooks (Moment Records)
• Supralingua (1998) – Mickey Hart
• Essence of Rhythm (1998)
• Magical Moments of Rhythm (1997)
• Kirwani (1997)
• The Elements – Space (1996)
• Mickey Hart's Mystery Box (1996) – Mickey Hart
• Maestro's Choice – Series Two (1995) – Sultan Khan & Zakir Hussain
• World Network Series, Vol. 1: India- Raga Purya Kalyan (1995) – Zakir Hussain & Shivkumar Sharma
• Raga Aberi (1995) – Shankar
• Golden Krithis Colours – (1994) – Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan
• Jog And Rageshri (1994)
• Ustad Amjad Ali Khan & Zakir Hussain (1994) – Amjad Ali Khan & Zakir Hussain
• Concert for Peace (1993) – Ravi Shankar
• Music of the Deserts (1993)
• Rag Madhuvanti / Rag Misra Tilang (1993) – Shivkumar Sharma
• Flights of Improvisation (1992)
• The One and Only (1992)
• Sangeet Sartaj (1992)
• Zakir Hussain and the Rhythm Experience (1992)
• Maestro's Choice Series One (1991) – Alla Rakha
• Planet Drum (1991) – Mickey Hart
• When Words Disappear (1991) – David Trasoff & Zakir Hussain
• At the Edge (1990) – Mickey Hart
• Venu (1989) – Hariprasad Chaurasia & Zakir Hussain
• Tabla Duet (1988) – Zakir Hussain & Alla Rakha
• Making Music (1987) with Jan Garbarek, John McLaughlin and Hariprasad Chaurasia
• Song for Everyone (1985) – L. Shankar
• Who's to Know (1980) – L. Shankar
• Morning Ragas (1979) with Vasant Rai
• Natural Elements (1977) – Shakti with John McLaughlin
• A Handful of Beauty (1976) – Shakti with John McLaughlin
• Diga (1976) – Diga Rhythm Band
• Shakti (1975) – Shakti with John McLaughlin
• Rolling Thunder (1972) – Mickey Hart
• Shanti (1971)
• Evening Ragas (1970) Vasant Rai
• Ustad Mohammad Omar: Virtuoso from Afghanistan (2002)- Zakir Hussain

Filmography[link]

• The Rhythm Devils Concert Experience (2008 – DVD) – The Rhythm Devils
• The Way of Beauty (2006 – DVD) – Remember Shakti
• The Speaking Hand: Zakir Hussain and the Art of the Indian Drum (2003) Sumantra Ghosal)
• Talamanam Sound Clash – Further Adventures in Hype (2003 – DVD) – Tabla Beat Science
• Zakir and His Friends (1998)
• Heat and Dust (1983) Merchant Ivory Film
• Saaz

Soundtracks[link]

• One Dollar Curry (2003) – Vijay Singh (writer and filmmaker)
• Mr. and Mrs. Iyer (2002) – Aparna Sen
• The Mystic Masseur (2001) – Ismail Merchant
• Vanaprastham (1999) – Shaji N. Karun
• Little Buddha (1993) – Bernardo Bertolucci
• In Custody (1993) – Ismail Merchant
• Apocalypse Now (1979) – Francis Coppola
• Saaz

Awards and accolades[link]

• Awarded the titles of Padma Shri in 1988, and Padma Bhushan in 2002^[18] , becoming the youngest percussionist to be awarded these titles, given to civilians of merit by the Indian government.
• Awarded the Indo-American Award in 1990 in recognition for his outstanding cultural contribution to relations between the United States and India.
• Presented with the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1991 by the President of India, making him one of the youngest musicians to receive this recognition from India's governing cultural institute.
• In 1992 Planet Drum, an album co-created and produced by Hussain and Mickey Hart, was awarded the first-ever Grammy for Best World Music Album, the Downbeat Critics’ Poll for Best World Beat Album and the NARM Indie Best Seller Award for a World Music Recording.
• Recipient of the 1999 National Heritage Fellowship, the United States’ most prestigious honour for a master in the traditional arts, presented by First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton at the United States Senate on 28 September 1999.^[19]
• In 2005, he was named an Old Dominion Fellow by the Humanities Council at Princeton University, where he resided for the 2005–2006 semester as full professor in the music department, teaching a survey course in Indian classical music and dance.
• Recipient of the prestigious Kalidas Samman in 2006, an award for artists of exceptional achievement, from the government of Madhya Pradesh.
• Golden Strings of the Sarode (Moment! Records 2006) with Aashish Khan and Zakir Hussain was nominated for a Grammy in the Best Traditional World Music Album category in 2006.
• In 2007, readers’ polls from both Modern Drummer and Drum! magazines named Zakir Hussain Best World Music and Best World Beat Drummer respectively.
• On 8 February 2009 for 51st Grammy Awards, Zakir Hussain won the Grammy in the Contemporary World Music Album category for his collaborative album "Global Drum Project" along with Mickey Hart, Sikiru Adepoju & Giovanni Hidalgo.^[20]

Interview[link]

• Zakir Hussain Radio Interview OFFBEAT with Karishmeh – 103.2 Dublin City FM, Ireland, Zakir Hussain in conversation with Karishmeh Felfeli (June 2009, Dublin City FM)
• Masters of Percussion: An Interview with Zakir Hussain – with Douglas Heselgrave (The Music Box, Friday 12 September 2008)

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Zakir Hussain

• Zakir Hussain to perform Live in Pune
• Drummer World
• Moment Records
• Zakir Hussain at the Internet Movie Database
• Pennsylvania State University Page
• Zakir Hussain Tour Information @ Liveisbetter