The legendary Freddie Mercury once led a sea of fans at Wembley Stadium in a thunderous "Aay-oh" chant in 1985. Decades later, on the tenth evening of the Saptak Festival, a similar wave of collective musical joy washed over the audience in Ahmedabad, this time led by the silk-kurta-clad maestro of the Mohan veena, Vishwa Mohan Bhatt.
A Night of Serene Notes and Shared Laughter
As Saturday night gently transitioned into Sunday, the air at Saptak was filled with the serene and celebratory notes of Raga Yaman. Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, displaying the raga's emotional core of tranquility, expertly demonstrated its capacity to move with the grace of a dancer. He sang a swift, sparkling sargam, inviting the gathered rasikas to echo the phrases back to him.
The audience, or rasikas, embraced the challenge, managing to render portions of Yaman's bhav swar—the notes that carry its emotional signature. When their collective voice inevitably stumbled, the hall didn't fill with silence but with genuine, happy giggles. This laughter was a testament to their self-aware appreciation and the sheer, potent joy of participating in a moment crafted by a master.
The Legacy of Practice and Raw Fingers
That mastery, as the performance revealed, is born from decades of relentless practice—a journey that refines art while leaving fingers raw. The artistic riches earned by Vishwa Mohan Bhatt and bestowed upon the next generation were evident from the very first presentation of the evening: Raga Maru Bihag.
Bhatt explained to TOI that this raga exemplifies celebration, making it a perfect fit for the Saptak 2026 edition. The aalaap unfolded like a tender, loving declaration. During this phase, Salil Bhatt, on the Satvik veena, was a picture of intense concentration, hunched like a jeweler meticulously polishing delicate gems.
Salil Bhatt's Transformation into a Hindustani Rockstar
As Maru Bihag ascended in tempo and passion, a transformation occurred. Salil Bhatt shed his careful craftsman's demeanor and assumed his well-known avatar as the Hindustani Jimi Hendrix. His eyes closed, surrendering to instinct. His long hair swayed like a brush, painting the air with spontaneous, impromptu expressions dictated solely by his mind.
His fingers, at times, glided off the strings of his veena, finding flair and emphasis in the very atmosphere. Waves of appreciative "wahs" rippled through the captivated audience. Throughout these explosive passages, Vishwa Mohan Bhatt would watch his son with an approving smile, before elevating the raga to an even more passionate plane, as if to test him.
And every time, Salil Bhatt met the challenge, earning his own version of a roaring, heartfelt "Aay-oh" from the enraptured crowd. The evening was a powerful dialogue between disciplined tradition and inspired improvisation, between a father's legacy and a son's fiery interpretation, leaving Ahmedabad with a night of music to remember.
