Debapriya Adhikary and Samanwaya Sarkar — both disciples of Girija Devi for the last eight years — along with Sankalp Meshram — have helmed the documentary.

"We always had the desire to make a documentary on Appaji (as she is fondly called). She brought a revolution in Thumri singing. While Thumri is perceived as semi-classical, she believes that it should be regarded as a Classical form and has elevated its status.


A still from Girija: A Lifetime In Music

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Her persona, intellect, wit and philosophy moved us and we felt that her work needed to be documented," says Adhikary, who began making the documentary in 2011.

One of the most celebrated Indian vocalists, Devi, who hailed from Banaras, was initiated into music when she was five. Besides Thumri, she is also acclaimed for her proficiency in North Indian vocal forms like Khayal, Dadra, Tappa, Kajri, Hori, Chaiti and Bhajan. Using footage from her concerts and interviews, the makers have explored her personal journey, her life in Banaras as well as her contribution to music.

"We did a systematic study of her music and interpreted her songs using landscapes and scenery as she borrows a lot from the nature (prakriti) in her music. We shot with her in different parts of West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh and have fused the footage of her ITC Sangeet Research Academy concerts and the archival footage from Doordarshan," elaborates Adhikary.

The makers also interviewed her fellow associates and musicians like Pandit Ravi Shankar, Abdul Rashid Khan, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan and Kishori Amonkar, among others, in order to gain an insight into Devi's loving persona.