Amaan Ali Khan
Accompanying his father to various music festivals in India and abroad, Amaan Ali Khan has today carved out a niche for himself. His performances have evoked creditable applause. His precision in tunefulness and his bold and resonant strokes are all pointers to importance of tradition and continuity in Indian classical music.
Awards and accolades came his way early in life yet Amaan steadfastly pursued his family’s inheritance and legacy. He was conferred with the Provogue Society’s Young Achievers Award for performing Arts in 2002. He has also co-authored a book with his brother Ayaan titled Abba…God’s Greatest Gift to Us on his father’s life.
The cherished pooches…
Besides music, Amaan loves pooches and just few years back, he had two very cute pet dogs – a Golden Labrador (Dash) and an Alsatian (Brutus), who as Amaan describes, were really naughty and adorable. Amaan shared a very special relationship with his pets. But Amaan regrets not having spent enough time with Brutus as the pet passed away when Amaan was just a child, Amaan has strong memories of Dash.
The ‘Dash’ing pooch…
Dash came home as a three-month-old pup when Amaan was in high school. “He was a small bundle of joy. My little cousin named him ‘Dash’ and everyone obliged the five years olds’ request,” he laughs. As a pup ‘Dash’ was very quiet and meek, but as he grew up Amaan says, “He became quite a prankster.” Since Dash’s training started at a very young age, he grew into an obedient dog.
The heartwarming anecdote…
“Once I had fever and was in bed. I went to my living room and sat on the sofa and slouched against the back, just then Dash came to me and sat next to me… Dash sensed my illness. He came to my side to protect me. Dash was not content to just lie beside me but insisted on having one paw across my legs and his head on my lap. I felt a special bond with Dash from that day onward. Dash didn’t cure or save my life, but he wanted to. He tried,” shares Amaan.
The family bonding…
Dash loved the whole Khan family. He was their mountain, wrestling partner, mischief maker and also their protector. “Large dogs often do not live as long as small dogs. We knew that the day would come when we would have to say goodbye to Dash. The inevitable became more real when he lost his hearing. Sometimes he wandered off and into the lawns and forgot his way home. One day I noticed a small lump on his leg which turned out to be fatal. Finally we had to say goodbye to Dash, but I cherish every moment spent with him and dogs truly are a man’s best friend!” tells Amaan.
Towards pet parenting…
“Basic puppy training is a must if you want your puppy to grow up to be well-mannered, obedient dog and a pleasure to have around. And the first few weeks with your new puppy sets the tone for your whole relationship, so it’s important to get off on the right foot…or paw! The tiny puppy will be an adolescent before you know it, and from there it’s just a hop, skip and a jump to full blown adulthood. Those bad habits that seem cute now will be a whole lot more when your pet becomes a full grown dog,” shares Amaan.
On pooch love…
“Some people are cat lovers, some are dog lovers. But regardless of which camp they fall into, most people are simply crazy about their pets. The connections people form with their dogs are often the longest, strongest relationships in their lives. They are our soul mates, our best friends, sometimes even our surrogate children,” concludes Amaan.