Zarin Sharma, who passed away on Saturday at the age of 68, was a pioneer in many respects: she was among the few women instrumental maestros on the Hindustani classical music circuit, she was one, a rare Parsi to perform Hindustani classical music (her family name was Daruwala), and she was a sought-after sessions musician in Bollywood studios from the time she was 14.

Among her most prominent students is santoor player Ulhas Bapat. In this two-part interview with acclaimed vocalist Shubha Mudgal, he recalls his long association with his guru.