Government should do more to promote Hindustani music: Amjad

Melbourne: Lamenting that Hindustani classical music was losing sheen due to an onslaught of television culture, Sarod maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan has said the government should do more to preserve and promote it.Khan, who is in Australia on a `Freedom Tour,` said there was a need to strike a balance between classical music and the latest trends and as done by the west.

"Western world has been able to maintain that perfect balance towards its European classical music despite changing trends of TV culture... In our country unfortunately we could not keep the balance," he told reporters. "Excessive TV channels, soap operas, reality shows are affecting the classical music of India," he said, adding there was too much of TV and cinema around. He noted that the classical music was passing through a difficult phase in India. "However, legend musicians are always loved by people irrespective of all this. There music is always sold out," Khan said. He said it was a bit challenging to woo audience to a concert where people would have to miss out on their favourite soap operas, was and the government should play a prominent role in preserving classical Indian music. "Its the duty for the government to save this culture. They should ask people like us suggestions on how to go about this... Ministry of culture has to play more important role to popularise and preserve Indian classical music," he said. However, Khan said he was always loved by Indian people. Khan said Europeans enjoyed the classical Beethovan symphony, as much as they like the latest trends in music, and said in India as well there was a need to balance out. "There is no threat to our classical music as well but we need to strike a balance," Khan said. "This is our ancient art. It needs to be nurtured and looked after," the noted Sarod player said. Pointing out that he was not representing any cultural committee formed by the government, Khan said: "If anyone asks us how to preserve the classical music we can guide in the right way". "Cultural ministry should come forward to seek suggestions from the classical music gurus," he suggested. On AR Rahman`s Oscar win, Khan said: "Its destined. However, I think for Rahman he should have been awarded long back on his film Roza for excellent music," Khan said. However, Khan appeared unhappy at the portrayal of Indian slums and poverty in Slumdog Millionaire. "Its true India does have those issues but there are other good faces as well," he said, commenting that the film "was no reason for us to celebrate". On his interest to compose music for Bollywood, Khan said he would love to be part of a historical film or a film set in the Mughal era. Khan said he was based in Delhi and this probably kept him at bay from Bollywood. Bureau Report