Ace flautist Pandit Ronu Majumdar of the Maihar gharana is known the world over for his musical versatility. Born in Varanasi as Ranendranath Majumdar, Ronu, as he is popularly known, started playing the flute under the guidance of his father Bhanu Majumdar, Pandit Laxman Prasad Jaipurwale and Pandit Vijay Raghav Rao. His incredible range of achievements includes performances at prestigious venues like The Kremlin, Moscow and Le Palais de Beaux Arts in Brussels. Ronu has also recorded a number of albums and these include A Traveller?s Tale, Koi Akela Kahan, Heart to Heart, Meditation in Brindavan, Song of Nature and Dhyana as well as the musical track for the Hollywood film, Primary Colours. A major innovator in new-age music, Majumdar got his first Grammy nomination in 1996 for his album Tabula Raas. Currently, he?s looking forward to the release of an I-MAX film, Mystic India, directed by Keeth Melton for which he has composed music in collaboration with musician Sam Cordan.

Sharing Ronu Majumdar?s love for music is his wife Bula who is a trained classical singer herself. Besides being an accomplished musician, Bula also helps out a lot with her husband?s career, and looks after their two sons, Siddharth and Rishikesh.

RONU ON BULA

Ours was an arranged-cum-love marriage. I met Bula for the first time in Raipur where I had gone for my solo concert at Rang Mandir. She came there along with her parents and when I first saw her, I realised that I had found my partner for life. Just after the concert, Bula came to meet me backstage and I liked her so much that I immediately told my mother about my plans for marriage. We finally tied the knot in 1990 and till today, she?s my greatest pillar of strength.

Before I got married, I was a B-grade radio artiste struggling to find a place in this industry. My marriage to Bula proved very lucky as I got lots of good offers from musicians all over. Soon after my marriage, I had to leave for an extended world tour. But Bula was never too fussy or demanding because she knew my profession well. In fact, it was she who encouraged me to take up good projects and thereby increase my grade as a radio artiste and also as a performer. In Bula, I have found a well-rounded human being in touch with her roots. She is a classical vocalist trained under her teacher Anita Sen. Though she has left everything because of our two kids, she has a good ear for music.

What I love about my wife is that she is very simple and straightforward. I remember a funny incident, which happened when I received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Sahara India Parivar in 2001. After I got the award, she made it a point to ask Subroto Roy the reason why it was given to me. That?s because she felt that I still had a long way to go in this field.

As a wife, Bula has always inspired me to discover my own style. Most importantly, she understands my moods and guides me accordingly. If she finds out that I have done something wrong, she corrects me and helps me stay grounded.

To this day, Bula continues to motivate me with her suggestions and takes care of my programme schedules. Neither of us says, ?I did this for you? or ?I did that for you?. We both know that we cannot work in isolation. And after having spent so many years together, I can safely say that today whatever little fame I have achieved, is because of her unstinted support.

BULA ON RONU

When I first met Ronu in 1989, I was naturally very impressed by his music. But that apart, it was his honesty and the courage of his convictions that struck me the most. All said and done, it boiled down to plain old chemistry and I didn?t even think twice before giving my consent to marriage.

The first years of our marriage were exciting but tough as Ronu had to go for world tours quite frequently, leaving me on my own. I have never accompanied him when he went abroad for concerts, primarily because I had no great desire to travel abroad. I was happy staying in India and managing our home.

Then the kids came along ? Siddharth and Rishikesh ? and our responsibilities increased. Though they are small, we have tried to bring them up with the same kind of values we received from our parents and hope that they too take their professions seriously. Despite his busy schedule, Ronu is not only a caring husband but also a loving father. When he is at home, he takes care of their homework and also attends parent-teacher meets at school. He is the quintessential family man and whatever little time he gets, he likes to spend it with us.

I think that with Ronu and me, our friendship has really stood the test of time. Our children are also a binding factor and both of us want them to excel in life. Ronu is a very simple and reserved person, who needs to be nudged and brought out of his shell. He is also a patient listener and never gets angry. I love him dearly and cannot think of life any other way.

He may be a famous musician but at home, Ronu is very down-to-earth and likes to pamper us in all sorts of ways. He has actually given me the emotional anchoring that I needed the most. What I appreciate in him is that he is very focused and dedicated. He adores his work, is a perfectionist and won?t rest till the job is done. I never interfere in his career decisions but I do point out the flaws. He is a very warm and genuine person and I am proud to be his wife. For me, love is belonging to each other and I am always there for him.

Photograph by Gajanan Dudhalkar