My Compelling Story

Rohan Krishan Ratan is a professional santoor artist based out of the finance capital of India, Mumbai. He is a natural musician who was born to a family where music is practised and performed with great passion. His father, Shri Prakash Khatry, a senior tabla exponent, noticed Rohan’s immense musical inclination and potential from a very tender age, and hence, very justifiably, initiated him into music where he started identifying and learning the ‘Saptaswaras’ from his mini-keyboard at the age of three years. This acute sense of shruti helped him when he went on to learn to play the santoor, as it was his father’s wish for his son take on something which is seldom used. Rohan learnt to hit the hammer on the strings very quickly. In fact, his natural flair was so brilliant that he was seen performing on stage from the age of only five years only! For this rare feat, he was invited to play santoor at the Doordarshan of Patna at this tender age, for a half-an-hour slot. Very naturally, he has often been mentioned as the ‘Nanhi Jaan Unchi Udaan’ and ‘Kam Umr Ustaad’. Initially, he used to play the santoor straight, with the instrument tuned in a specific raga and within the parameters of the given notes. But the limitation of this method of playing left him frustrated and looking for more. He thought that justice was not being done to this magnificent ‘Shatatantri Veena’ as he was not able to use all the hundred strings at a time and not being able to play all the twelve notes. So, after years of trial and error and perseverance, he came out with a unique method of playing the santoor in a chromatic way, which no other artist in India till date has done; this Midas touch is the real class and identity of a genius. Here, he uses both the left and the right rows of the santoor together, plays more than one raga at a time and that too on their variant moods and at the same time at various scales without even tuning the instrument all over again. This way, he elevated the scope of ‘vaadan’ and the adaptability of the instrument in all situations inventing a unique method of playing which makes him the only santoor player of India to have achieved this commendable feat! Another speciality of this talented exponent is his easy rendering of bhavas and Gayaki and emotions on the santoor, without bending the string. His presentation is more dramatic as he plays the different moods of the same raga, at one time. For the guidance of a superior level, to improve his understanding and depth of ragas, he is taking the help of Padmavibhushan Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan. Another speciality is his ability to play the santoor blindfolded, as well as from the opposite direction, and even when the instrument is covered with a fabric, all these are quite impossible deeds which he has mastered with ease. Rohan feels that at last, he has been able to adopt the justified methodology of playing the santoor the way it should be, by utilising all the 100 strings!