” I am 40 now ” Tabla mastero Shri Prithviraj Mishra started telling about an inspiring story from his own life after a mind-blowing solo Tabla performance at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Bangalore . It was a Hindustani classical music recital organized by Sri Rama Kala Vedike . That inspiring story told by him to the heavily crowded hall with some great artists like Ustad Shahid Parvez Khan, Pt Vinayaka Torvi , Pt Ravindra Yavagal and music lovers from Bengaluru , was cheered with applause that lasted for more than 5 minutes!
Here is the excerpt from his memorable story.
Prithviraj practiced Hindustani classical tabla for 20 long years under the guidance of his teachers Pt. Nandan Maheta, And Pt. Kishan Maharaj before he met with an unfortunate accident during Nov 2007 November in which he lost half of the right fore finger . After the operation Doctors advised him to give rest to his fingers for two years. Imagine practicing for 20 long years and then being asked to sit quiet for two years. And that too when the name Prithviraj was just creating waves across the country! It was a tough challenge but his eagerness play his favorite Tabla helped the healing process that much faster. Prithviraj practiced daily from 8 a.m. to noon and then 2 pm onwards till midnight. After a year of such rigorous practice Shri Prithviraj was able to get back to his original form with full energy in 2011He credits all his success for his successful comeback to his Gurus Pt. Nandan Maheta and Pt. Kishan Maharaj whose blessings, guidance and the teachings helped bounce back to his normal life . Urging youngsters to follow their Gurus, listen to them and practice to achieve higher targets in life.
He never looked back from this point and now he is one of the best young Tabla players in our country. He has accompanied a number of noted and leading musicians all over the country. He has given solo Tabla performances in the presence of the greats of Hindustani Classical music such as Pt Jasraj, Ustad Shahid Parvez Khan . Suffice to say that he is the Artiste to look out for in the coming days!
I asked him if he is still teaching Table at Sapthak, Gujarat, he replied: ” I don’t teach anymore…There is so much to learn now”, leaving me flabbergasted.
And I stole this expression when he was in deep thought !
