{"id":6236,"date":"2018-01-20T08:54:23","date_gmt":"2018-01-20T03:24:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/calamur.org\/gargi\/?p=6236"},"modified":"2018-01-20T08:54:23","modified_gmt":"2018-01-20T03:24:23","slug":"music-women-classical-music","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/calamur.org\/gargi\/2018\/01\/20\/music-women-classical-music\/","title":{"rendered":"Music : Women in Indian Classical Music"},"content":{"rendered":"

Gender and Indian Classical Music : An edited version of this appeared in the Indian Express as the “Songs they Sang, and the Songs they Didn’t<\/strong><\/a>”<\/p>\n

Jalsaghar<\/a> <\/strong>is the National Award winning Satyajit Ray film, that tells the story of one man and his obsession. The man in question is Biswambhar Roy (Chhabi Biswas), an elderly zamindar who is sees his way of life coming to an end. Set in the 1930\u2019s, the era marked by the height of the people\u2019s movement that led to independence, the period marked the decline of the zamindari system, not just as a method of collecting tax, but as a way of life. Marked by decadence, and indolence, the era was slowly wiping out a way of life, which is what Biswambhar Roy wants to resist. On a declining estate, with just two loyal servants left, he decides to organise a grand musical soiree in the music room (Jalsaghar). One of the key performances in the musical part of the film, that illustrates the grandeur of the music room, is the one by Durga Bai (Begum Akhtar). A gathering of men is sitting, smoking, drinking, waiting for the performance by Durga Bai, a sari clad, head covered, singer. And her music transports them to a sort of bliss.<\/p>\n