Zakir Hussain's demise has caused a wave of grief among his entire fanbase. The tabla maestro had suffered health complications due to a rare lung condition, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. The 73-year-old tabla maestro is survived by his wife, Antonia Minnecola, a noted Kathak dancer, and their daughters, Anisa Qureshi and Isabella Qureshi. Zakir Hussain's love for music isn't unknown, and he stated that it's the only reason that he existed.
From a very early age, Zakir Hussain was captivated by the magic of music, and he wanted to follow in his father, Ustad Alla Rakha's footsteps by being a tabla player. But it was his mother, who first was not in favour of the musician's decision. Being driven by his dreams, at the age of 6, Zakir Hussain wanted to run away from home. In an old interview with Simi Garewal on her show, Zakir Hussain shared that his mother, Bavi Begum, wanted a different career for him at that time, as music was not considered to be the field in which an individual could make a living. The tabla maestro mentioned that his mother wanted him to be focused on his studies and have something to rely on.
Moreover, it was Zakir Hussain's love for music that his mom's concern for him to prioritise studies over music became a bit disappointing for the tabla maestro, for which he decided to run away from home with a lady named Pujaran. Zakir Hussain said that Pujaran was in their house and used to look after them. The tabla maestro mentioned that Pujaran used to sing, and thus, he, being disappointed with his mother's wish for him to focus on studying more, told the house help that he would play the tabla and she would sing for a living. Saying that he decided to escape, Zakir Hussain stated:
"She was one of the ladies who was in our house and looked after us. I think I must have been very disappointed with my mother trying to stop me from playing music. So I told Pujaran, ‘Let’s just run away.’ She used to sing a bit. So I told her, ‘You sing, I will play and we will make a living. Let’s just run away from home."
Talking more about the same, Zakir Hussain revealed that he even packed his school bag and was ready to escape. When Simi asked if it was the home food that stopped him from escaping from his home, the tabla maestro mentioned that not only that, but it was his father, his guru, who was the reason, for which Zakir Hussain could not take the step forward. In Zakir Hussain's words:
"Khaana kaise khayenge but deep inside, it was not just the food, it was also knowing that what I needed was there. My father — my teacher."
In an interview, Zakir Hussain shared that he wanted to become very famous, and he would want to wear jeans, be a rock and roll star, and walk around in Bombay with a boombox on his shoulder, but reality hit. He revealed that when he reached there where he wanted to be, it actually was a tough time, as he would earn 25 USD a week, and would survive on that. In Zakir Hussain's words:
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"But when I got there, there was a whole different world altogether. I was living on 25 dollars a week, making one vegetable curry pot, heating it up every day and eating it with bread. Very tough times."
Zakir Hussain will continue to shine like the bright star that he has always been!
Also Read: Why Ustadji, Zakir Hussain Kept His Hair Long? He Once Revealed The Reason For Not Getting A Haircut
