Why baithaks and mehfils are making a cultural comeback in Hyderabad

Long before concert halls and ticketing platforms, music thrived in baithaks—intimate gatherings where a handful of listeners sat close to the artiste, absorbing every note. Traditionally held in homes, these small-format classical concerts are now being reimagined for contemporary audiences. The setting may be more polished, but the essence remains: closeness, conversation and an unhurried immersion in music.

 Jaydeep Trivedi’s The Jogi Experience
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On February 27, Jaydeep Trivedi’s The Jogi Experience, brings his two-hour baithak to Gaurang’s Kitchen (₹2950, Bookmyshow) . The evening promises a melodic journey through Sufi, ghazals and folk. “Storytelling deepens a song and gives it context,” says Jaydeep. “Hyderabad has thoughtful listeners who are curious and open to engaging with music in this way.” Having undergone vocal cord surgery twice, he hosts intimate baithaks very rarely for close friends at his studio. “I love such baithaks where we sing in our natural voice without any microphone or speaker but I don’t prefer it now because of the surgeries.”

It has been 13 years since Jaydeep began as a music producer and has since worked as a director, composer and writer. Over the past three years, he has immersed himself in Sufi music, shaping performances that blend narrative and song.

Nostlagia in the air

A baithak session by Once Upon India
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Imagine walking into a room steeped in music, stories and nostalgia. That is the mood An Evening of Sukoon Baithak hopes to create when it debuts in Hyderabad on March 7 at the Quorum Club (₹4720; Bookmyshow) . Presented by Once Upon India and featuring singer Utkarsh Sharma, the mehfil has already travelled to Mumbai, Bengaluru, Pune, Jaipur and Chandigarh since its launch in 2025.

The format is simple: ghazals and old Hindi film songs woven together with anecdotes. “We curate evenings of stories and nostalgia,” says co-founder Malini Arora. “Our founder, Arpita, also speaks to the audience about the little things that bring sukoon (peace). People end up forming personal connections.”

(left) Malini Arora and Arpita
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The experience begins with a high-tea spread—sweet-and-sour fatafat candies, mint toffees and flaky pastries that tap into childhood memory. Guests wear wristbands that read ‘Aaj se aap hue hamaare’ (From today you have become ours) and receive a printed songbook, inviting them to sing along or even slip into a spontaneous jugalbandi (a duet in classical music) with the artiste.

“You don’t feel like a passive listener,” Malini says. “You feel part of something. We encourage adults to bring children along, so they experience this culture early and understand where they come from.”

Second edition

Shujaat Khan’s baithak held by Ibtida Ek Mehfil in Hyderabad in 2025
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The summer of baithaks carries into April with Delhi-based Ibtida Ek Mehfil returning to the city for its second edition. Founders Tanvi and Anubhav Jain sensed a growing gap—an absence of intimacy between artistes and audiences. “Sometimes artistes are so immersed in their own training that interaction becomes essential,” says Anubhav.

Their travels abroad, watching operas and ballets, also shaped the concept. They noticed the discipline and occasion attached to attending a concert—the idea of dressing up, of entering a curated space. “Indian culture is not just about the artiste and the audience. It’s about ambience and storytelling too. That’s how Ibtida emerged in 2019,” he explains.

An Ibtida evening leans into that idea of immersion. Guests are welcomed into a regal setting with traditional gaddas, linen sheets and cushions, while a takht (an Arabic instrumental traditional music) plays softly in the background. “These details create warmth and allow people to connect,” says Anubhav. A bar at the venue adds to the ease; guests settle into the floor seating and let the performance unfold.

With over 35 baithaks across India, Ibtida caters to a discerning audience seeking exclusivity. Anubhav is particular about the planning. “We don’t hand artistes a set and ask them to replicate it. It’s not plug-and-play. Each edition is fully curated—you enter a world we’ve created. For us, it’s about reviving and restoring the arts in different formats.”

The April edition, part of their archival series, will feature Nizami Bandhu, blending Hyderabad’s roots with Sufi strains. Ibtida plans only three months at a time. “We don’t want this to feel like a roadshow. The best things carry a sense of surprise and scarcity,” he says.

As these recitals shape new cultural narratives, expansion is already in sight. Ibtida plans to launch a culinary vertical this year, while Once Upon India—having hosted Bengali and Gujarati baithaks—may explore more regional editions in the months ahead.

Published – February 26, 2026 11:04 am IST