Ustad Raza Ali Khan recalls Sandhya Mukherjee's rigorous days of classical music training

Veteran playback singer Sandhya Mukherjee, who died of cardiac arrest yesterday at 90, was popularly known as 'Geetasri' and was the singing voice of the legendary actress Suchitra Sen.

The singer with the silky smooth voice, who ruled the Bengali film industry for nearly four decades from the early 1950s, took her training in Hindustani classical music from the great Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan and, after Khansaheb's death, from his son Ustad Munawar Ali Khan.

Later, Mukherjee also recorded a song, 'Jhan Jhanan Sur Jhankare', composed in raga Jaunpuri, for the film Jay Jayanti (1971) with Munawar Ali Khan.

Bade Ghulam Ali Khan’s grandson, Ustad Raza Ali Khan, is among the few who witnessed Mukherjee’s days of rigorous training sessions before she came to rule the airwaves.

“I have seen Sandhya-di taking taalim [training] as a child, a teenager and as a man," Raza Ali Khan said. "She was connected with our family for seven decades.”

According to him, Mukherjee was sincere as regards her training. “When she used to learn from my father, often I would accompany her on the tabla when there was no tabla player around," he recalled. "I also played the harmonium in her class.”

Raza Ali Khan remembers how Mukherjee was focused on getting the difficult ragas right and exploring new avenues of notes and rhythmic patterns in class. “I learnt all the complicated ragas, including Hameer, Jayjaywanti and Kedara while she was learning them from my father," he said. "She also sang the Bengali version of thumris by Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khansaheb with my father.

“The way she used to learn was an inspiration to us,” continued the classical vocalist. “She gave us tremendous vision on how to practise and how to take taalim from maestros.”

According to the ustad, Mukherjee would also talk about how scared she was of Bade Ghulam Ali Khan. “She would always credit my father, whom she fondly called Bhaiya, saying, 'Whatever I am singing, I am singing because of Bhaiya'.”

Raza Ali Khan also remembers fondly Mukherjee bringing lots of flowers and sandesh (a popular Bengali sweet) to class. “It has been one of the greatest journeys to have been associated with her for such a long time," the music teacher said. "With her demise, an era comes to end. She was a gem of a singer. I hope her legacy will continue to inspire future generations to become versatile singers and ace classical music and playback singing with equal finesse.”