Guru Purnima: 'It Is A Challenge To Keep Someone Motivated And Inspired', Hindustani Classical Singer Aditya Modak On Being A Teacher

Aditya Modak is a renowned Indian classical musician whose acting debut in The Disciple (2020) won him rave reviews from prestigious publications like The New York Times and Variety. Moreover, Modak is also a Chartered Accountant, an impassioned teacher of Hindustani classical music and a source of inspiration for his students.

Excerpts from the interview:

In The Disciple you played the title role and had a Guru. In real life now you have several disciples of your own. How difficult is it remain inspired yourself organically and to keep your disciples inspired too?

This is a very important question. It is challenging in today's world of dopamine addiction and instant gratification to keep someone really motivated and inspired. However, I think one of the main qualities of a Guru is to keep the fire and curiosity alive in their student's minds. In today's world, it is the Guru's responsibility to make the subject understandable as well as likable to his disciples and to promote the culture of asking questions openly to your teachers or mentors. The new generation responds better when their inquisitive minds are satisfied. After all, they are our future.

How do you react when your students tell you that you are an inspiration for them?

I feel content and a sense of utter satisfaction and joy when my students feel inspired by me. As I am a Guru wearing many hats, my students don't get to complain they don't have the time for music, their education and their jobs. If you are focused enough, you can excel at multiple things. I am proud to share that many of my students in the US who started from scratch 2-3 years ago can now sing a 30-minute long classical Khayal recital.

Does your relative youth also influence the way your students relate to you as a teacher?

It surely does. Being 35 helps me narrow down the generation gap. My students are aged between 15-35 which means that I have been through what they are going through not very long ago. I believe that music should make your life happier, and not the other way around. I can relate to Gen Z struggles and attitude better than the older teachers. I have 20-25 students in several global time zones from California to Indonesia to Australia, whom I teach online through Zoom and Skype meetings. I teach only one person at a time because every student is at a different stage and needs a different kind of attention and advise.

When you got initiated into the world of music at the young age of 5, was it because you showed an inclination or because you were steered towards the art?

Since both my parents were working, I was put in a creche. Fortunately for me, the husband of my babysitter was a classical music teacher. So I have been listening to Indian classical music as long as I can remember. While all the other kids were playing, I would sit in the music room and listen to him teaching his disciples. By the time I was 5 years old, I had listened to so much classical music already that I started learning the raags and musical intricacies directly from him.

As a multidisciplinary artist, your versatility extends over Indian classical music, accountancy and acting. Is it difficult to crossover between different fields?

I believe that the secret of multi-tasking is not doing multi-tasking (laughs). You have to be 100% focused and attentive while doing one thing and then 100% attentive to the second area you switch to. In the true meaning of the word, you should be doing "active" meditation. While singing, I completely forget that I am a Chartered Accountant who has a day job or that I am an actor. Similarly, when I am in my office, I completely forget that I am a known singer. On the sets of my film The Disciple, I had almost forgotten that I am a singer; I became an actor and started behaving like one off-set too.

How do you look back on your journey?

I don't think I have accomplished a lot yet. I realise when I look back I feel a sense of satisfaction and happiness. It has been a rollercoaster ride but my music has never left my side and has kept me going in all the endeavours.

How do you resolve matters when there's a clash between your various interests?

I have learnt to adapt and switch between tasks and work hard towards attaining both my goals. I recall this incident when I was working in one of the Big Four audit firms for my CA Articleship and we used to work late hours: I had a concert one evening so I left my office, travelled to the concert venue, performed for two hours, travelled back to my office, worked till 7 am in the morning and completed my assignment. Commitment and hard work gets you wherever you want to be.

Tell us about your energy as well as that of the mahaul at a musical concert... does it take time for a newcomer to adjust to this?

This makes me introspect. My energy is at its peak at a musical concert. I am completely emotionally soaked in the experience. The overall mahaul and grandeur of a classical music concert is overwhelming for a newcomer. It’s ecstasy to see a thousand people immersed in traditional music; listening quietly and applauding at the end of three hours.

You made an excursion into acting with The Disciple and received staggeringly good reviews. Would you like to pursue acting?

I am truly delighted with all the accolades that the film has received. From walking on the Red Carpet in Venice to seeing the film win international awards to receiving the Filmfare award (Marathi) for Best Actor in my first film, the whole experience has been surreal. I owe this experience and success to my director Chaitanya Tamhane and our producer Vivek Gomber. However, I have experienced that acting demands a lot of your time, energy and, most importantly, emotions. I am a musician at heart and soul and hence I am back to my music. But in future, if there is any similar opportunity, I would definitely love to pursue acting and explore it further.