Serendipity: Remembering Zakir Hussain

Screening of the feature length documentary The Speaking Hand followed by a discussion with the film’s director Sumantra Ghosal

Virtuoso tabla player Zakir Hussain, who died in December 2024, was one of India’s most high profile and beloved musicians. Versatile, technically brilliant and emotionally sensitive, he elevated the art of tabla playing to new heights.  During a five-decade long career as performer and composer he collaborated with an astonishing array of musicians including Ravi Shankar, George Harrison and Van Morrison, reaching a global following that transcended the world of Hindustani classical music.

The Speaking Hand: Zakir Hussain and the art of the Indian Drum charts Zakir’s growth from the by-lanes of Bombay to his worldwide fame.  We are bewitched by the mesmerising magic of his fingers, see excerpts of performances with the many legends of the Indian classical world and hear him explain the intricacies of the tabla. There are  rare glimpses of the ‘Planet Drum’ tour that brought together master drummers of the world in a breath-taking celebration of rhythm. Footage of performances are linked by fascinating interviews that give the film a unique structure and charm.

It is followed by a reflective talk led by the film’s director Sumantra Ghosal.