Wajid Khan’s Student Bankim Patel Remembers The Music Director

Wajid Khan’s Student Bankim Patel Remembers The Music Director

The entire country is mourning the loss of Wajid Khan who breathed his last on Monday. The sudden demise of Wajid of popular music composer duo Sajid-Wajid came as a shock to Bollywood. From actors, singers to directors, people related to film and music industry took to social media to pay tributes to Wajid. In Odisha too, fans and admirers of the singer-composer are yet to come to terms with his untimely death. Playback singer Bankim Patel, who hails from Odisha and is a former student of Sajid-Wajid, has also been left speechless by Wajid’s passing away. Deeply saddened after hearing the news, he mourned Wajid’s demise on social media. Bankim shares his fond memories of the music director with My City Links.

Bankim was a student of Taleem Studio, an initiative of Sajid-Wajid to groom budding singers. "It was during Zee Sa Re Ga Ma Pa when I got to know about Taleem studio and eventually, made it there. It’s not an academy but a proper professional studio where a few selected students are trained and groomed professionally. One of my most memorable moments with Wajid Sir was on his birthday. We were asked to come for a casual introduction session. All of a sudden, he asked, "Who is Bankim amongst you?" I was speechless and couldn’t believe that my idol remembers me. I used to tweet about Taleem and my music videos and often tagged him. He was also responsive and sometimes retweeted them. But I never thought he would remember me like this," he said.

At Taleem, students were taught lessons on practical knowledge of music, technicalities, classical training and role of yoga in vocal improvement by trained teachers. Besides, renowned and experienced artists also took classes at the studio. Bankim said if someone aspires to be a good musician, then Taleem studio is the appropriate place. Though the studio is very particular in selecting students, those who pass out from the place go on to become complete singers.

Bankim said stardom never mattered to Wajid. He was a man of ethics who believed that in order to become a good musician, one needs to be a great human being first. "For me, Wajid Sir is the Guru who taught me some great philosophies of life. He used to speak about his wife's unconditional love for him due to his respect for his own dreams and passion," informed Bankim.

Apart from composing some of Bollywood’s greatest hits, the Sajid-Wajid duo has set a great example of a sibling relationship. Bankim said, "They have been honest on and off camera as well as in public. Since they belong to a very humble background, the love, compassion, and understanding for each other as siblings is exemplary. Both the brothers were loved by the entire entertainment industry. They have a family-like bonding with Salman Khan, Sonu Nigam, Shaan da, Shreya Ghoshal, Mika Singh, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and many other celebrities.”

Wajid was a true visionary. The duo created futuristic songs by experimenting with varied percussions and musical dimensions. One such ageless creation is 'Deewana Tera'. "Wajid Sir believed that talent and determination to succeed always decides one’s destiny. Though we were his students, he never promoted anyone unless he spotted real talent and zeal. He often said he will fight with the world for students who have talent,” said Bankim.

Even when Wajid developed critical health ailments, he never let his condition hamper his professional life. During the lockdown, he had started a YouTube channel and released 'Tere Saath Hain Hum’. In a recent video, he was seen singing and smiling at the hospital. 

Bankim also spoke about his unfulfilled wish. "When I got a break in an Odia film, I shared a scratch with Wajid Sir and he was really happy to review it. He even asked me to share the original track after release. The release got delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic and in the meantime, we got this tragic news. I wish I could have made him proud as his student," he concludes.