Chupke Chupke raat din

aansoo bahana yaad hai,

Humko ab tak aashiqui ka

woh zamana yaad hai

The touching composition rocked the nation and transcended borders by portraying the feelings of a broken heart, and in the process made the already famous Ustad Gulam Ali an icon among the ‘aashiqs’.

When asked about the popularity of ghazals in this era of electronic music, he says, "Ghazals, being the most romantic and delicate genre of music, are liked by romantic people from all age groups. We have loyal listeners, and since love cannot go out of date and ghazals will not either."

The maestro will perform live in Pune on Saturday during the programme ‘Tere Sherhar Mein’, the event is being organised by Banyan Tree, an event management firm.

A disciple of Bade Gulam Ali Khan, Gulam Ali belongs to Patiala Gharana and is equally good at classical but he is head over heels in love with the delicate form of music. Elaborating, he says, "I have lived ghazals for past 52 years. To me it's the most live and beautiful form of expression, where each word carries deep meaning. Ghazals can be rightly called feelings of ‘sur’, where pain is also presented in a touching and melodious way."

Talking about his most memorable performance, he says that once in London, the audience comprised people from Punjab, Bengal, Pakistan and England, but everyone, despite the language difference, not only enjoyed the performance but also requested for an encore. "I felt the boundaries melting in the tunes and people sharing a common view despite vast cultural and linguistic differences," he says.

... contd.