Artist duo set to pay tribute to Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan in Thane

Tejas Gambhir (left) and Neel Salekar at the debut performance of Shahensha-E-Qawwali in Panshet

Thane-Based content creator Neel Salekar will ditch the familiar one-minute reel format to sit down with vocalist Tejas Gambhir for a three-hour performance of qawwalis in tribute to late Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan tomorrow. Unlike Salekar's popular videos, there are no twists to this one. "We will present the compositions as they are, in all their stripped-down rawness, just how Ustad sang them," he reveals. Over a short call, the two artistes unveil their journey and efforts behind setting up the show titled Shahensha-E-Qawwali, a hat-tip to the late Ustad's dominance in the art form.

A far cry from his goofy Instagram personality, the 30-year-old Salekar adopts the sincerity of a seasoned artiste as he discusses the art form and Khan's influence on his life. "I was a student of Fine Arts at Sir JJ School of Art in 2012 when I was introduced to Khan sahab's ghazals by my colleagues. It was only a few years later that I discovered his qawwalis. The structure and presentation of the qawwalis had me hooked," he shares, adding that it was only when he learnt Urdu during the lockdown in 2020, that he stumbled upon the true essence of the qawwalis. "We often like qawwalis because their rhythm is easy to catch onto. But the lyricism in qawwalis is ethereal; that's where the magic lies. People may interpret in different ways, all of them making perfect sense," he adds.

Neel Salekar

Recalling the initial days of conceptualising the show, Gambhir, a trained musician, tells us how the idea germinated following an intimate concert that Salekar organised on the Ustad's death anniversary last year. "By the end of the mehfil, we knew we had to do something bigger with the idea. With the shared reverence we had for Ustad, I suggested Salekar to accompany me in singing some shayaris between my performances." With their second-ever gig on the horizon and even grand plans brewing, the duo shares that their annual tribute performance on the Ustad's anniversary stays on the calendar.

If you're not well versed in Urdu, Salekar assures us that's no reason to fret. "I will be breaking the lyrics down, and sharing a basic introduction before every qawwali to make sure everyone is on the same page," he shares. Gambhir shares an observation from the duo's debut performance last year, "The qawwali, Aap baithe hain bali pe mere, speaks of a disciple's devotion to his guru. The disciple expresses how the comfort of a guru's presence gives him the courage to face death; but his attachment to the guru is such that it does not allow him to breathe his last. When we share these interpretations, and then perform the qawwali, the emotions become palpable. It's not unusual to see a few tears being shed in the audience."

ON Tomorrow; 8 pm
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