January 25, 2011 : 88-year-old Pandit Bhimsen Joshi was among the ultimate of the doyens of Hindustani classical music, who has died at a hospital in Pune on account of illnesses resulting from old age. A gem like Joshi would have been difficult to unearth as his singing had the capability to surpass the ordinary musical acts and elevate the listeners to the sublime territory with his exceptional vocals that seized pain as well as rapture. One of the rationales behind his extreme popularity was his fervent vocal performances with a potent and sharp voice that illustrated the visual splendor of the ‘kirana gharana’ of which he was the famous exponent. He was also venerated for his articulate expression of the light classical, devotional and popular sort. It was a breathtaking amalgam of intelligence and zeal that partitioned Joshi from other classical songsters, who doggedly abided by their ‘gharana’ culture with inflexibility that hampered ingeniousness possibly.
Meanwhile, several celebrities from the entertainment world in India have articulated their respect for Joshi on Twitter, voiced their despondency due to his demise and expressed hope that his soul rests in peace. Abhishek Bachchan, the superstar of Hindi films, voiced a similar sentiment. Madhur Bhandarkar, the director of ‘realistic’ and appreciated films such as Fashion and Chandni Bar, has vocalized that Joshi’s demise is an irreparable loss to India. Shreya Ghoshal, the female vocalist, who has admirably sung countless Hindi films’ songs, has uttered that Joshi’s voice will reverberate throughout the world eternally.
Riteish Deshmukh, the commendable actor of comedic Hindi movies such as Hey Babyy and Housefull, has stated that Joshi deserved the honor of ‘Bharat Ratna’, which was provided to him in his lifetime. Joshi’s decease is a mammoth loss to the Indian classical and cultural legacy. Dia Mirza, another actress of ‘Bollywood’, has uttered that he would reside in his songs eternally and that she would inform her kids in the future about him. Anupam Kher, one of the legendary actors of Bollywood, has remarked that Joshi captivated the audience with his terrific voice and, now, it is time for divinity to be enthralled by his voice. Humankind will miss Joshi’s presence.
Pandit Shiv Sharma, a maestro of ‘Santoor’, has remarked that Joshi’s voice was the most superlative that the Indians had heard and was revered by a variety of generations. Ustad Iqbal Khan, of the ‘Khalifa’, Delhi ‘gharana’, has stated that Joshi was a spectacular songster, whose stature was enhanced by the humility in his persona. Girija Devi, the ‘Thumri’ vocalist, has verbalized that Joshi was a fabulous musician, whose music brought to mind the divine and the divinity within.
