In fact , some even claim that Shankar was prone to envy when it came to the initial performances with his wife . Before Shankar attained a worldwide presence with the Concert for Bangladesh and by befriending The Beatles , the couple used to perform together .
As an obituary in The Guardian says , ‘ Yet , often , Annapurna claimed , it was she who got the more favourable reviews , saying : “[ Ravi ] was not happy as I received more appreciation than he did from both the audience and critics whenever we performed together .”’ Shankar had always denied these claims but it is just unfortunate to find Devi turning herself into a recluse after the split .
Many Hindustani musical artists achieve peak fame in their elder years when they end up achieving “ Ustad ” status . Annapurna Devi could have maybe excelled a lot if she continued with her compositions . But for vague reasons ( or what is rumored to be the shock of her split with Shankar ), Devi could never perform again . Thankfully , she still offered lessons to musicians , that too witout charging any fees .
Not many would know but it was Annapurna Devi who had tutored future geniuses such as flautist Hariprasad Chaurasia , and sitarist Nikhil Banerjee . So , even though she didn ’ t attain extreme popularity , she did leave a respectable legacy that was carried forward with some brilliant exponents of Hindustani classical music .
Talking about Hindustani , many female artists have been historically sidelined just like any other music genre . While a layperson would still mention Carnatic legends MS Subhalakshmi or Shubha Mudgal ’ s name when it comes to classical vocalists but no Indian layperson would be aware of any specific woman instrumentalists in the scene .
The times are changing now and more and more women are getting considerable freedom in picking up instruments that were otherwise traditionally reserved for men . For instance , Dr Radhika Veena Sadhika picked up the vichitra veena against the conventions of the classical laity , becoming the first female player of the instrument . Shankar ’ s own daughter Anoushka Shankar is a global sitar phenomenon . But amidst such talents , one can only wonder how Annapurna Devi would have shined if she got more exposure .
Always a shy and reserved genius , the Padma Bhushan awardee spent her final years tutoring students , feeding pigeons , and taking care of her faithful dog Munna . Some of her individual performances on the Surbahar as well as her duets with Shankar can still be found in all their black-and-white yesteryear glory on YouTube .
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