The two-day annual ghazal event Khazana entered its glorious 10th year at Mumbais Oberoi Hotel on July 29 and 30. As host for the first day Rakshanda Khan announced,This is the first-ever show of its kind to celebrate 10 years,with the same hosts and organisers,the same venue,the same sponsors,the same beneficiaries and even the same host - me! And besides Pankaj Udhasji,who mooted this concept and began the show in 2002,there are several artistes who return every year to perform,and yes,even the same audience! The concept was the result of a casual conversation between Udhas and his close friends Talat Aziz and Anup Jalota one night in 2001. The shows proceeds will go to the Parents Association Thalassemic Unit Trust (PATUT) and Cancer Patients Aid Association (CPAA). Besides the trio of Udhas,Aziz and Jalota,Bhupinder Singh and Rajendra Mehta are regulars every year. Ahmed Hussein & Mohammad. Hussein,Penaz Masani,Jaspinder Narula,Richa Sharma,Kavita Seth,Pt. Ajay Pohankar and son Abhijit and Ustad Rashid Khan were other participants this year. Two traditions followed were of new talents getting this platformPooja Gaitonde and Kaamod Arbedwar flagged off the evening respectivelyand an annual tribute being paid to one entity that popularised the genre among the masses. This year,tributes were paid in words and with a documentary to Kundan Lal Saigal,who had recorded ghazals even before he started his film career. On both evenings,the show went well pass midnight and we offer a suggestion: that the show start at six in the evening instead of after 8.30,so that ghazal lovers can wait till the very end. The show saw the artistes present their best. While Talat Aziz took this chance to spotlight poetry and music that he thought deserved wider exposure,Anup Jalota floored the audience not just with his singing and high level of poetry but also with his hilarious jokes,anecdotes and his witty remarks. He incorporated three popular film mukh-das like Dum dum diga diga and Suhana safar into his music,made the people complete the second line in chorus and quipped,Yeh mera show hai ke aap ka? The highlights were the jugalbandis of sorts between Talat Aziz and Rashid Khan on the first day and the rendition of Aaj jaane ki zid na karo by Jalota and Jaspinder Narula the next day. It was time for a roar of applause and a standing ovation when it was announced that Rajendra Mehta had put in 45 years of dedicated service to the ghazal. Several singers departed from the genre to sing Sufiana songs and semi-classical numbers but no one seemed to mind. Mehtas performance,humour and choice of verse was impeccable,and since ghazal is essentially poetry,his selection,along with that of Jalota and Arbedwar stood out for the excellence in poetry. As Jalota remarked,Ghazal does not need music. Music needs the ghazal! to huge ovation,he added,A ghazal should never be sung unless one can add something to its beauty. On day two,Shatrughan Sinha and wife Punam were special guests. Also present but not a participant was Neena Mehta,who along with Rajendra Mehta formed a successful ghazal team from the 70s. rajiv.vijayakar@expressindia.com
