Those who have grown up in Maharashtra and have an inclination for shastriya sangeet or natya sangeet (musical dramas), one name that holds special significance is Vasantrao Deshpande. A master at singing many popular and rare ragas, his vast musical repertoire also included thumri, dadra, ghazal and natya sangeet.
Born in 1920 in Sawlapur in Amravati district of Maharashtra, his artistic journey began at age eight when played the role of Krishna in the film Kaliyamardan . The producer chose him impressed by his musical skills. The film launched Vasantrao both as a singer and actor. And like Lord Krishna, he began to draw listeners with a voice that was known for its formidable range and power.
The seeds of his versatility were sown during his training period, since he was exposed to diverse styles and gharanas. After initial lessons from Nagpur-based Shankarrao Sapre (a disciple of Vishnu Digambar Paluskar), he was under the tutelege of Aman Ali Khan and Anjani Bai Malpekar of BhendiBazaar Gharana, Suresh Babu Mane of Kirana Gharana, Asad Ali Khan of Patiala Gharana and Ramkrishnabuwa Vaze of Gwalior Gharana. These maestroes shaped his classical music sensibilities and helped him develop a broad perspective of art. A reason why his oeuvre included films and theatre.
Vasantrao took his semi-classical outings seriously. So much so that he became a name to reckon with in natya sangeet. He was inspired by none other than Pt. Dinanath Mangeshkar, whose worthy successor he became in the field of Marathi natya sangeet. ‘Megh Malhar’, ‘Katyar Kalijat Ghusli’, ‘Vij Mhanali Dhartila’, ‘Tukaram’, ‘He Bandha Reshmache’ and ‘Varyawarchi Varaat’ are among his best plays that brought to the fore his acting and singing skills. He also sang in more than 80 Marathi films and acted in quite a few.
Through his work Marathi Natya Sangeetachi Vaatchaal , Vasantrao documented the history of Marathi musical plays, leaving behind a precious treasure for successive generations of musicians. He did research in ‘The Transformation of Hindustani Classical Music’ for his Ph.D thesis. His lecture-demonstrations were valuable lessons on music.
Vasantrao’s seniormost disciple Pt. Chandrakant Limaye through his performances and teaching has been taking forward his legacy. He established the Vasantrao Deshpande Sangeet Sabha (VDSS) in 2000 for the purpose. In his guru’s birth centenary year, he and several other cultural institutions in Maharashtra are organising various programmes to highlight Vasantrao’s musical journey and his significant contributions.
