Pushing boundaries has almost become the norm for classical musicians today. Many are eager to explore new terrains through their sustained engagement with raga, tala and laya. No longer confined to rehearsals, performances and teaching, they are constantly seeking like-minded artistes for collaboration, creating tracks that foreground their creativity and taking on unconventional projects that challenge their artistic limits. Purbayan Chatterjee fits this description perfectly. He has worked with the likes of Ustad Zakir Hussain, Pat Metheny, Béla Fleck and Jordan Rudess, among others, and is busy carving his own niche through classical performances and genre-defying presentations.

Purbayan was brought up in a traditional environment where he was taught to uphold the sanctity and grammar of classical music. But as he began interacting with musicians from different cultures and genres, he slowly realised that music, at its core, is a heartfelt response in the moment to another artistic idea. “Over time, many of the walls and limitations that existed in my mind quietly dissolved. That allowed me to blend my understanding of raga-based music with nuances borrowed from other musical styles in a seamless and honest way. As for electrified sounds, I still deeply love the tone of my acoustic sitar. But sometimes, certain emotions expect you to unlock an entirely different form of expression. I try to use those textures selectively, only when the music genuinely calls for it,” he says.

An exponent of the Senia Maihar gharana, Purbayan understands the need to navigate the tension between preserving a centuries-old tradition and reshaping it for Gen-Next audiences. “Cultural inheritance, much like material inheritance, survives only when it is preserved and allowed to evolve with the times,” he says. Whatever he learnt from his father, Pt Partha Pratim Chatterjee, as well as from the legacies of Ustad Ali Akbar Khan and Pt. Ajoy Chakraborty, was never meant to become a museum piece. “Tradition gives you the grammar, but your experience gives you the vocabulary. My responsibility now is to pass that knowledge on to my students in a way that allows them to interpret it according to the perspective of their generation,” he adds.

For someone who has been vocal about the ‘nepotism debate’, Purbayan believes that parental identity eventually becomes a small part of who you are. “As I began travelling and performing at a young age, I became rebellious towards the idea that destiny should be predetermined at birth. I was inspired by stories of Pt. Nikhil Banerjee, who carved his own path entirely on merit. After moving to Mumbai 14 years ago, a city that has given me so much, I realised that many traditional structures within our industry still revolved around access, familiarity and inherited privilege.” For Purbayan, success should emerge from meritocracy, not hereditary privilege or favouritism. That realisation became one of the driving forces behind initiatives such as Purbayan Arts and Artists Music Foundation (PAAMF), where he consciously creates platforms and opportunities for young musicians from all backgrounds who just need belief, mentorship and visibility.

Purbayan’s new album Feathered Creatures, which released recently, was an organic outcome of his friendship with Grammy-winning guitarist Mark Lettieri of Snarky Puppy. The album emerged from his search for a collaborator who was not only an exceptional musician but also fluent in modern production, groove-based music, electronics and sonic architecture. “Mark came into the project with immense curiosity and zero ego, and together we almost approached the album like explorers setting out to discover a new musical galaxy. The challenge for me was learning how to retain the emotional and spiritual depth of the raga while placing it inside futuristic soundscapes, synth textures, odd grooves and highly produced environments. It pushed me out of comfort zones I didn’t even know I had, and that is always a beautiful thing for an artiste,” he says.

Additionally, actor Farhan Akhtar is working closely with PAAMF for his Hollywood debut in the Beatles biopic, in which he will portray sitar maestro Pt. Ravi Shankar. “I was initially approached by Anurag Rao, a friend who works closely with Farhan. Later, Farhan himself got in touch. I was impressed by his willingness to learn the instrument purely for artistic authenticity.”

In projects such as ‘Unbounded’ (Abaad), Purbayan has seamlessly blended Indian classical with jazz. Given the complexity of chromatic jazz improvisation, the biggest lesson he learnt from masters such as Béla Fleck and Antonio Sánchez is that what Indian musicians bring to the table is an incredibly rich and emotionally layered melodic language. “When you place that against sophisticated Western harmonic thinking, the real art lies in making aesthetically justified choices. Not every possibility needs to be explored simply because it exists. The balance between raga and harmony requires restraint, sensitivity and taste. Often, it takes a lifetime of listening, absorbing and unlearning before one can instinctively make those choices in a way that feels organic rather than intellectual,” he says.

Purbayan believes the modern-day guru must not only teach but also prepare students to survive and thrive in a rapidly changing world. Young musicians need guidance to build sustainable careers, diversify their skills, understand technology, navigate legal and financial realities and apply their musical knowledge across multiple avenues. “At the same time, I strongly feel that both genders need to remain vigilant about predatory behaviour and unhealthy power dynamics. While humility, surrender and respect remain central values within the guru-sishya parampara, dignity and self-respect must never be compromised. Sometimes it takes courage to stand your ground, and although that may create temporary obstacles, in the long run, integrity always pays off,” says Purbayan.