Jazzing with Ghalib

Dare kyon mera qaatil kya rahega uski gardan par

wo khoon, jo chashm-e-tar se umar bhar yoon dam-ba-dam nikle8230;

The sheer charisma of this rhythmic prose created in a gallery of diction by Mirza Asadullah Baig Khan aka Mirza Ghalib, an original mind, a keen intellect and a deep thinker, was not only a thought of clubbing intelligent verses but also a deep musing of philosophy comprehending intrinsic values of humanism. Attempting to recreate the magic of his assorted verses alongside the splendid melodies of instrumental jazz, Intehaa, an exciting presentation of theatrical recital brought to the city by Cyrus Dastur, promises to be an evening transcending poetry lovers into the mystic world of legendry shairees and rubayees of Ghalib articulated by artistes Tom Alter and Juhi Babbar.

8220;Ghalib sahab was the portrait of a genius, to takehis pieces and try to recreate the kind of magic he created is just unattainable. This is a meek and short attempt by our team to touch upon his poetry,8221; says Dastur. 8220;We are presenting his verses with a different flavour. With artistes such as TomAlter and Juhi Babbar reciting the prose and jazz tunes set to the background score, it will prove to be a treat for poetry lovers and illuminate the mystic aura in the chill of a winter evening,8221; he adds.

On approaching a concept attempted by very few, Dastur says art is all about experimenting and one must keep trying different things to explore its various horizons. 8220;It is a treat for the audience as well as the artiste to bring forth legendary works of the past, while adding a present day flavour to it,8221; says Dastur, who has travelled with this concept to many other cities. 8220;I am a big fan of Ghalib sahab. When I had first thought of making Intehaa, all that I thought was to bring before the audience some of his intelligent poetry. After conceptualising it and getting a great response in Mumbai, I decided to take the presentation to various cities and the young crowd. I decided to go to restaurants, other than a theatre or auditorium, where I could tap a different kind of audience who are not much aware of the works of such poetic icons,8221; says Dastur. 8220;Also, catering to the majority, we will also have an English interpretation after each recital,8221; he says. After taking it to various audiences in Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad and Bangalore, Dastur feels that confluence of conventional Urdu poetry alongside fine tunes of jazz has been positively accepted by the audience. 8220;It is the meeting of the old world with the new,8221; says Dastur, who started the short-film festival Shamiana Nights in Pune and has also produced and acted in the play When God Said Cheers!

Intehaa will be presented today at 9pm at High Spirits, Koregaon Park