Joydeep Mukherjee: ‘I gave up my six-figure salary for music’

Some people might think I am crazy to leave a high-flying corporate job, at the peak of my career, for music. But I don’t look at it that way.

True, continuing at a mid-level executive in a multinational company would have made me rich as I could have move through the corporate ladder fast. My bosses loved me. I used to overshoot my business targets, consistently, by 20 to 25 per cent, every year.

Now you know why deciding to quit, at the age of 37, nearly three years ago, for the financial uncertainties of becoming a full-time musician, was such a difficult thing to do. Also, I had a family and kid to look after. Thankfully, they stood by me.

I have been learning sarod for over 30 years. I used to do concerts even while I was working. I am an artist with the All-India Radio since 2015. But I always wanted to do something different when I became a full-time musician.

So I decided to revive some of the rare and extinct musical instruments such as sursingar, a 250 year-old musical instrument similar to sarod and Mohan veena (two distinct plucked instruments used in Hindustani Classical music).

Reviving ancient and extinct musical instruments are not easy, as there are no skilled instrument makers available today. Getting the sound right is another challenge. Luckily, my technical background in computer science engineering, has helped me a lot with this. I was able to give the exact length and diameter of the strings, to my instrument maker, for optimum tonal quality.

The Sangeet Natak Akademi Yuva Puraskar award, which I won in 2019, has vindicated my decision to become a full-time musician.  Today, I am happy that I can give back something unique for my country. I may not be a rich man. But I am certainly a happy man.