I have known him for more than 22 years. It was more than just knowing him, I was almost a part of his household. It was amazing how this exceptional person led such a simple life. He wore simple clothes, carried himself in a simple manner, all in all he lived life in a very simple way. Never did I notice any touch of ego within him. All this made him a very respectable person in everybody's eyes. I still hold him in that high esteem and will do so for the rest of my life. If I were to talk about his music, I would say that he was miles ahead of his contemporaries. His voice had a mystic romanticism inherently mixed within it.
I first met Hemant-da at the Filmistan Studios in Mumbai. The year was 1943. And after that I had been his constant companion for 22 years. Over those years I had not only worked with him, I had also lived with him, as a part of his household. I was fortunate indeed to have lived in the company of a such person. He was like an elder brother to me. I remember once when my mother fell ill, he told me not to worry anything about it and took care of her as a son would. Hemant-da knew how to create a good song. The proof of this lies in the melodies that he created. Only when he was satisfied with a song, would he go ahead and record it. He was extremely adept in composing music. His compositions were sure to touch people's hearts, to make a permanent seat in them. That is why those songs have become eternal, mesmerizing people even today.
Hemantda had tremendous determination and perseverance. Once we were recording a song at the India Labs of the New Theaters Studio. Power cuts were frequent those days and suddenly, half way through a recording session the power went away. Hemant-da was a person who wouldn't waste a single moment. He told me "Balsara, I am having some tooth problems over the last few days. I think I will go and have a dental surgery now." I was aghast, "But Hemant-da you have to record songs today". "Don't worry I'll be back". He returned after two hours and recorded two songs effortlessly. "Do these sound okay? If they aren't I'll record them again". The songs were superb. All of us found it difficult to believe how a person could record songs effortlessly immediately after a dental surgery - such was his strength of mind.
Hemant-da was great believer in the power of the divine. And perhaps it was this belief that helped him accomplish many difficult tasks. One we had gone to Silchar in Assam. Lots of people were waiting to hear Hemant-da sing. In the meantime, the cold weather of Silchar gave Hemant-da a terrible cold that caused his voice to go flat. Hemant-da was not a person to disappoint the thousands who had come to listen to him. He went on stage in that condition and announced "I am sorry that I have caught a cold. I can't even speak very well. But I will try my best to sing. Please be patient with me." He drew the harmonium towards himself and started to sing a Rabindrasangeet on a low scale. For the next song, he raised the scale a bit. By the fourth song, he was singing on his normal scale. There was no way to guess that Hemant-da's voice had completely cracked that morning. He continued singing for over an hour in that mellifluous voice.
My experinces with Hemant-da are innumerable. I will conclude with an incident that happened in 1967. Hemant-da was planning to go on a world tour that year. Personally, I was devastated at that time. A promising member of our team and a close friend Malay Mukhopadhyay had met with an untimely death. Another friend Arunabh Majumdar was battling death. I turned down Hemant-da's offer to accompany him on the tour abroad in this situation. But Hemant-da prevailed over me and took me with him to England, Holland, Japan, West Indies and other countries. Had I not acoompanied him on that trip I would never have known the high esteem and respect that the residents of these countries have for Indian music. At every place we visited, we were welcomed by a huge crowd that enthusiastically appreciated our music. It was as if we came, we saw and we conquered. In Surinam and West Indies, people flocked to Hemant-da just to to touch his feet. I had never seen such respect being paid to a musician. I wouldn't have believed, had I not seen it with my own eyes. He was truly a living legend who has surpassed his times through his music.