The Lone Royal Swan…
The Life of Bal Gandharva
Manjusha Amdekar
Translated from the original Marathi (“तो राजहंस एक…”)
2. The First Gandharva of the Music World
Family Inheritance of Song and the Flowering of Art
Bal Gandharva’s Rajhans family originally hailed from the Nagathane village, which lay in the Tasgaon taluka of Satara district. Here, the Rajhans family held its ancestral farmland and homestead. The family’s original surname was Kulkarni, but over time, it was the name Rajhans that became world-famous. The Rajhans family were Deshastha Yajurvedi Brahmins. Krishnajipant, the grandfather of Narayan, alias Bal Gandharva, was his father’s only son. He had five sons: Vamanrao, Vishnupant, Ganpatrao, Bhaskarrao, and Shripadrao. The youngest of these, Shripadrao, and his wife Annapurnabai, had eleven children. Of these, Shankar, Narayan, Vyankatesh, and Venu were granted long lives. Narayan was born in a house in Shukrawar Peth in Pune. He made his entrance onto the stage of this world on the 26th of June 1888, at two minutes past six in the evening.
Shripadrao worked as a draftsman in the Irrigation Department of the Bombay government. With a modest income and a large household, the family’s financial circumstances were quite ordinary. But the family held an inheritance of art. Shripadrao himself sang and also played the sitar. His sister Haribai as well as his wife, both were able to hum tunes in sweet voices. Narayan’s uncle Ganpatrao had, in fact, taken up singing as his very profession and was a disciple of Balkrishnabuva Ichalkaranjikar. Along with his fine singing, he also played the mridang. At the Parvati temple in Pune, he would render musical service. Narayan’s maternal uncle Vasudevrao Puntambekar was one of the founders of the ‘Natyakala Pravartak Natak Mandali.’ Thus, the sacraments of musical notes were being instilled in Narayan even before he was born. He had inherited the nourishing essence of dramatic art and music.
Although Narayan’s schooling began at Nagathane, he was later sent to Jalgaon for his education. Abasaheb Mhalas, the son-in-law of Narayan’s paternal aunt Haribai, was known in Jalgaon as a celebrated lawyer. He had a special fondness for Narayan, and so Narayan pursued his further education while staying with him. But this schooling continued in name only as Narayan had no inclination whatsoever toward study and learning. He loved singing, and since Abasaheb too was fond of drama and song, Narayan would accompany him to plays and musical performances.
Observing his leaning toward music, Abasaheb sent him to study singing with Mehbubkhansaheb. Although Mehbubkhansaheb was not particularly renowned at the time, the distinctive qualities of his singing — clear enunciation and an effortless melodiousness — left their mark on Narayan. The foundation of his musical training was thus excellently laid.
Title of Bal Gandharva
Around the time when Narayan was ten years old, he went to Pune to stay with Yashwantrao Kulkarni, who was Narayan’s cousin-uncle and worked in the management department of Lokmanya Tilak’s ‘Kesari.’ This trip to Pune proved to be a turning point in Narayan’s life. An extraordinary coincidence occurred, and Narayan got the opportunity to let the Lokmanya hear his singing. Tilak was so enchanted on hearing Narayan sing, that a spontaneous exclamation escaped his lips: “This Bal Gandharva sings most beautifully!”
And from that day on, Narayan was bestowed with the title ‘Bal Gandharva’!! Not only did he become world-famous by this name, but he also proved to be the first ‘Gandharva’ in the realm of music in Maharashtra. And thereafter, he went on to create history like never before or never after.
New responsibility, and a path emerges
By 1903, Narayan had completed his education up to the seventh grade (which was called English second standard). At this time, his father Shripadrao met with an accident hurting his leg and fell ill and had to take unpaid leave and be without work. Now, the entire responsibility of running the household fell upon Narayan. He made efforts to join the ‘Natyakala Pravartak,’ but met with no success in this. Narayan’s elder brother Shankardada had not yet become an earning member. To add to this, their mother too fell ill. Worse still, Narayan himself was bitten by a dog at Malegaon. Thus, the family’s struggle for survival began on every front.
But it is said that good things come from even bad happenings, and Narayan too had such an experience during this period. Being bitten by a dog turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Since it was essential to treat the bitten leg, an acquaintance, Babamaharaj Pandit took Narayan to Kolhapur for treatment. Narayan’s maternal grandfather Appashastri Belekar was a purohit (reciter of the Puranas) at the household of Babamaharaj Pandit. Babamaharaj and his wife Taimaharaj had a special fondness for Narayan and therefore resolved to get him treated. During Narayan’s stay at Kolhapur, a singer name Appayabuva lived in the town, and Narayan began to learn singing from him. Through Babamaharaj, Narayan got the opportunity to sing in the presence of Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj who himself was an admirer and patron of music and dramatic art.
Hearing Narayan’s sweet and melodious singing, the Chhatrapati was so filled with admiration for him that he resolved to help him continue his education under Alladiyakhansaheb, the royal court-singer. But on one occasion, the Chhatrapati noticed that Narayan could not hear properly. When he inquired about it, Narayan said, “Yes, Maharaj, my right ear is damaged and therefore I cannot hear properly with that ear.”
On hearing this, the Maharaj felt deeply pained. Such a gifted boy — why should fate have placed such a deficiency in him? — he simply could not understand it. He resolved at once to have Narayan treated and cured at the Mission Hospital. Dr. Wanless was the head of the Mission Hospital at Miraj, and the Kirloskar Natak Mandali too was in Miraj itself. So, it was decided that Narayan should stay with the Kirloskar Mandali and receive treatment from Dr. Wanless. The Chhatrapati told the Kirloskar Natak Mandali, “Take good care of this boy.” But, at that time, no one had an inkling that the boy named Narayan, who had come to the Kirloskar Mandali as a guest to take treatment, would, in time, be the very one to give the Kirloskar Natak Mandali a new lease of life!
A Pot with a Broken Rim
Actually, the drama company and Narayan had been acquainted before. In 1903, Abasaheb Mhalas had arranged a singing audition for Narayan at the Kirloskar Natak Mandali with the intention that he should find employment here and earn some money so as to improve his family’s impoverished circumstance. But as ill luck would have it, at that time, Narayan was just stepping into adolescence and by the law of nature, his voice had just broken. Therefore, the company had rejected him as a ‘a pot with a broken rim.’ Later, during his stay at Kolhapur, Narayan had passed the voice-breaking stage and his voice had gradually improved. There were now whispers that reached everyone through the Chhatrapati about the company finding a handsome boy who sang well. People even put in a word for Narayan but the Maharaj had declined saying, “Narayan’s musical education is not yet complete.”
Narayan had slowly begun to settle in at the Kirloskar Natak Mandali in Miraj. His singing enchanted everyone. Everyone there remembered that they had once dismissed this boy as ‘a pot with a broken rim.’ But Narayan had won over everyone’s hearts with his sweet, unaffected manner. On the recommendation of Dr. Gadgil, Narayan’s singing was once again presented before the Kirloskar Natak Mandali. This time, however, since his voice had become settled, sweet, and was trained, his singing touched everyone’s hearts.
Offered a Female Role
Deval Master came right out and asked, “Narayan, would you like to play a female part?” Narayan replied, “If you teach me, I will do it.” Narayan was now a tender youth of seventeen. He was handsome, and his voice had turned melodious. In his heart, he felt ready to come onto the stage. Moreover, since his father was home on unpaid leave, the family had accumulated a great deal of debt. So, the pressure of circumstances was there as well. Narayan agreed readily, thinking that if he set to work and began earning some money, he would be able to support to the family. Deval then gave him a small role and they began holding rehearsals.
By now, everyone had realized that the boy had something spectacular within him. Therefore, they made efforts to obtain his family’s permission. Lokmanya Tilak and Dadasaheb Khaparde were of course pleased with Narayan, and Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj too was fond of him. So, one day, a dress rehearsal of his talent was held behind closed doors before a select few. Narayan’s mother was present to watch it. She liked his performance very much and gave her consent. Once she had agreed, there was no question of his father’s approval not coming through. But Narayan’s maternal uncle, Dattumama Belekar, was not at all pleased as he feared that harm would come to the boy. However, the Lokmanya gave his guarantee in these words: “If even the slightest harm comes to this boy, I shall give him Rs 20,000 out of my own pocket.”
Joining the Kirloskar Natak Mandali
After receiving this big a guarantee, not much was left to be desired. In 1905, Narayan joined the Kirloskar Natak Mandali. That day was Guru-dwadashi. The auspicious moment, indeed, was a good one. Deval Master decided to give him the role of Shakuntala and rehearsals began. It was decided that the Kirloskar Natak Mandali would take a vacation until the preparations were complete. Ever since Annasaheb’s time, there had been a custom there: the company was given one month of paid vacation every year. It was given in this manner.
In any field, a disciple’s bright future depends upon his obtaining a good guru. That Narayan should have got a guru like Deval at the very outset could be considered his great good fortune. As for the disciple, he had been born for the very purpose of accomplishing great things. With such a union of milk and sugar coming together, so to speak, how long would it take to prepare for the role? Narayan was ready in no time at all. Literally within one month, he was made to master the work of four acts. As soon as it was confirmed that he could carry off the role to satisfaction, the first performance of Shakuntal was announced. An advertisement was put out: “Narayan Rajhans, to whom the Lokmanya has given the title of Bal Gandharva, will play the role of Shakuntala…”
The tickets sold out in no time at all. Telegrams began to arrive for booking seats. Letters too began to be received as did messages. The play was to begin at nine o’clock. But the audience had grown so impatient that they had thronged in huge numbers from eight o’clock onwards. The theatre was packed to bursting capacity. Seeing such an abundant response after a long while, the people from the Kirloskar Natak Mandali were overcome with emotion. A new vitality coursed through everyone.
She Came… She Saw… and She Conquered…
And the moment finally arrived…. she came… she saw… and she conquered…. such was the state of things. In his very first entrance as Shakuntala, Narayan did full justice to his title of Bal Gandharva. Witnessing how he performed the womanly mannerisms through his delicacy, his gait, and his speech, the audience was literally entranced. The captivating performance he gave when Shakuntala, frightened at the sight of a bee, began calling to her companions, made the audience raise the theatre to the skies! Every moment, the performance kept rising to greater and greater heights. Shahu Maharaj, Deval Master, Mujumdar, and others were delighted beyond words. Within their hearts, all were now convinced that “There is no looking back now! The fortune of the Kirloskar Mandali has risen, and success, fame, money, renown… nothing whatsoever will be wanting. The flagging Kirloskar Mandali has at last attained a state of revival!”
Narayan Became Bal Gandharva
And this is when, Narayan no longer remained Narayan but became Bal Gandharva for eternity. From here on, it would be proper to refer to him only as ‘Bal Gandharva.’ Bal Gandharva too had now been seized with tremendous enthusiasm. An indomitable self-confidence had been born within him. He had resolved to learn everything now from Deval Master. But destiny had something else in mind. When he least expected it, he had to endure separation from Deval. Deval was quick-tempered. He had some difference of opinion with Mujumdar, and he quit the company. After his departure, the task of teaching Bal Gandharva for the other roles went to Chintoba and Bodas. Bal Gandharva now began to play Subhadra in Saubhadra, Vasantsena in Mrichchhakatika, Sarojini in Mooknayak, and Nandini in the play Guptamanjush. People embraced him wholeheartedly in every one of these roles, praised him, and carried him on their shoulders, so to say.
Dattumama’s Displeasure
In 1905, Mujumdar had held the wish to celebrate the silver jubilee of his drama company. But circumstances had not allowed it. With Bal Gandharva’s arrival, however, the gloom lifted and the company was transformed overnight. Taking advantage of this new situation, Mujumdar devised a plan to hold the silver jubilee in Pune. It was decided to stage performances of various plays in Pune. The opening was to be with the play Guptamanjush.
An unexpected incident occurred on that day that left everyone bewildered. Before the performance, Bal Gandharva’s Dattumama came to meet him. He spoke sweetly and casually to everyone. Then, saying, “I’ll take Narayan home and bring him back and drop him off again,” he set off with Bal Gandharva. But on the way, based on the way Dattumama was speaking and behaving, Bal Gandharva grew suspicious. The moment the boy began saying he wanted to go back, Dattumama gripped his wrist tightly and forcibly took him home. Once home, he reprimanded Bal Gandharva, saying, “If you ever set foot in that drama company again, you’ll be sorry.”
This whole affair was so unexpected that the young, tender Bal Gandharva was utterly confused. At the drama company, Shankarrao Mujumdar too had already grown suspicious. He had therefore sent a man to follow Dattumama and find out about the situation. A big commotion broke out at the drama company. In haste, Mujumdar himself, taking Joglekar along, went to Dattumama’s place. There, after great pleading and entreaties, the two somehow managed to mollify Dattumama, and were able to return to the drama company with Bal Gandharva. After this incident, everyone made a firm resolve never to leave Bal Gandharva alone at any time. And this practice was kept up for a full 33 years thereafter.
The Trump Card
Hearing of Bal Gandharva’s fame, the audiences in Pune too were eager to see him. The eagerness in people’s minds to catch even a single glimpse of him had reached its peak. And so, the moment they saw Nandini in Guptamanjush, the audience welcomed him with a thunderous burst of applause.
This was the first time for the renowned harmonium player Govindrao Tembe to see and hear Bal Gandharva. From a classical standpoint, he noticed certain flaws of inexperience in Bal Gandharva’s singing. But with his charming stagecraft and sweet singing, Bal Gandharva covered these over so seamlessly that Govindrao could not help but praise him. The young, tender Bal Gandharva drove the youth of that time wild. Young spectators began to throng the plays in large numbers. Compared with the previous actors, there was a new playfulness in his female roles, which attracted the younger spectators. The same Narayan who had been dismissed as “a pot with a broken rim” —had now become Bal Gandharva and had settled in as the trump card of the Kirloskar Natak Mandali. He had become the lucky star that shone in the sky—for the drama company that had earlier fallen on hard, unfortunate times.
The song “Ugich ka kanta, sulabh mani gana na bhupsuta” settled on people’s lips. The song “Hoy Sansar” had originally been set in Raga Ramkali. But in one performance, the moment Bal Gandharva began to sing it in Raga Bageshri, the audience sat up alert. People liked that song so much that a vigorous round of applause broke out, and it was as if a lightning-bolt of new vitality flashed through the audience.
New found confidence
Although Bal Gandharva’s popularity went on growing day by day, in the beginning, he behaved quite timidly, like a novice. His overall appearance was rather slovenly. His expression had a hint of a certain naivety and awkwardness. He went about in fear of others. He had been in the habit of reading the Gurucharitra or the Shivlilamrut after bathing. But out of the fear that in the company the rituals of purity (sovala-ovala) would not be observed and that he might incur sin, he had given up that reading altogether. Because his relatives did not approve of his working in the theatre, the awareness that he would have to be distanced from their love often overwhelmed him. Streams of tears would flow from his eyes.
But after two years, his earlier shyness had gone, and in its place was confidence, practiced ease, and polish. Between his acting at the time of the first performance of Shakuntal and his acting now, two years later, the difference was as vast as that between earth and sky. Now every one of his songs began to draw an encore. As his experience grew richer, his roles too blossomed. In 1910, a play called Premshodhan came to the stage. From this play onwards, Bal Gandharva’s roles attained a new height. Moreover, one more change was made beginning with this play. The custom of the tabla and harmonium players sitting in the wings was changed. Instead, they began to sit in front of the audience. This change was probably made because of the defect in Bal Gandharva’s ear. Although Dr. Whale’s (or Dr Wanless?) treatment had brought a lot of improvement in his condition although the hearing defect had not gone away entirely. Since he could not properly hear the accompanying notes from the wings, the relocation of the instruments helped him. Although Bal Gandharva had been gifted by birth with beautiful looks, a sweet voice, and an expressive face — he nonetheless labored for five years to master the art of acting. In a way, it was a penance for him. And he performed it by throwing himself into it completely.