Where classical notes breathe again with Ustad Shujaat Hussain Khan

The scent of jasmine hung lightly in the air. Soft golden lights glimmered off silk dupattas and sherwanis. This wasn’t just another evening in the city, it was an invitation to step back in time.

The ballroom of The Leela Hyderabad had transformed into a Mughal-era baithak, where classical music reigned supreme and every note felt like a whisper from the past. On stage, with quiet grace and unmatched mastery, sat the legendary Ustad Shujaat Hussain Khan. The mood shifted the moment his fingers brushed the strings of the sitar. This wasn’t a concert in the conventional sense. It was a mehfil — intimate, immersive, and steeped in tehzeeb. Curated by Ibtida Ek Mehfil, the evening was a deliberate attempt to revive the lost art of baithaks — spaces where music isn’t merely performed, but experienced. “A baithak is about emotion, not just entertainment,” shared Tanvi Singh and Anubhav Jain, founders of Ibtida, adding, “It’s about slowing down and letting the music breathe. Here, the artist and audience aren’t separated, they’re part of one shared journey.” The soul-stirring repertoire included Chaap Tilak, O Palan Ha Re, Tmhare Shehar Ka Mausam, Zindagi Se Badi Saza Hi Nahi, Raat Kat Ti Nahin, Din Guzarte Nahin, and Khamosh Lab Hai Jhuki Hai Palke. Each song carried with it a memory, a mood, a piece of history. The audience, dressed in elegant ethnic wear, swayed softly, some closing their eyes as if to hold the music a little longer.

“We wanted the audience to feel as though they’d walked into a royal courtyard. This isn’t a stage you watch from afar. It’s a space you belong to,” Tanvi explained. This evening held special significance — it marked Ibtida’s first classical mehfil in Hyderabad. Known for their Sufi and ghazal gatherings, the curators saw this as a new chapter in their journey.

“Classical music has a timeless grace. And Hyderabad was the perfect city to begin this chapter. It has its own tehzeeb — elegant, warm, and deeply cultural. We wanted the tehzeeb of the North to meet the tehzeeb of Hyderabad in one shared mehfil,” Anubhav said.

As the night deepened, Khan sahab moved through Raag Rageshree, Raag Yaman, Yaman Kalyan, and Raag Jhinjhoti. Each raag unfolded like a conversation — soft, delicate, intense, romantic, reflective. His sitar was no mere instrument; it was a storyteller.

Founded in 2019, Ibtida, meaning a new beginning, was born from a desire to reimagine how music is experienced. Over the years, they have revived Sufi, ghazal, poetry, and folk traditions through immersive events that celebrate India’s cultural heritage. “We started this because something felt missing in how music was being presented,”  Tanvi said, adding, “Concerts had become loud and transactional. We wanted to bring back intimacy — that old-world charm where people gathered not just to hear music but to feel it.”

Their mehfils are not just about sound, they’re about storytelling. From the handwoven carpets underfoot to the handcrafted décor, from the carefully curated menu to the choice of music, every detail is intentional. “We collaborate with Indian handloom brands, serve food inspired by old recipes, and create spaces that feel like they belong to another time. Supporting Indian artisans and brands is as much a part of Ibtida as the music itself,” Tanvi narrated.

When the final note faded into silence, the room held its breath. “For us, that silence is the most powerful moment. It means the mehfil did its job,” Anubhav noted.

(Story by Ramya Vennapusala)