Pradipto Sengupta and the Mandolin Soundtrack of an Era Early Life and Training
Born into a musical Bengali family in Kolkata, Pradipto Sengupta began his mandolin journey under Shri Subhash Pal (All India Radio) and later trained with maestro Shri Saroj Barua. By the early 1980s, Pradipto was a prominent member of the Kolkata Cine Musicians Association, lauded for blending Indian and Western classical styles with finesse.
Breakthrough and Bollywood Success
Moving to Mumbai in 1988, his big break came through saxophone legend Manohari Singh, who introduced him to R.D. Burman. Pradipto’s Bollywood debut was the 1989 film “Jeene Do,” ushering in collaborations with top composers like Laxmikant-Pyarelal, Jatin-Lalit, Ilaiyaraaja, and many more. His mandolin works graced hit songs such as “Mehendi Lagake Rakhna,” “Tujhe Dekha Toh Yeh Jana Sanam” (DDLJ), “Nimbuda Nimbuda,” and “Mere Rashke Qamar,” enriching major films across Hindi and Marathi cinema.
Artistry and Influence
Known for his versatility, Pradipto also masters the Spanish guitar, tenor banjo, mandola, rabab, dotara, ruan, charango, ukulele, oud, and marlin. His acclaimed “Strings of Joy” concerts showcase this broad skillset worldwide. He has performed with icons including O.P. Nayyar, Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhonsle, and Amitabh Bachchan.
Sustaining the Mandolin Momentum
Pradiptoda is dedicated to teaching, running an online Mandolin Academy and, in 2017 founded India’s first Mandolin Festival and Orchestra. Pradiptoda mentions that the Mandolin is a difficult instrument to master requiring intense practice and dedication. “Tuning the Mandolin, he asserts, is key and tricky. To create the desired melodic phrase, all the four double string courses have to sound in sync. Any discrepancy in the tuning can make or mar a performance.”
In 2017, he pioneered India’s first Mandolin Festival and Mandolin Orchestra, bringing together players and enthusiasts nationwide. The Mandolin used in Carnatic Music is different and suited to the Gamaka style of playing. Unlike the paired strings Mandolin in vogue, the Carnatic Mandolin, is a modified version and different by virtue of the fact that it uses single independent strings.
His Gear
Pradipto uses a variety of Mandolins including the US made Eastman brand, a bowl backed Mandolin manufactured by Suzuki Japan, an Afghanistan Rabab, A Turkish Saaz, Bazako, Charango a small South American lute. The Y-Stein Mandolin from Canada is the one he uses on a more regular basis.
Mandolin History and contemporary aura
Descending from Italy’s 18th-century Mandora, the modern Mandolin appears today in two main forms: the bowl-back type in Europe and the flat-back style in the USA. The flatback Mandolin, that shaped the regions blue brass music has a signature “F” cut on both sides and a round hole for sound projection while the back of the instrument is levelled. The oval shaped Bowl-back Mandolin comes with a round hole in the center.
It was the Jews who introduced the Mandolin to the Hindi film industry through the songs of Shankar-Jaikishan in the 1950’s. The Portuguese arriving in Goa also deserve a mention as the early promoters of mandolin music in India.
Accolades and Music Releases
His music albums cover the wide range of his repertoire that includes music for soft listening, Dance numbers, Tagore songs, Shankar Jaikishan songs.
Numerous awards, including
MANOHARI SINGH AWARD’ from Ajmer (Rajasthan) in the year 2006
‘PANCHAMDA MEMORIAL AWARD’ from Mumbai in the year 2009
‘BATUK NANDI SMRITI SANMAN’ for the best instrumentalist category for the year 2013 for Kolkata.
‘SWARBANDHA SAHAVADAK PURASKAR’ (AWARD) 2014 for the contribution in Indian music industry for more than 25 years
‘INDO AMERICAN SOCIETY EXCELLENCE AWARD’ for the best musician category on 2017.
Vibhav Rao
