Why you need to check out The Great Indian Classical Podcast on YouTube

Its been a month since The Great Indian Classical Podcast with Nirali Kartik launched on YouTubeThis podcast is not for those who are simply looking for a quick taste of Indian classical music before moving on to the next thing it is a devotion a religion says Indian classical vocalist Nirali KartikThe idea of the podcast had long been germinating in her mind ldquoI want to know the backstory of classical musicians I have a lust for knowledge and music is not something you can learn overnight It goes on for decades it never ends In keeping with this spirit I wanted to start a podcast in which I can speak to great artistes I came up with this because I felt that they would be able to nurture an interest and taste for classical music among people in this formatrdquo she saysThe podcast has a SurabhimdashRenuka Shahane and Siddharth Kak vibemdashDoordarshan viewers will remember this famous show from the rsquo90smdashwhere the artist shifts between storytelling and the performance The most recent session was with flautist Pandit Rupak KulkarniNirali Kartik Anshul Adhikari and Nikhil SoniKartik is collaborating with HCL Concerts known to hold programmes of the genre in the cityNikhil Soni Group Manager Marketing HCL feels that the point of the podcast is that classical music lovers can now find it in a format that is different from the usual ldquoThe podcast needs to cater to the classical lover as well as attract someone who might be open to seeing and hearing the stories of these great artistes The same artistes when doing concerts might not have the time to pause and speak about the story behind a wellloved piece of music But via this platform we hopethat there is not too much strain on time and you can play and watch these episodes without the rhythm of the conversation being cut midwayrdquo he says Anshul Adhikari Head of HCL Concerts explains that the podcast is trying to balance the authenticity of the genre by not making it too massproduced but interesting enough to draw younger semiinterested Indian classical lovers ldquoWe would love more new listeners but we have a legacy of bringing authentic unblemished Indian classical to those who loved the unadulterated formrdquo says AdhikariThe ldquoBollywoodisationrdquo of Indian classical music is a sore subject among many true blue fans of the genre But it might be presumptuous to say despite the massive record sales of Indian Pop that there arenrsquot enough young takers for the classical genre anymoreWe ask Kartik about the OTT Marathi movie Disciple based on the story of a classical vocalist who struggles with selfdoubt and faculties She vehemently argues that it is not a representation of those who take it as a vocationldquoIt is the presentation of the Indian classical musical world itrsquos a representation of a failed artiste So that doesnrsquot mean every artist feels like that It also talks about the failures and focuses on it so itrsquos not a representation of classical music it the genre is a very very blissful world to be inrdquo she says adding ldquoIf you are meant to be an artiste you donrsquot have to force yourself If yoursquore not meant to be an artiste itrsquos like a person entering the wrong field they are going to be unhappy no matter the field But personally being a musician and being a student I feel like it is a very blissful worldrdquoThe youth in the field are as ambitious as any other as well ldquoIndian classical music has so much to offer in so many aspects In terms of wellness soul It helps us eliminate the noise around us Itrsquos a very adventurous genre because you have to practise so much to reach a certain level or to a certain calibre That gives a lot for an artist to explore and experiment I feel like this kind of a challenging aspect of classical music has attracted a lot of young listeners Those who take it up as a vocation are really quite competitive which I personally like because there is motivation to do better There are many new people joining The demand for classical music is increasing and even artistes have more aspects to exploreldquoThat is what we are trying to touch upon in the great Indian classical music podcastrdquo she adds