This concert delves into the origins of popular musical genres pursued by tawaifs

This synergetic musical concert will nudge audiences towards the rich repository of music that was preserved, pursued and promoted by tawaifs

Over the last couple of months, one song, Rangi saari, a contemporary rendition of classical singer Shobha Gurtu’s thumri by Kavita and Kanishk Seth, has been winning hearts across social media. The incidence of age-old music catching up with the times can be used to gauge a generation’s palate for the arts. But, can adopting a track commonly for chores to macramé charms without inspecting its origins be inferred as an interest in ghazals, thumris, dadras, and horis?

Avanti Patel

A desire to know about these musical genres cannot bypass the lives of tawaifs. Tawaifs, dismissively called baijis and nautch girls, were the forebearers of a cherished culture. O Gaanewali, an interactive musical performance that will share stories and real-life accounts, aims to direct listeners to their vast repository of songs. Avanti Patel, who has conceptualised and written this concert, feels tawaifs must be seen as women performers. “The concept came into being when I submitted an application for a grant from Goethe Institut Max Mueller Bhavan. I had sent across a rough sketch of my idea and after it was accepted, the concert was created for Harkat Studio’s Virtual Interactive Stage. It first premiered in 2021, and we’ve been journeying since then,” she shares. Bringing theatre on screen while being aware of people looking to connect on the other side of the interface was a challenge for Patel. Around this time, she started watching documentaries, and reading books and articles on courtesans to learn better. “I read books such as Tawaifnama by Saba Diwan and also reached out to exponents of these genres for an in-depth view of their music,” she says, adding that media puts forward an imprecise portrayal of courtesans: “Courtesans are often represented as dancers. They were performers who would dance or sing. They were educated and well-trained in writing, singing and dancing. When they rose to popularity within esteemed circles, they were invited by aristocrats for baithaks and parties.” It is evident from academic researches that apart from owning their sexual agencies, tawaifs were independent artistes, who even dabbled in business initiatives. They were also among the highest tax-paying individuals of the country. Yet, few of their compositions can be traced back to the actual source.

Patel throws light on this gap: “Back then, whoever performed in exchange of money was looked down upon. It was publicised as a marker for low social status. Also, male composers would slip in their names in a song; something women composers never did. However, ghazal and thumri-singing courtesans were also the first musicians to be recorded. They showed the way to their male counterparts.”

O Gaanewali will include songs by artistes such as Begum Akhtar, Nirmala Devi and Gauhar Jaan. Apart from Patel, the concert will have vocalist Rutuja Lad, Dnyaneshwar Sonawane on the harmonium, Vanraj Shastri on the sarangi, and Akshay Jadhav on the tabla. Meghana AT joined the team to help direct the upcoming physical performance. “I had asked the performers about what they think the audience should know about the form and the instruments they are playing. That exercise found its way into a wholesome weave. It gave me an idea about how the harmonium came into the world of thumri, and the kind of pushback it faced. My aim was to serve a seamless musical story, not tons of scholarly material,” she says.

On: March 4, 6.30 pm
At: NCPA, Nariman Point. 
Log on to: in.bookmyshow.com
Cost: Rs 200

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