Ustad Zakir Hussain was a separate ‘Gharana’ in his own – Padma Vibhushan Ustad Amjad Ali Khan

Pune, 10th March 2026: Although Ustad Zakir Hussain was a Tabla player from a Punjab gharana he was a separate Gharana in his own. He gave a different dimension to the art of tabla playing and made this instrument more meaningful, said veteran Sarodist, Padma Vibhushan Ustad Amjad Ali Khan. Zakir’s greatness was not limited to being an artist, his humanity was also equally great, he added.

With the aim of honoring eminent personalities who have made significant contributions to the field of art, the Ustad Zakir Hussain Excellence Award has been instituted by the Talchakra Trust of renowned tabla player Padma Shri Pt. Vijay Ghate. The award was presented at a special program organized at Yashwantrao Chavan Auditorium in Kothrud to mark the 75th birth anniversary of Padma Vibhushan Ustad Zakir Hussain.

The award consists of one lakh rupees and a momento. Senior flautist Padma Vibhushan Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia was honored with the Ustad Zakir Hussain Excellence Award for 2025 and senior sarod player Padma Vibhushan Ustad Amjad Ali Khan for 2026. Both these awards were presented by senior music composer Padma Shri Pt. Hridaynath Mangeshkar.

Ustad Amjad Ali Khan further said, “Music has no boundaries of religion, caste, country, race, or language. The bond of melody is deeper than the bond of blood. The voice is the God of the artist. All artists are connected by the same thread, Zakirbhai should be an ideal example of this. Today, every musician aspires to become a Zakir. But young artists should realize that becoming a Zakir is hard work. For that, it is not enough to be a tabla player, but one must also elevate one’s humanity.” Amjad Ali Khan also recalled some of his memories with Zakir.

Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia said, Zakir had utmost respect and love for music and gurus as well as elders. He often accompanied me and we enjoyed the joy together.

Pt. Mangeshkar said, “I have seen and heard Zakir since my childhood. His father was as good a tabla player as he was a great musician. He used to come to Lata Didi’s house and little Zakir was also with him. I pay tribute to his memory.”

Zakir’s wife, Antonia Minnecola interacted with the audience through audio-visual medium. A special musical program was presented at the award ceremony. The concept of this program was the song ‘Phir Bhor Bhai Jaga Madhuban…’ based on the Gorakh Kalyan raga from the 1998 film ‘Saaj’ directed by Sai Paranjape. This song was written by Javed Akhtar, composed by Ustad Zakir Hussain and sung by Vidushi Devaki Pandit. Milind Kulkarni anchored the program.