Vocalist Kaushiki Chakraborty laughingly apologises during the interview to The Hindu when it’s pointed that Mumbai’s skies opened up, because she sang raag Megh during her last concert at the Dinanath Mangeshkar Hall in June this year.

A representative of the Patiala gharana and daughter of maestro Pandit Ajay Chakraborty, she will be doing a tribute at the three-day Bandish festival to her early guru Pandit Jnan Prakash Ghosh and also to vocalist Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, one of her biggest inspirations. The festival also features singers Bhuvanesh Komkali, Aruna Sairam, Suresh Wadkar and Sadhna Sargam.

Showcasing the maestros
The Kolkata-based Chakraborty points out that it will be a challenging show. “I am very small in front of these two legends. One taught me when I was a child, the other has had a huge impact on me. The focus will be on their compositions, so though it’s an evening concert, I may sing morning and afternoon bandishes too to showcase their work,” she says. Ghosh was a multi-faceted personality in his role of musicologist, composer and tabla player. Says Chakraborty, “I plan to sing his compositions in raags Basantmukhari, Hindol Bahar and his creation in Bilasi Todi. Ishaan Ghosh, who will accompany me on tabla, will play some unique passages. Besides that, I will sing Khansaab’s thumris.”

Creative challenges
Over the past decade or so, Chakraborty has risen to become one of India’s leading and most popular classical vocalists of her generation. She says, “It's very inspiring, and makes me determined to do better.” Chakraborty has also faced a certain amount of criticism in the past, both in the media and among purists who call her gimmicky. She responds, “It’s very natural, as creative art forms are subjective. One can’t please everyone, and I respect their views. But negative emotions don’t bother me, and I will continue to do what I believe in.”