WHEN THE STRINGS LOST THE FRET

Vidushi Manju Mehta, a doyen of the celebrated Saptak Classical Music Festival, departs at 79, months ahead of the coveted 45th edition of the festival

- Anurita Rathore Jadeja

It is almost as if the sitar has shed its strings off. In Vidushi Manju Mehta's passing, the strings she tied to hold the fret in place perhaps struggle to stay firm now, for it is unusual to find fingers that play tunes as beautifully as they generate love for that tune, in the young and old alike. Every meeting with her across the past two decades was coated with warmth, irrespective of whether it was an interview scheduled, a conversation about life and music, a momentous occasion or a chance meeting.

Manjuben was grace in motion.

Saptak Classical Music Festival, started in 1980, by Nandan Mehta, Manju Mehta, Bharti Parikh, Rupande Shah and DD Trivedi, rose to become a landmark festival, a celebration of Indian classical music, exceedingly well attended by musicians across genres and gharanas.