The Concert

Answer

Shanta Rao (1930-2007) was a notable Indian dancer and the author of 'The Concert'. She was an exponent of Bharatnatyam and also studied Kathakali and Kuchipudi. She received prestigious awards includ…

Answer

Anant was suffering from cancer and was only fifteen years old. Despite being the best table-tennis player in school and the fastest runner, cancer had struck him, and the family had come to Bombay fo…

Answer

Pandit Ravi Shankar, the sitar maestro, and Ustad Allah Rakha, who played the tabla. These are real musicians whose names were not changed in the story, unlike other characters' names which were ficti…

Answer

Anant became very excited and said 'Pandit Ravi Shankar, the sitar maestro?' He raised himself up on his elbows despite his weakness, and his eyes were shining. He desperately wanted to attend, callin…

Answer

Smita felt guilty because she had been so excited about seeing the concert announcement that she forgot her brother was very ill. She realized she should have been more considerate of Anant's conditio…

Answer

The doctors said 'Take him home. Give him the thing he likes, indulge him.' This meant that Anant's condition was terminal and there was nothing more they could do medically. The family should focus o…

Answer

Both siblings were learning to play the sitar. Anant was better than Smita, as he was in many other things. He was already able to compose his own tunes, which astonished their guru (teacher).

Answer

They stayed with Aunt Sushila in her apartment. Although her apartment was not big, there was always room for them. They came to Bombay so that Anant could be treated at the cancer hospital in the cit…