When Shiv Kumar, Zakir Hussain performed just for Big B

Amitabh Bachchan may have attended various concerts and musical performances but the one closest to the megastar’s heart was when Santoor maestro Shiv Kumar Sharma and tabla exponent Ustad Zakir Hussain played together, exclusively for him and his family.

“(I remember) one magical New Year night in a Delhi hotel where we had temporarily parked ourselves during the shooting of a film and Shivji along with another maestro, the tabla exponent, Zakir Hussain, had played to just four or five of us through the night, in what I believe was one of their greatest performances,” Amitabh posted on his blog bigb.bigadda.com

“It was informal, it was family, it was incredible. I used to possess one of those cassette players and I did make a recording of the moment. I am now not sure where in my mass of stuff that has undergone so many location changes, that divine tape has disappeared. I must find it. It would be a sacrilege if it is lost. It was a masterpiece ‘jugalbandi’ performance,” he added.


A file photo of Santoor maestro Pt. Shiv Kumar Sharma and Tabla maestro Ustad Zakir Hussain performing together. Photo: Shiv Kumar Pushpakar