From Authority to Artistic Autonomy: A Three-Stage Model of Pandit Sanjoy Bandopadhyay’s Contemporary Guru–Śiṣya Pedagogy

Abstract

This study investigates how pedagogical authority is enacted and experienced in the contemporary guru–śiṣya pedagogy of Pandit Sanjoy Bandopadhyay and develops a conceptual model explaining the transformation of pedagogical authority into learner autonomy through the processes of Artistic Care and Pedagogical Authority Shift. Adopting a qualitative interpretive research design informed by analytical autoethnography, the study draws upon the researcher’s prolonged learning experiences under Pandit Sanjoy Bandopadhyay, complemented by interviews and narrative responses from senior disciples. The data were analysed using thematic analysis. The findings propose a three-stage pedagogical model. The first stage conceptualises authority as Artistic Care, where the guru’s guidance develops the learner’s aesthetic perception, confidence, and understanding of rāga grammar. The second stage, Artistic Care in Action, shifts the emphasis from imitation to musical thinking, guided improvisation, reflective listening, and independent aesthetic evaluation through personalised pedagogical interventions. The final stage, Authority Shift, marks the learner’s internalisation of artistic judgement, enabling the emergence of an independent musical identity while embodying the guru’s pedagogical values. The study argues that authority and autonomy are not opposing pedagogical forces but mutually reinforcing processes, offering a new conceptual framework for understanding contemporary guru–śiṣya pedagogy in Hindustani music.