An ode to the Mehfil of Nawabs by Kathak exponent Rani Khanam

At the Stein Auditorium of the India Habitat Centre in New Delhi, Kathak expert Rani Khanam performed "Mehfil e Safarnama," allowing the audience to experience the essence of the Mehfil of the Nawabs that evening. Numerous themes from Kathak, Gayaki, and royal court poetry, as well as Mehfil of Nawabs and courtesans, were highlighted in this kathak dance performance.

The Mehfil of the Nawabs up till the middle of the 19th century is shown in this one-of-a-kind production that Rani Khanam herself planned and performed. The two-verse performance merged Lucknow adayegi dance elements from Kathak and Gayaki, such as Ghazal, Thumari, Bandish, and Dadra, with the delicate Bhav Batana abhinaya style. Sahbaaz Khan played the tabla, Nasir Khan played the sarangi, and Shuheb Hasan sang alongside Rani Khanam.

Industry heavyweights like renowned Indian Kathak dancer Guru Shovana Narayan, Indian bharatanatyam performer Rama Vaidhynathan, and Amrender Khatuwa, an employee of the Indian Foreign Service cadre, all attended the event. He previously served as India's High Commissioner to Argentina and the Ivory Coast, as Secretary (Special Assignment) in the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, as Director General of the ICCR, as International Play Director Amir Raza Hussain, as Ex-Deputy Secretary of the Sahitya Kala Parishad, as Director of the CCRT, and as Director of the National Gallery of Modern Art, Temsunaro Jamir.

The goal of Rani Khanam's performance is to impart knowledge of the history of art and culture to the next generation while also bringing attention to the artists who created our art form and made a significant impact on the survival of traditional dance and music traditions.