Recognising the contribution of 'queen of sarod'

The 90th birth anniversary of the legendary queen of sarod, late Guru Sharan Rani is being commemorated with an event in the Capital. As the foremost woman practitioner of the sarod, a handpicked and personally trained disciple of late Baba Allauddin Khan, Guru Sharan Rani pioneered a revolution by making sarod a woman-friendly classical instrument. Her personal contribution to the art of playing sarod, by introducing the instrument to hundreds of music lovers worldwide through innumerable concerts held at prestigious platforms in India and abroad, remains legendary.

In keeping with her pristine status and appeal, a commemorative evening is being organised by her daughter Radhika Backliwal Narain, wherein a Lifetime Achievement Award will be conferred on Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, the country's ace Mohan Veena Vadak. The event will be held on April 7, at India International Centre.

The event will also see a live concert recital by the maestro, where he will be accompanied by his son and disciple Salil Bhatt, on the Satvik Veena. Tabla accompaniment for the same will be provided by Ram Kumar Mishra.

For connoisseurs and music aficionados, there will be an opportunity to relive the Sharan Rani era through a short film of 29 minutes, featuring snippets from the musical journey of the Sharan Rani. The film has been directed by Radhika Backliwal Narain and deftly takes into account the personal, musical and international makeover along with the professional excellence of this performer.