Salim Arif and Tauseef Akhtar pay a delightful tribute to Mirza Ghalib

What better way to begin an evening dedicated to Mirza Ghalib than with a couplet the legendary poet wrote about himself? “Puchte hain woh ke Ghalib kaun hain, koi batlao ke hum batlayein kya? (Loose translation: They ask me who Ghalib is, someone tell them, What can I say?)”, said veteran theatre artiste, Salim Arif, and the crowd burst into a rapturous applause.Held at Nizam Club on Sunday evening, the act, titled, ‘Mirza Ghalib — A Musical Narrative’, was a unique story telling experience that weaved together obscure anecdotes and familiar snippets from the 18th century poet’s life.

Shouts of ‘wah wah’ filled the venue as both Salim and promising ghazal singer Tauseef Akhtar, accompanied by his musical troupe, paid tribute to the great poet. While Salim recited shayari and read out letters of Ghalib, Tauseef sang ghazals written by the great Urdu poet. The duo complemented each other beautifully throughout their performance that chronicled the life and times of Ghalib from his birth in Agra to his last days in post-Sepoy Mutiny Delhi.

One of the highlights of the show was Tauseef’s compositional approach to Ghalib’s poetry. For those who were tired of listening to the same ol’ musical renditions of his poems, the show came as a breath of fresh air. After taking the audience through the ups and downs of Ghalib’s life for 60-odd minutes, the curtains were brought down by a thumping applause from the gathering.

But a few in the crowd were hoping for more. “This is an interesting concept, but they performed only popular ghazals and shers of Ghalib. I am a little disappointed as I was hoping to experience some little known works of Ghalib,” said 88-year-old Dr Khaliluddin, an ardent admirer of the legendary poet.

Salim rounded off the evening perfectly by reciting another of the poet’s gems. “Hain aur bhi duniya mein sukhnawar bahut achche, kehte hain ke Ghalib ka hain andaaze bayaan aur. (The world has many a poet, meriting high praise, but unrivalled is Ghalib’s verse, distinctive in his style and grace).