Thirteen-year-old Anirban Roy of Uttarpara enjoys playing the flute and watching stars during his school breaks. His peers consider him a “prodigy” and Anirban, a student of Don Bosco, Liluah, has been living up to the term right from childhood.
Born to a family of musicians, the student took to Hindustani classical music even before any formal training.
“I was surprised to hear him sing the classical taals and sargams that his sister would practise. He was just over four years at that time. Till then, Anirban was given no training in music as I wanted him to concentrate on his studies. But hearing him sing, I decided to train him,” said father Lokenath Roy, a professional flautist himself.
Anirban was given his first flute at four, and by the time he turned five, he gave his first public performance. At six, he was invited to perform at a birth centenary programme for Bharat Ratna recipient M.S. Subbulakshmi in Chennai. Since then, there is no looking back for this 13-year-old flautist. From attending prestigious festivals to government-aided programmes, he has performed on stages all over India. Last year, he bagged five awards and took part in over 30 stage shows.
“I love the stage. I am never scared of it,” said the Class VIII student, who is now looking forward to his first international tour of Australia and America this year.
Anirban, however, prefers to enjoy a regular childhood. “I practise mainly on weekends and say no to stage shows whenever I have school. I hate missing classes,” said the boy, who loves his school corridors, playgrounds and the assembly halls dearly.
“What I like best are my friends. To them, I am just a regular member of their gang,” said Anirban, who is also an avid table tennis player.
Fond of maths and physics, the teenager hopes to study law in future. “Astrophysics, the world of space and stars, interests me a lot, too,” he said before resuming his practice of raag Mia Malhar to beat the scorching heat.
Anirban believes it’s possible to multi-task as long as you love what you are doing. “I would like to continue my studies and practise my music side by side. I hope to play with Zakir Hussain and Greek composer Yanni one day,” he said.
“Not all children are great at multitasking. But I’m glad that Anirban is being able to manage both his education and art. Champions are not born, they are made. It takes passion, love, tenacity and perseverance together with skill and knowledge to achieve the finesse of a master. Anirban has a long way to go to achieve that finesse to become a maestro, but the discipline he practises, the skill he displays and the bonding he has developed with his craft have brought him accolades from all quarters. I wish he continues to pursue excellence,” said Don Bosco, Liluah, principal Rev. Fr Manoj Jose.