The Soor Mahatee Mohotsav marked a mesmerizing tribute to the legendary singer Dr. Veena Sahastrabuddhe on her 75th birth anniversary. Renowned vocalist Vidhushi Kalapini Komkali, the daughter of the veteran classical vocalist Pt. Kumar Gandharva, and her nephew Pt. Bhuvanesh Komkali, the grandson of Pt. Kumar Gandharva, graced the event. The aunt-nephew duo enchanted the audience with ‘Malavrang,’ a program featuring songs based on Raag Malav.
The evening resonated with soulful Indian classical renditions, melodious folk songs, and devotional melodies, all based on Raag Malav, Raag Shree, Raag Kamod, Raag Marawa, Raag Dhan Basanti, Raag Savani, and Raag Kedar. This musical journey also offered insights into the rich culture and vibrant lives of the people from the historic Malwa region of India. Vidhushi Kalapini Komkali and Pt. Bhuvanesh Komkali were accompanied by Suyog Kundalkar on the harmonium, Prashant Pandav on tabla, Rajgopal Gosavi on dholak, and the event was beautifully anchored by Neerja Apte.
The ‘Soor Mahatee Mohotsav,’ organized in honor of Dr. Veena Sahastrabuddhe, was a two-day event held at the Yashwantrao Chavan Auditorium. It was orchestrated by Atul Khandekar, a renowned classical vocalist and disciple of Dr. Veena Sahastrabuddhe, as a tribute to her remarkable contributions to Indian classical music. The program featured classical and devotional compositions by Dr. Veena Sahastrabuddhe and her guru and elder brother, Pt. Kashinath Bodus.
The Mohotsav was inaugurated by Dandi Sanyasi Narshin Ashram Swami in the august presence of various dignitaries, including Dipti Bhogale, Dr. Sanjeev Abhyankar, Dr. Hari Sahastrabuddhe, and others. It also included special awards presented to Pt. Vinayak Phatak, a tabla player who accompanied Dr. Veena Sahastrabuddhe from 1984 to 1991, and Dr. Dileep Deodhar, a dedicated family physician and philanthropist.
The first day of the program, titled ‘Naad Ninaad,’ featured captivating performances by Savani Shende and Atul Khandekar, renowned vocalists and disciples of Dr. Veena Sahastrabuddhe. Savani Shende paid homage with bandishes from Raag Megh and Raag Bageshri, while Atul Khandekar presented compositions based on Raag Multani and Raag Bageshri.
The evening concluded with an enchanting performance by Pt. Raghunandan Panshikar, a disciple of Gaanasaraswati Kishori Amonkar. He presented a bandish composed by Mogubai Kurdikar, a devotional song by Shri. Gurunanak, and Kishori Amonkar’s timeless hit “Awagha rang ek zala” in response to public demand.
The event also featured the screening of ‘Veenecha Cheeranjeev Jhankar,’ a biopic on Dr. Veena Sahastrabuddhe’s life and musical journey. This heartfelt tribute was conceptualized and directed by Atul Khandekar and Bhakti Khandekar, with a script by Anjali Malkar.
