For Vishal Bhardwaj, music is as much about the stories behind a song as it is about the act of singing it. At a recent intimate baithak of music and conversations in Delhi, he opened up about a chapter of nostalgia. From recalling his collaborations with Gulzar to discussing the influence of poet Bashir Badr, the filmmaker, composer and lyricist offered insights into the ideas, words and emotions that shape his music. Seated across from him in the front row, Rekha Bhardwaj listened to his songs from the audience. Excerpts:

Vishal Bhardwaj is an alumnus of Hindu College. He shared that back then, the tradition of mehfil was very much alive, where the great artistes of that era would sit together and perform. Over time, the distance between the performer and the listener kept growing, and we forgot that tradition. Talking about the concept of a baithak, he said, “Jab audience ko achha lag raha hai toh pata chalta hai, jab achha nahi lagta hai toh pata chal jata hai, toh ye bahut khoobsurat hai.”

Bhardwaj would often stop singing to explain the nuances of the lyrics and the origins of a song. Before singing Pehli Baar Mohabbat from Kaminey (2009), he said, “Gulzar sahab ne separation sunn ke ye line di thi – pehli baar mohabbat ki hai, aakhiri baar mohabbat ki hai. Bahut hi khoobsurat line hai. Waise pata nahi aakhiri baar mohabbat hoti hai ya nahi. Pehli baar toh zaroor hoti hai.”

He recalled that after recording the song Raat Ke Dhai Baje, he felt its soul was demanding something else. He then recorded another version of the song.

Two poets who have left a deep impression on the country, Bashir Badr and Gulzar, kept coming up in Bhardwaj’s anecdotes. Both are immensely close to him.

“Bashir Badr sahab mere ustad rahe hain aur woh kehte thay ki ghazal jo hoti hai woh contemporary hoti chali jaati hai, aur uska maza bhi tabhi hota hai jab rozmarra ki jo bhasha hai woh usmein use ho. Uska connection tab banta hai. Koshish ye hai ki rozmarra ki baatein ismein ho.”

He then sang songs that had references to live location, Gmail and Google Maps. As always, he left the gathering in awe when he sang, “Pyaar mein itni bhi khamoshi theek nahi, gussa ho toh emoji mein bolo na.”

Bhardwaj had composed a song based on a sher by the poet Farhat Ehsas for the audience. He spoke about discovering the poet in Lucknow, and recalled a sher his friend had recited and said, “Hum log ke umr mein pahunchne ke baad bahut doctors ko consult karte hain. Toh woh tha – ‘Ilaaj apna karate fir rahe ho jaane kis-kis se. Mohabbat karke dekho na, mohabbat kyun nahi karte?’”

When he ended the evening on a high note with Chappa Chappa Charkha Chale, requests written on chits began arriving one after another. As the requests kept coming, Bhardwaj said, “Mujhe toh lag raha tha maine aap logon ko phansa ke rakha hai!”

Three years ago, Vishal and Rekha performed live together. Back then, they spoke of how sharing the stage had been a dream for years. Since then, the two have performed together a couple of times. However, at Ibtida-Ek Mehfil, the spotlight was on Vishal, the singer, as Rekha sat in the audience listening to him. The stories he narrated drew from his many worlds, while an attentive audience listened, hanging on to his every word.

He began the evening with the ghazal Jaana tumko jaana ho toh mat aana from Khufiya (2023) and said, “Rekha sang this ghazal. I’m very happy that Rekha is late. She is going to be sitting in the audience today. Mujhe bhi aisa mauka kabhi kabhi milta hai jab main gaa raha hoon aur woh sunein. Usually, ulta hi hota hai. Obviously, hona bhi chahiye. Rekha bahut hi zyada achhi singer hai. Main uske aas-paas bhi nahi hoon. Par ab Rekha nahi hai toh aur bhi mauka banta hai sunane ka.”

Sharing a joke, he said, “Gaana Rekha ko hota hai aur gaa main raha hoon.” Later in the evening, when he invited Rekha on stage, she told the audience that Vishal had been doing more riyaaz than her these days. Vishal added, “Rekha meri guru hai.”

Bhardwaj said the evening reminded him of the old times Gulzar wrote about in the song Dil Dhoondta Hai. He said,

“Ghalib ka unhone ek sher leke usko aisa khola ki ‘Dil Dhoondta Hai phir wohi fursat ke raat din’. Ki woh jo waqt hai na, ki kuch nahi hai karne ke liye, aap apni jagah ke tasavvur mein bas baithe hue hain. Woh dil dhoondta hai. Zindagi mein jab hamare ambitions, humari greed humein itna uljha dete hain, hum wohi lamhein yaad karne ke liye gaane sunte hain. Wohi lamhe yaad karne ke liye hum aisi mehfilon mein saath mein milte hain.”

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“Ye experience mere liye itna zyada maayne rakhta hai ki main iss mental state mein kabhi-kabhi jaata hoon – jaise ki apne drawing room mein baithe hain.”