A galaxy of musical treasures

The 15th edition of the popular ghazal festival, Khazana, will raise funds for cancer and thalassemia patients

July 29, 2016 12:00 am | Updated 05:50 am IST

Ghazal singers including Pankaj Udhas, Bhupinder Singh & Mitali Singh, Anuradha Paudwal, Rekha Bharadwaj, Suresh Wadkar, and Penaz Masani rehearse together for Khazana

Ghazal singers including Pankaj Udhas, Bhupinder Singh & Mitali Singh, Anuradha Paudwal, Rekha Bharadwaj, Suresh Wadkar, and Penaz Masani rehearse together for Khazana

It’s past noon on July 26, 2016. A heavy downpour sends the suburbs into a tizzy. The traffic has gone haywire, the sky is dark and the clouds look dangerous.

Inside a Santa Cruz hall, stars shine and golden tunes glitter as several ghazal singers get together for a rehearsal of the annual Khazana festival. Seniors Pankaj Udhas, Bhupinder and Mitali Singh, Suresh Wadkar, Penaz Masani and Anuradha Paudwal lead the way, and many young artistes follow in their footsteps.

Khazana is celebrating its 15th year. A special video has been created, and the mood is joyous. Yet, the cause is upmost in everyone’s minds: the proceeds will go cancer and thalassemia patients supported by the Cancer Patients Aid Association and Parents Association Thalassemic Unit Trust (PATUT).

Ghazal maestro Udhas, who took the initiative in 2002, says the festival has grown from strength to strength. “In the first year we had only six singers. Today, we have nearly 20 artistes.”

Besides those mentioned, the line-up has veterans Anup Jalota, Talat Aziz, Ahmed and Mohammed Hussain, Rajkumar Rizvi, Rekha Bharadwaj and Sudeep Banerjee, younger musicians Sraboni Chaudhuri, Pooja Gaitonde, Kavita Paudwal, Runa Rizvi Sivamani, Neha Rizvi, Amrita Chatterjee, Shruti Pathak, Alap Desai and Sumeet Tappoo. “We have always had three major goals. The first was to raise funds for these two organisations. The second was to create a platform for the ghazal genre. Finally, we wanted to establish new talent who can take the legacy forward. Besides known and established artistes, we invite younger musicians who are dedicated to the art,” says Udhas.

Over the years, Khazana has kept a specific theme for the finale. In the past, it has had subjects like Begum Akhtar songs and film-based ghazals. According to Udhas, the plan this year is to just celebrate 15 years of Khazana.

The conversation soon drifts to the early 1980s, when there was a huge ghazal wave before general tastes shifted to Bollywood and Indipop a decade later. Where does the genre stand today? Udhas says, “Ghazals still have a following across the world. They may not be at the forefront like they used to be, but they are a major option. When people get tired of listening to loud music, they may turn to ghazals or even classical music, genres that give them peace.”

The maestro points out that there has been a major transformation in the way ghazals have been marketed. “When artistes of my generation were coming up, there was major support from the audio recording companies and radio, and later from television. There was space for other forms like rock, pop and classical too, but because of popular tastes, the whole emphasis moved to Bollywood,” says Udhas.

According to him, factors like TRPs and prime time came into play. He elaborates, “If you check radio and television, ghazals are now played around 11 pm. The same is the case with other non-Bollywood genres. But I don’t blame anybody, as it’s natural for channels to promote what gets more audiences.”

So how does one carry the genre forward?

Udhas replies, “It’s important to give a chance to more youngsters, and there are many dedicated people here who are passionate about the genre and have followed the nuances closely. Ghazals require a lot of hard work, and the newer artistes are aware of that. One also needs to expose younger audiences to this form, and that can be done mainly by the new generation, who they would relate to.”

When asked why there are only a few ghazal festivals, like Khazana and Ghazal Bahaar, while Hindustani classical and Carnatic events are many, the singer says, “There is a need for more festivals across India, and not only in the main cities. Yes, there are many one-day events and singers who perform at multi-genre shows, but it requires more initiative to put a festival in place.”

For his part, to promote the genre, Udhas is working with digital platforms Hungama and ArtistAloud to create a new ghazal channel. “Besides bringing back old ghazals, the aim is to attract new listeners.”

The singer’s next album is also due by the end of August. He says: “It’s a ghazal album where I have used contemporary poets. I always try and create a balance between old and new. So I have also done compilations of the classical poets Mir Taqi Mir, Momin and Faiz Ahmed Faiz.”

We conclude the interview on that note, as the rehearsals begin. Wadkar sings ‘Aur Kya Ahde-Wafaa Hotey Hain’ from the film Sunny . Outside, the sun is shining again.

The Khazana Ghazal Festival for cancer and thalassemia awareness: 7 p.m., today and tomorrow, Regal Room, The Trident, Nariman Point. Donor passes available on bookmyshow.com.

The author is a freelance music writer

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