Indian classical music has always been a threshold for evolution for art in its pure form. The phenomenon that was conceptualised from the basic need to recite or chant Vedas now has a global mass appeal. It stands as a landmark of expression, a means to achieve solace and also of course a way of earning a livelihood. But in the present day of globalisation and wanton commercialism, Indian classical music is also not exempted from its clutches and the art form is now meandering amidst the pebbled streams of dilemma. And this dilemma has given way to a freshly packaged Indian classical art that offers a mélange of many art forms wedded together.

While maestros enjoy immense public responses, the second generations of musicians are faced with challenges posed by the electronic media and television. So it becomes necessary to change and flow with the tide by fusing talent and art to entertain while retaining its original sanctity. Another aspect to be taken in consideration here is the fact that more than ever, the number or people pursuing music as a profession is more, which also means that the urge to prove and shinehas increased.

In this context is the emergence of the present scenario of the art world that is a combination of various art forms. "I think artistes have always found and developed new strategies that could bring them greater performance opportunities and with that, greater financial prosperity." says Shubha Mudgal.". Sudhir Nayak, who has been making various innovations through a single instrument, harmonium says," There isn't a single television channel that promotes music in its sheer basic form. For instance if I want to here some folk music, I don't know which channel to turn on. Artistes there fore come together to present art and people find it very attractive," and adds "I would call it a new age communication wherein different artists hold a dialogue between each other and come up with a more receptive form of music,".

In keeping with the changing times, Pune based Kathak danseuse, Shambhavi Vaze recently performed a one and a half month long concert in Australia and Singapore where she performed a live a thematic, programme, Pravaahee. The highlight of the event was the fact that along with her, there were three other artists, Chaitanya Kunte on Harmonium, Harudutta Phadke on tabla and Pushkar Lele as vocalist. The four of them presented a three dimensional package of Kathak, Hindustani vocals and instrumentals to put forward a panorama of natyasangeet as the basic premise. "The challenge was to provide a three dimensional medium live because what we are competing with today is not each other but television and cinema that people prefer to pay for more," Vaze says.

Another exponent of the brave new world is Prerna Deshpande, a Kathak artist, who feels that solo performances still rule the roost, specially for a medium like Kathak where expressions or bhaav play a major role, but she agrees that group performances add dimensions that not just appeal to the performer but also to the onlooker. Three years back Deshpande organised a Nritya Sangeet Utsav where she performed with the famous Dhrupad singers from Bhopal, The Gundecha brothers, Umakant and Ramakant Gundecha. "We just wanted to promote music or Sangeet in its entirety. There have been artistes like Ravi Shankar and others who have been doing this kind of fusion but you see all this happening more nowe because there are more artistes than platforms today," she says. For instance when Deshpande wanted to pay a tribute to the oblivious sculptors of Ajanta Ellora caves, she chose to do it along with Odissi dancer Sujata Mahapatra. "I felt that odissi dance posters were more close to the postures shown in the caves, so Mahapatra presented the tangible forms and I presented an abstract form," she says.

A lot of performers go through a transition of not being satisfied to having been forced to go with the flow. "I have often attended fusion concerts where classical musicians are performing and when I go up to meet them and congratulate them after the show, they are almost apologetic and say `kya karen, zamana hi aisa hai, ye sab karna padta hai'. It would almost seem that circumstances are forcing them to present fusion music, which otherwise they would not have touched with a barge pole," says Shubha Mudgal about the present crop of the performers' sentiments."

But many of the maestro's have a positive take on the issue. U Shrinivas, a famous mandolin player and member of the renowned band Remember Shakti has often been criticized for his involvement with world music. But what he started instinctively against the conventional norms has more or less become a norm today. "I have been very fortunate to play music with stalwarts like Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma, Pt Jasraj and international artites like John McLaughlin. But today the classical music that we have here is globalised. We need to appreaciate this and come together," says Shrinivas. Ronu Majumdar a flautist, known for his vibrancy and improvisation in his flute renditions has his own take "I feel that the whole atmosphere is changing and everything is being governed by marketing policies basically where pure Indian music is not able to compete, hence there are many ways that are forced upon us. I am though trying my level best to do justice to my Indian classical music and at the same time produce good world music," he says.