Ghazal Aur Baatein

Vishal Bhardwaj | The Stories Between the Songs

Across generations, music has woven itself into India's collective memory through cinema, poetry, family gatherings, long journeys and everyday moments. Long after we have forgotten where we first heard them, certain melodies continue to stay with us.

Ghazal Aur Baatein is an invitation to revisit those memories.

Presented by IBTIDA - Ek Mehfil, this intimate listening baithak with Vishal Bhardwaj goes beyond performance to explore the stories behind the songs the conversations, poetry, people and moments that shaped them.

For over seven years, IBTIDA - Ek Mehfil has been nurturing a cultural revivalist movement dedicated to crafting immersive experiences that celebrate India's artistic legacy. The aim is to evoke nostalgia while reconnecting the current generation with the profound beauty of India's artistic heritage.

For over three decades, Vishal Bhardwaj has translated human emotions into melodies. Drawing from Urdu poetry, Shakespeare, Hindustani classical traditions, folk music and contemporary storytelling, he has created a body of work that is as literary as it is musical. For one evening, the audience doesn't simply meet the composer; they meet the storyteller behind the compositions.

Set within one of Delhi's historic monuments, the evening transforms heritage into a living archive where music, memory and storytelling come together. Through conversation, live performances and shared reflections, audiences become part of a collective experience of remembering.

Ghazal Aur Baatein is a celebration of India's emotional landscape where songs become memories, stories become heritage and listening becomes an act of preserving culture.