Inheriting intent and the art of learning

The 45th Saptak Annual Music Festival will present a special surprise by Indian classical music stalwarts, a tribute to sitarist and Saptak trustee Manju Mehta, who passed away in August

- Anurita Rathore Jadeja

The journey of a strong institution reflects in the way it functions – setbacks don’t affect, new people join in, and merit from seniors sees through. An afternoon with Anubhai, the prime mover of Saptak Annual Music Festival and Hetal Mehta Joshi, the daughter-in-law of Saptak founder Manju Mehta, shows how principles and thoroughness can sustain anything, even in the face of changing times and technology.

This office we are sitting in is perhaps older than 1980 when Saptak Music Festival began. With key founders passing away and the world around changing rapidly, how has organising and functioning of Saptak remained the same? Prafull Anubhai: The founders, be it Nandanbhai, Manju, Rupa, Bhartiben, Kapasisahab or even me, came together to form Saptak; Nandanbhai established certain norms and practices, had vast contacts with artistes along with an idea of all that would appeal to people. Not just professional, he had personal relationships with artistes that made a world of difference and enhanced warmth and rapport.

Manju took over seamlessly and everything continued the same way. Certain values and processes were established in all these years that have carried on.

The Saptak team has imbibed this and hence things will continue to be this way in years to come.