The story of Mukul Shivputra (born on March 25, 1956) is very sad indeed. Born to one of the greatest vocalists of Hindustani music, Pandit Kumar Gandharva and Bhanumati Komkali, Mukul apparently could not cope up with the pressures and expectation one has from a son of such illustrious parents. He took to drugs and alcohol. During the recent past he has performed infrequently and irregularly in the public, which is mostly attributed to his addictions. On 15th May, 2009, The Times of India reported that Mukul was seen begging for money outside a temple in Bhopal. One of my readers has just informed me that Mukul Shivputra was unable to perform in the Vasantotsav concert held on 22nd January, 2011 in Pune. Rahul Deshpande, one of his disciples was in tears seeing his guru in such a state. His recordings have become rarities and collector's items, something unheard of any artist who is still alive and so talented.
Mukul Shivputra - Barwa - Baje Mori Payaliya :
Mukul Shivputra - Dev Gandhar - Man Harva Mori Re :
He was once pitched as one of India's potential classical music stars. But Kumar Gandharva's son has now been found suffering from depression and crooning for booze. Classical singer Mukul Shivputra, 54, was spotted sitting on the road outside a temple, begging for money so that he could buy his next drink.
On May 7, Mukul Shivputra, unwashed and dishevelled, was seen begging for money to buy booze outside a Sai Baba temple in Bhopal. When a passerby recognised him, he managed to flee the spot and remained untraced for the next five days. Soon after hearing the news, Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan asked the culture department and the police to locate the singer.
Mukul Shivputra - Bihagda - Mandarwa Me Ab : (Download)
For five days, culture department officials and the cops searched for Mukul at several places, including temples in Bhopal. A team was rushed to Dewas, near Indore, where Mukul owns a house, then Nemawar and thereafter Jalgaon. The team however, returned empty handed. On May 12, a journalist saw him at the Hoshangabad railway station and informed the secretary, culture department. Officials found Mukul Shivputra suffering from dehydration. When the culture department contacted the singer's family, they refused to take him back home.
"He isn't begging because he is poor. He's mentally unstable", said a Bhopal based family source. "Having gone through a lot of mental stress, he took to alcohol and drugs. Mysterious disappearances have been quite normal with him. His family members parted ways with him because he splurged on drugs and alcohol even using debit and credit cards".
