After thumri at Sankat Mochan, Ghulam Ali obliges fans with ghazals

Aware of the constellation of classical music stalwarts who have graced the festival, Ghulam Ali insisted that singing for him was a way to remember the likes of his father, Bade Ghulam Ali Khan Sahab. “It was a privilege to listen to him. My classical range is not that great,” he said.

Though many famous Hindustani classical vocal and instrument maestros have graced this festival in the past, which is held at the main “prangan (courtyard)” of the revered Sankat Mochan temple here, it is the first time that a singer from the neighbouring country performed in Lucknow.

The courtyard, where the stalwarts performed, had every nook and cranny taken. While VIPs enjoyed the performance from a vantage point, the roof-tops of the surrounding buildings were full of people. The crowd in the open area watched the performance on the big screen as they generously peppered the air with adulations, discussing whether he would sing ‘Chupke Chupke’. He did oblige, besides rendering ‘Hungama Hai Kyon Barpa’, one of his signature songs, towards the later half of his performance which continued till 3 am.