90. I wanted to record the concert…

Thousand Moon: Major Vasantrao Nagarkar

Contributed By: Dr. Raghunath Boradkar

Major Vasantrao Nagarkar 81  plus a retired Army officer lives in Kothrud.

His narration reminded me of the old classic film The sound of music and the captain Von Trapp family.

As an army officer Major Nagarkar was constantly on move and had little contact with the civilian life. But during  his annual leave  he used to visit Mumbai and pune and never missed a chance of attending a musical concert and  or watching a Marathi drama. The famous Sangit Kohinoor Panditrao Nagarkar was his uncle. His famous Bhoopali Ghanshyam Sundara  from the film Amar Bhoopali is still fresh in my mind and must be so with many of my generation. Here is the Major in his own words.

      I was fond of music right from my childhood. My uncle Shri Panditrao Nagarkar was famous vocalist and known as Sangeet Kohinoor. The atmosphere in our house was permeated with music.  Participating in the school and college music competitions kept my interest in music alive. But later when I joined Army the army life did not permit me to follow and continue the interest. I had to move constantly and to distant places on my posting and the regions were not always easily approachable like forests and mountains.. It was not possible for me  to keep contact with the civilian life, however when I used to visit home during my annual leave , I used to attend the music festivals in Mumbai and Pune and watch marathi dramas without fail.

It must be 1965 or 66, I was in Pune on my annual leave. It was the time of Ganeshotsava in Pune,and as usual there were many musical programmes organized by various Mandals. Vajradehi Ganesh Mandal had arranged a musical concert  of Shri Pandit Bhimsen Joshi. I attended the concert and what happened then I have never forgotten. This is the Story.

 In those days there never were chairs to sit and the audience sat on the ground. I had a Tape Recorder and wanted to record the concert so I managed to go near the stage

And was trying to record. Because of the crowd and as I had no place to sit I could not record properly. So I became very restless. My restlessness was probably noticed by Panditji. Panditji then summoned a volunteer of the mandal  and pointing to me asked him to get me on the stage. The volunteer promptly did so. I was taken to the stage and I was given a place to sit and record the program. Not only that but when the program was over Panditji talked to me and said ‘Is everything OK and have you been able to record properly?’ I was overwhelmed and I respectfully said ;Yes”

   I have heard Panditjis recording many times. After my retirement I heard him In Sawai Gandharva Mahotsava also but I have never been able to forget this incidence and his magnanimity . This is the memory that I cherish and will cherish it for my life.

   

Major Vasantrao Nagarkar