“Akaal” was the title of the first track on March 9, 2025, when Ustad Shujaat Husain Khan and his Mehfil-E-Sitar were unleashed in Chowdiah Memorial Hall at the ‘Dharohar’ Bangalore concert.
The evening opened with a slow, meditative alaap that allowed the audience to get into the mood of the raga. Ustad Shujaat Khan was at his best, and his fingers seemed to fly over the strings of his sitar, forming delicate, intricate patterns based on his deep knowledge and mastery of Indian classical music.
Perhaps the most impressive part of the concert was when Ustad Shujaat Khan threaded traditional ragas with new-age sensibilities, interspersing melodic ruminations without straying too far from the classical stream. His frisky interpolated improvisations — a specialty of his performances — kept the listeners on their toes, listening to each note.
A palpable sense of the maestro’s camaraderie with the supporting tabla player was apparent too, as the three entered fun jugalbandi by tossing rhythmic and melodic phrases at each other that inspired rapturous impromptu applause from the audience. This reciprocal relationship illustrated the heart of Indian classical music, where interaction between musicians unfolds an experience that is alive and spontaneous.
The evening was enriched by the ambience at Chowdiah Memorial Hall owing to its violin-shaped architecture and acoustics. There was coziness and closeness felt between the act and the crowd.
At the end of the Bangalore concert, Ustad Shujaat Khan thanked the people of Bengaluru for their unconditional love for the classical arts. His performance reverberated around the auditorium, and the standing ovation he received was commensurate with the unforgettable evening of music most attendees had just experienced.
In retrospect, ‘Dharohar’ wasn’t merely a concert; it was an odyssey into the profound landscape of Indian classical music, skillfully navigated by Ustad Shujaat Husain Khan. The event was a reminder of the enduring nature of classical tradition and its capacity to bridge generational gaps.
Click here to check our previous article: Bangalore Salim-Sulaiman Concert–A Musical Extravaganza!