FOUNDER
RIGVEDA DESHPANDEY
(MUMBAI)

Rigveda Deshpandey is a multi-talented media professional- a Sound Engineer, Dubbing Director, Writer, Quality Controller & Lecturer. He is presently a HOD-Dubbing Services in a Multinational Corporate Studio. He loves teaching Sound Engineering and sharing his industry experiences with students, making concepts very simple to understand and involving them in his projects for hands on experience.

He has been whistling musically since the age of 6, looking up to his dad and founded the Indian Whistlers’ Association at a young age of 18 with a utopic dream of changing the ‘taboo’ perception of musical whistling in India and spreading it as a serious performing art among the people of India. His wife Pooja is his biggest supporter and he believes that this art specially needs an extraordinary amount of family support to hone and prosper. He aims to bring out all the “bathroom whistlers” on to the stage.

His pioneering work has been a Whistling Syllabus-first and only one of its kind in India and he teaches from the basics- “Man is the instrument” and all about the anatomy and origins of whistling to how one should prepare to perform at international platforms.

It was under his leadership and vision that Indian Whistlers’ Association made a Limca Book Record of 48 whistlers whistling “Saare Jahan Se Achha” together at one place in July 2008 (published in 2009), a 4 member team competed at the International Whistling Convention, 2010 China doing a skit called “Bollywood Love Story” along with whistling and won the 3rd prize-first for anyone from India. In 2016, a 8 member team traveled to World Whistlers Convention, 2016 Japan and won 3 -1st prizes and became World Champions. Also for the first time in the world he attempted Salsa dance and whistling with his dance partner Dr. Farzana Lakdavala. In 2018, a 150 whistlers National Record was created under his leadership and in 2020 he directed and produced a viral music video of “Mile Sur Mera Tumhara” involving 50 whistlers, from India and abroad, mostly shot on mobile, which is showcased on Doordarshan Channel since 2020 and at Cop26 Climate Change Conference in 2021.

NATIONAL SECRETARY
CAPT. CHETAN BAPAT
(MUMBAI)

Chetan Bapat is from Thane, Maharashtra and a sailor by profession. He is sailing as Master (Captain) with Seaspan Ship Management Ltd, a Canadian shipping company.

Chetan always had affinity for music but due to his profession was unable to pursue music as a career. But music comes back, once you have an ear for it, can be said about him, as he started learning Hindustani classical after 40 years and has already completed Level 3 in Hindustani classical music for keyboard and Level 5 Trinity piano exams in Western music and even at a young age of 45, has the zest to complete all the exams in Hindustani and Western music. He also sings and has won several accolades in school and college for singing in stage shows.

Chetan is a ‘blow in / out’ and palatal whistler and has been whistling since an early age of 3. His first brush with whistling was with the title track in Hindi film ‘Sholay’, which he picked up and took to whistling. He has been whistling ever since changing styles, as per the requirement of the song.

He has been a member of IWA since September 2016 and has been actively involved with IWA activities, whenever he is on shore.

NATIONAL TREASURER
MR. KAPIL BANSAL
(CHENNAI)

Kapil Bansal is an HR professional currently working for well-known logistics firm at Chennai. He has also worked in the administration and finance departments of an educational institution on research projects in collaboration between international institutions and universities of health and welfare.

He hails from the northern part of India but has been a resident of Pondicherry since 1995. He had a fondness for music right from his childhood but unfortunately could not pursue it formally. However, his attachment to music helped him to identify that he had a natural flair for whistling and so he started enjoying it and indulging further, and this fondness led him to discover IWA in 2008.

“IWA has been a great platform in helping me understand and develop the artform”, he says. He adds that it is IWA that helped him in enhancing his whistling skills and gaining confidence to perform in public. He has since, performed on stage several times where he has always left a mark in the hearts of the audience.

His best performances, he reminisces were during the event “Tribute to Living Legend Dr. S P Balasubrahmanyam” where he had performed the famous song ‘Chinamani Kuyile’ and at the event “Tribute to Chevalier Kamal Hassan” where he performed the song ‘Vaazhve Maayam’, which won him overwhelming response from an audience of 700-800 people.

He has showcased his expertise and knowledge in people management and event coordination too, on many occasions. Currently he handles IWA’s Chennai chapter along with other states as the Zonal Coordinator. He is desirous of organising a whistling event in his home town Pondicherry and assisting in organising bigger events so that this artform gets its due recognition worldwide.