In Pune, justly labelled the cultural capital of Maharashtra, a Marathi musical play — that too, a classic — running to full house is not in itself noteworthy. What is, is the fact that the protagonist — the lead singer — who is credited with infusing fresh vigour into roles originally performed by legends of musicals, and breathing new life into this art form, is no veteran of long years but a young man relatively new to the form.

Meet Rahul Deshpande, the 32-year-old grandson of the late renowned classical musician Dr Vasantrao Deshpande, and an established classical vocalist in his own right, whose entry into theatre began with producing, what else, the famed musical Katyar Kaljat Ghusli two years ago. Not surprisingly, he played the same role immortalised by his illustrious granddad over four decades ago, with flawless aplomb and élan.

Captivating GenNext

Since then, Rahul's production house, Rahe, has successfully revived Sanshaykallol , yet another gem of the Marathi stage, and most recently, Maanapmaan — all of them featuring a cast of young actor-singers. In the process, not only has he earned accolades and a robust fan following, including many from GenNext, he has also — albeit unwittingly — cast himself in the role of a youthful torchbearer of the musical tradition.

Given his pedigree, the musical prowess isn't entirely surprising. But it is Rahul's infectious energy and commitment that has won him hearts and admirers. “Natyasangeet (music from plays) has traditionally played a big role in taking classical music to the masses, and keeping compositions from yesteryear alive,” says writer and drama critic Manisha Dixit, adding that the arrival of a talented youngster on this scene can, and has helped touch a chord and make a connect with the younger generation.

Collegian Priti Pathak, who first heard Rahul sing Natyasangeet at a musical soiree, confesses that for her it was ‘love at first sound'.

“I persuaded my friends to come for his play, and since then all of us are die-hard fans of both Rahul and his music,” she gushes.

Interestingly, Rahul has no memory of his grandfather, who died when he was little more than a toddler. The latter, however, had recognised the musical spark in the grandson. “My parents told me that it was my granddad's wish that I do music,” he says, adding that this journey started when he was little over six years old, under the tutelage of the late Gangadharbua Pimplakhare.

When music meets drama

When he was around 20, the commerce graduate, who was studying to be a chartered accountant, found himself at the crossroads: music or CA? It was the famous litterateur-humorist P.L. Deshpande who cast the die for him, advising him to make a career in music.

The entry into theatre too was unplanned. “I was at a press conference after a concert in Mumbai when a reporter asked me whether I would do musicals. On impulse, I answered in the affirmative, though at that time I had no concrete plans,” he recalls.

“Musical plays are a completely different ball game,” he explains, adding that the artistes not only need to be proficient singers, they must also be prepared to memorise dialogues and render them convincingly, as any slip can mar the final effect. “I was apprehensive doing Khan saheb's role in Katyar since it is very complex,” he confesses. To prepare for it, he used to sit at Mumbai's Haji Ali and observe people. “I cannot quantify it, but that helped me get into the role,” Rahul says.

Since its opening in February 2010, Katyar… , which has a powerful storyline centred round the rivalry of two musicians belonging to different schools, has done 60 shows. Over 35 shows of Sanshaykallol have been staged, while with two shows, the curtain has just about risen on Maanapmaan .

The response has been overwhelming both from those who have been aficionados of sangeet natak for decades, as well first-timers. Rahul's powerful rendition and on-the-spot innovations keep listeners mesmerised, while his efforts to contemporise the presentations with modern techniques have also earned him accolades.

Troupe goes the extra mile

To his credit, Rahul has managed to enthuse youngsters to support this endeavour… such as flying in from the US at personal expense to perform in Katyar… ,like Mahesh Kale does; or toil and spend a minor fortune to create an animation set in lieu of traditional props for Maanapmaan , like Anuj Deshpande did.

Rahul makes light of any reference to him as a new-age messiah of the musical. “I am making an honest effort, but resurrection is not my objective,” he explains, adding that one performance in a play is equivalent to the energy required for two, or even three, concerts.

“Each person has a personal limit, and though I have taken up drama as my social responsibility, I want this to become a movement, and others should step in to take the mantle,” he continues in earnest, quite clear that serious classical vocal is where he ultimately belongs.

However, he is not done yet with drama. Going forward, his list of ‘things to do' includes staging an all-new musical play by November. “I don't have a story as yet, but it could either be a period musical or a contemporary play that is completely different and styled on opera.”

Whatever the nature of this new baby, music aficionados are confident that it will bear the unmistakeable Rahul Deshpande touch, and scale newer heights.

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