The courts of Lucknow may have fallen silent, but their grace, elegance, and artistic traditions continue to live on through Kathak.

Rivayat, presented by Kathak artiste Sushant Gaurav, is a thoughtfully curated 90-minute solo performance that revisits the forgotten aesthetics of the original Lahore-Lucknow tradition of Kathak. Rooted in the musical and expressive Gayaki Andaz, the production moves beyond speed and rhythmic virtuosity to place melody, raga, poetry, and expression at the heart of the experience.

Set primarily around the emotional landscape of Raga Jaijaiwanti, the performance brings together refined courtly aesthetics, rare movement vocabulary, and the intimate expressive language of the Lucknow Gharana.

Performance Structure:

I. Persian Salami – An Invocation of Adab and Sufi Devotion (20 minutes)

The evening opens with a Persian Salami set to Raga Darbari. Through graceful bows, measured gestures, and contemplative movement, this invocation explores the confluence of Persian courtly culture and Sufi-inspired sensibilities, celebrating reverence, dignity, and devotion.

II. Rivayat – A Kathak Solo in the Darbari Tradition (60 minutes)

The central performance unfolds through traditional Kathak compositions, including Amad, Salam, Thaat, Uthan, Tukra, and Paran. With subtle stylisation, expressive movement, and musical phrasing inspired by Raga Jaijaiwanti, the solo culminates in an energetic rhythmic finale.

III. Baithak Ghazal – The Intimate Language of Abhinaya (10 minutes)

The evening concludes with a live ghazal presentation that revives the Baithak style of abhinaya, recalling an intimate and expressive tradition associated with the masters of the Lucknow Gharana.

Artistic Highlights:

The musical and expressive Gayaki Andaz of Kathak.

Authentic Darbari aesthetics inspired by the Lucknow Gharana.

Rare movement vocabulary and traditional stylisation.

Persian Salami and courtly traditions of Adab.

Mystical and Sufi-inspired artistic sensibilities.

Baithak-style abhinaya accompanied by live ghazal.

An evocative integration of music, poetry, raga, and dance.

About the Artiste – Sushant Gaurav:

Sushant Gaurav is a distinguished Kathak artiste trained under two celebrated maestros of the subcontinent: Pandit Birju Maharaj of India and Ustad Fasih Ur Rehman of Pakistan. His artistic practice reflects the rich Lahore-Lucknow lineage and the refined aesthetics of traditional royal courts.

His performances are characterised by exquisite tehraav, profound ati-vilambit laya, sculptural grace, Salaam, Baithak Andaaz, delicate Lasya, and the evocative Gayaki tradition. With a deep commitment to preserving rare artistic nuances, he brings the elegance, expressive depth, and musicality of traditional Kathak to contemporary audiences.

About Rivayat:

More than a Kathak recital, Rivayat is an artistic revival that reconnects audiences with the elegance, musicality, and expressive depth of the original Lucknow Gharana. It offers an intimate glimpse into a treasured cultural legacy, allowing the echoes of the royal courts to resonate once again through dance, music, and poetry.