To gauge the absolute purity of Dr. Vasantrao Deshpande's soul, timeless beauty of his renditions, or the multi-hued aspects of his persona, you don't need the guiding light of 'experts'. Such was his astounding ability and agility that most 'specialists' can only envy his supple authority of towering heights from the surface-level probe of constricted thinking! What was true in Dr. Deshpande's time holds true even today; now the lavish praise for this maverick is indeed overflowing, but the comprehension is still suspect.
Having said that, it is not difficult to touch the soul of his foresight even in hindsight, for this unassuming master seemed keen to strike a conversation with whoever cared to listen. Losing ourselves in the treasures of his wit and wisdom captured by technology for our benefit, we can sense his genuine urge to share his intuitive experiences without branding them as insights. To this day, he continues to enthral us through his numerous renderings and addresses made available on YouTube by countless admirers and followers from across the globe. He is the uncrowned Bharat Ratna of India, a democratic monarch who doesn't seek followers, he wins them over with his disarming genius from up above! And he was Akashwani manifested; the Akashwani down below had no right to decide his fate, although it made a futile attempt to do so by denying him his place of pride for long.
This blazing sun of the Indian musical constellation hardly needs an introduction. Yet all his life, he was denied one befitting his stature. Thankfully, hidden gems don't ever lose their lustre, and the Sun god invariably responds to this Upanishadic plea through a cathartic intervention:
हिरण्मयेन पात्रेण सत्यस्य अपिहितम् मुखम् । पूषन् तत् त्वम् अपावृणु सत्यधर्माय दृष्टये ॥
Truth lies hidden beneath a dazzling golden lid; O nourisher Sun God, remove the lid and uncover the Truth for our benefit!
For anyone who cares to look back and learn from a bygone era, the life and times of Dr. Deshpande are an open book. One can find in his performances and musical elaborations his heartfelt tribute to several Gurus, including Shankarrao Sapre, Sureshbabu Mane, Asad and Aman Ali Khan, Anjanibai Malpekar, Ramakrishna Vaze, and of course Dinanath Mangeshkar, who had a defining influence on him, albeit it is unfair to constrict Vasantrao's authority by calling him Mangeshkar's successor, for Vasantrao had his distinct idiom and style, which is unmistakably original in its astounding diversity.
Unlike many of his contemporaries, his versatility knew no bounds - as a gifted vocalist, brilliant academician, astute historian, towering humanist, natural linguist, and incisive actor who was equally at ease in prose plays and musicals. His presence in Vijaya Mehta's 'Mee Jinkalo Mee Harlo' would have been a Midas touch for sure, going by the flowing tributes by none other than thespian Dr. Sreeram Lagoo and littérateur Vijay Tendulkar.
To reel in the hypnotic effect of his captivating renditions, whether Marwa, Salag Waraali, Kauns, Chhayanat, Patamanjari, Jaijaiwanti, Janasammohini, Bhoop, Shree, or Yaman, you don't need to study these ragas in perfunctory fashion. The master unfolds them for you with a meticulous preface that precedes the rendition, just like he leaves you mesmerized with his Thumri, Dadra and Ghazal escapades, taking you on a joyride around Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.
The wealth of invaluable information on Dr. Vasantrao can be found in two genuine tributes, one by Ramakrishna Baakre and the other by the one and only P. L. Deshpande, who was a close friend and contemporary. The latter article throws guiding light on the genius of Dr. Vasantrao; his astonishing command over taal, sur, and laya; his multi-disciplinary exploits on tabla, sarangi, harmonium and organ; his keen sense of observation; unique way with words; superlative wit and wisdom; exceptional miming skills; astounding linguistic ability; and other peerless talents like breath-taking knowledge of ayurvedic herbs, homeopathic medicines, and plants and flowers and even animals, particularly dogs and horses; deep interest in astrology, yoga, pranayam, and wrestling; his oratory powers and culinary skills; as also his complete devotion even to his low-paying military accounts job, a dictum taught to him by his mother, a self-made, strong-willed woman who had a mellifluous voice herself and a strong influence on his life and work.
The tribute by Jairam Potdar "Sangeet Surya Dr. Vasantrao Deshpande" is sincere no doubt, but it falls way short of the commensurate effort in unfolding the essence, credence, and value proposition of this renaissance man of Indian music. The book seems a rather hurried affair, marked by poor editing and countless repetitions and redundancies. Having said that, two heartfelt tributes from the book ring true, one by Dr. Deshpande's son Vijay and the other by Dr. Vikas Kashalkar.
We humbly appeal to the family to bring out a comprehensive volume on the life and times of this musical institution. We also appeal to the stakeholders of the music world to revisit the treasure trove of this Sun God and move up the value chain of proficiency, not merely professional acclaim.
Among other things, a comprehensive curriculum should be developed to enable students capture the actionable insights of his doctoral thesis on 'transformation of music', his astute compositions in Maaru Bihag, Raaj Kalyan, Jogkans, Chandrakans, Basantmukhaari, Natbhairav and Madhuvanti, or his incisive commentary on the origins and progression of Maharashtra's 'Sangeet Natak' (not 'Natyasangeet' which he aptly pointed out was an incorrect term)
Every singer - whether an aspirant or an accomplished artiste - must wilfully soak in the delightful depths of Dr. Deshpande's soulful renditions to note:
how he does both musical and 'situational' justice to gems like the Naandi पंचतुंड नररुंडमालधर पार्वतीश आधीं नमितो, or immortal 'padas' like घेई छंद, मकरंद, प्रिय हा मिलिंद...,तेजोनिधी लोहगोल, भास्कर हे गगनराज...लागी करजवाँ कट्यार...ह्या भवनातील गीत पुराणे...
how he becomes the Sun God personified while rendering "रवि मी, हा चंद्र कसा मग मिरवितसे लावित पिसे"
how he unfolds the beauty of V R Kant's magical verse "राहिले ओठांतल्या ओठांत वेडे शब्द माझे" with effortless ease, never once deviating from the signature 'राहिले' at the end of each stanza, albieit there was ample scope to render it in different ways to showcase his prowess. (Hats off to the celestial chemistry of composer Srinivas Khale and Dr. Deshpande for the discipline rooted in the demands of this number's melancholic situation!)
how he relates to everyone around him - fellow vocalists, accompanists, students, prodigies, anchors, and above all the audience - often adjusting wavelenghts on the spur to ensure that his awe-inspiring presence doesn't leave them petrified, rather puts them at ease and urges them to overlook their errors and make the most of the environment, highly conducive to self-improvement.
Given this diligent homework, every singer will be born anew, provided the delight is in the discovery, not mere reproduction!
The former is bereft of ego, the latter only smacks of vanity.