Vidushi Shanti Hiranand & Smt. Subhra Guha browsing the exhibition on the life, works & legacy of Begum Akhtar

Prof. Sarit Kumar Chaudhuri, Director, IGRMS formally inaugurating the Begum Akhtar Centenary Commemoration festival

Senior photographer Shri Avinash Pasricha introducing ‘Jamaal-e-Begum Akhtar’ a presentation on the life of Begum Akhtar, conceptualized & directed by Prof. Rita Ganguly

Q&A session with Shri Avinash Pasricha following the screening of ‘Jamaal-e-Begum Akhtar’

Smt. Subhra Guha, an exponent of the Agra gharana of khayal gayaki, opened the festival with a thumri-dadra recital

Ustad Ghulam Sabir Khan of the Moradabad gharana provided melodious accompaniment on the Sarangi

Having learnt semi-classical forms from Pandit D. T. Joshi, Smt. Subhra Guha’s recital was an eclectic mix between the open-throated singing of the Agra gharana and the nuances required for thumri-dadra

Shri Irfan Zuberi, Project Coordinator, Begum Akhtar Centenary Commemoration, IGNCA acknowledged the presence of Vidushi Shanti Hiranand as the mentor & patron of the Project

Ms. Veena Joshi, Joint Secretary, IGNCA graced the occasion with her presence and felicitated the artists

The Open Air theatre in IGRMS proved to be the perfect location to host a diverse set of audiences, ranging from admirers of Begum Akhtar for decades to youngsters eager to learn more about her musical legacy

Janab Majid Ikhlas Hussain Qawwal & Group from Rampur closed the first day of the festival with a powerful qawwali performance

The Qawwals sang the ghazals of Jigar Moradabadi, Shakeel Badayuni & Faiz Ahmed Faiz, all of whom were close to the heart of Begum Akhtar

On the second day of the festival, Roti (dir. Mehboob Khan, 1942), a feature-film in which Akhtaribai Faizabadi acted, was screened

Vidushi Shruti Sadolikar-Katkar opened the performances on the second day of the festival with a thumri-dadra & ghazal recital

Steeped in the tradition of the Jaipur-Atrauli gharana, Vidushi Shruti Sadolikar-Katkar regaled audiences with rare compositions of thumri-dadra

Recounting an anecdote of meeting Begum Akhtar when she was a young girl, Vidushi Shruti Sadolikar-Katkar concluded her recital with a rendition of Begum Akhtar’s signature ghazal “Aye mohabbat tere anjaam pe rona aaya…”

Ustad Aslam Khan, who has acquired ta’lim of several gharanas such as Hapur, Khurja, Jaipur-Atrauli, Agra, Sikandara & Delhi, closed the festival with a ghazal recital

Ustad Aslam Khan was ably accompanied by Ustad Ghulam Sabir Khan (Sarangi), Janab Nawab Ali (Tabla) and Janab Salamat Ali (Harmonium)

In keeping with the classical tradition to which he belongs, Ustad Aslam Khan chose to sing ghazals of Mirza Ghalib, Dagh Dehlavi, Mir Taqi Mir & Momin

A group photograph featuring the Begum Akhtar Centenary Project team members, artists who participated in the festival as well as representatives of IGRMS