By Kavita Chhibber

I first met Bankim Pathak way back in 1992 when Mustafa Ajmeri brought him to town and said to me-if you close your eyes, you will think it’s the legendary Mohammed Rafi on stage. Pathak who lost his legs to polio and performs on crutches, had an amazing personality-full of positivism, courage and humility. He has frequently given proceeds from his show to the handicapped being aware of the difficulties most disabled people face in India.
Born in a Gujarati family, he said to me that his music is a gift from his father.

 His father always had a soft corner for him and encouraged him to pursue music in an India where parents prefer focusing on academics. Pathak was mesmerized by Rafi and decided he was going to mold his voice to sound like the maestro’s. It was a daunting task but Pathak didn’t give up trying. He said that while he sang through the years, through college days as well, it was only after Rafi’s death that he decided to carry his voice to the people.

When he came on stage after we spoke and started with the haunting number “Aaja..Tujh ko pukare mera pyar” every one in the audience had goose bumps and I was just mesmerized. His voice is so hauntingly reminiscent of Rafi it’s really an eerie feeling to hear it emanating from another man’s lips. 
The audience that day was sparse because it was middle of June and people were busy with graduation parties. I remember requesting Mustafa ji and Bankim Pathak to come back one more time. I wrote about the show in Voice of India, the IACA magazine I used to edit in those days.
Pathak and his troupe returned a month later and sang to a packed house. People had read the review and I remember receiving so many thank you calls from people some of whom had received personal phone calls from me to come and watch this stellar show.

Daksha Gohil too had accompanied him on that tour and she has a voice uncannily similar to Asha Bhonsle. I still remember what a wonderful rendition she gave of the asha hit Dam maro Dam. I’m happy that she too is back.

Kamlesh Awasthi of course is considered the best inheritor of the void left by late Mukesh and has sung in films. I believe his son Bhushan is also performing in the show and is a good singer and the response had been very enthusiastic in the shows that have preceded this one..
It is surprising that it has taken this long for Bankim Pathak to come back to Atlanta, but if I was to pick one show this year for people to see, and to thank Mark Premji for bringing to Atlanta, this will be the one..