Mehfils, Baithaks Making Way Back in Mumbai?

Listening to the Punjabi tunes in an aura of the popular Royal Opera House, once popular for operas in Mumbai might sound unusual but it is not — and, the testimony is evident today at the Royal Opera House where ‘Punjabi Mehfil’ has been organised to celebrate Surinder Kaur and Yamla Jatt.

In times where the youth talks about the EDMS, afro and tech, especially in the metro like Mumbai, what makes this symposium distinctive is the twin right shots — a cultural venue reviving the lost culture. “Venues like the Royal Opera House offer that perfect balance — they carry a cultural legacy, have exceptional acoustics, and yet hold space for intimacy,” says Arpita Sharma, the founder of Once Upon India, the force behind the mehfi

Not just in Mumbai where Once Upon India is hosting their debut show in the Royal Opera House but Sharma states that even in other cities like Jaipur, Delhi, or Bengaluru, they select those venues that are looked for venues that carry a certain emotional or historical resonance.

But why is choosing a culturally important place a priority? It is to give even more emphasis on the forgotten culture of ‘mehfils’, and ‘baithaks’ as the format of the gatherings, both of which are part of Once Upon India’s musical formats.

Ahead of the Mehfil in Mumbai, as Sharma gets candid with Local Samosa, two of the four ticket categories for the Royal Opera House are already sold out and at least 400 to 450 people are expected to show up.

“A Baithak is a more intimate gathering, usually hosted in warm, welcoming living rooms that hold around 60 to 80 people. These are soulful, deeply personal evenings where the connection between the artist and the audience is almost one-on-one.”

On the other hand, Mehfils is hosted for a larger audience — usually up to 300–400 people. “We felt that there was a need to open up the experience, that is where the Mehfil format came in. It allows us to curate the same kind of depth and storytelling, but for a larger audience,” says 39-year-old Sharma, who has hosted six mehfils across Delhi NCR drawing anywhere between 300 to 500 people and multiple Baithaks.

Is Bombay seeking Baithaks?

Baithaks are yet another old format of the Hindustani classical musical gatherings that are being seen as a revival in the quest to go back to the roots and the culture— however, it has still not gained the mainstream attraction that it once was.

Back in 2023, Akansha Grover, another well-known Hindustani classical music-trained singer was doing rounds on social media for her initiative of taking Baithaks not only in cities but even to the rural regions of  Uttarakhand.

Talking to Local Samosa, she had said, “Since the last few years, I have been noticing artists performing in big spaces and stages with no actual connection with the audience during performances, and I never liked that. I  saw a few videos of 'Baithaks' that used to be held in the bygone era and thought to start the concept again.”

In the last few years, the need to “experience” a leisure activity or melodies in intimate settings has gained prominence making the stakeholders take chances with the forgotten concepts like Baithaks.

Intimate spaces like Khar’s 3 Art House have also come up with the modern versions of Baithaks with not more than 15-20 people sitting on the white mattresses, either listening or singing together. The fact that the average cost for such gatherings might go up to Rs. 500 to Rs. 1,000 without options for buying food or drinks but just to sit in an intimate setting speaks a lot about the changing mood for what is seen as a recreational activity.

As Arpita Sharma says, “In today’s world of hyper-connectivity, AI, and on-demand entertainment, everything is available at your fingertips — yet something essential feels missing. That’s where baithaks come in — they offer an experience, not just consumption.”

While Mumbai has, even with the changing times, kept up with a good number of audience for the Marathi and Gujarati music culture, Punjabi musical culture has not been prominent. However, what led Sharma and the other co-founders involved with the platforms is the nerve of the city. “We have come with a story, with a sound, and with the belief that even in a city this big, there would be 400–500 people who would want to pause, listen, and be part of something special.”

Why is it not so easy?

But the people, however, in Mumbai, have been very curious and cautious about what they are listening to— something which has been voiced by Akansha Grover. She had said, “The listeners (In Mumbai) were well aware of the music — from the words to the swaras—and such an audience, at times, puts me into the anxiousness to perform correctly where I cannot afford to make mistakes.”

Grover emphasised how Baithaks are an informal setting where there is a lot of room for unpredictability and openness about variations and even people’s participation, and how it shouldn’t be seen as a rigid format of a stage event.

On the other hand, as Arpita Sharma has observed people, regardless of the regions, are more drawn towards the genres and formats like Qawwali or Ghazals. “These formats have a familiar audience. But if we take up other formats a baul mehfil, regional folk, or narrative-led storytelling — we are never quite sure if the audience will show up.”

Moreover, just like Grover, Sharma is of the view that dilution of certain traditional formats results in the risks of such events becoming inaccessible to people. “When you're working with culture, there's a fine line — too much dilution, and it loses meaning; too much depth, and it risks becoming inaccessible,” she says adding that striking a right balance between authenticity and relatability is important.

Artists behind pushing artistry

What also comes to rescue for Sharma is the fact that she is joined by two other founders for Once Upon India, both of whom come from musical backgrounds. Noida-based Shiva Sureka is a violinist and Malini Arora is a classical singer.

When it comes to choosing the right artists and shaping the set, Sharma states that their background brings “a good sense of what an artist brings to the table, how much we can experiment, and what will feel relatable to the audience”. “Their experience helps us find the balance between tradition and accessibility. It’s not just about what sounds good, but also what connects — and that’s something they both understand well.”

With the Punjabi Mehfil at the Royal Opera House today, the three of them are waiting to see how the city embraces it with an understanding that “Bombay has always welcomed storytellers”.  But what they are aiming for the Mumbaikars is to believe in the “India story” that they are trying to tell through Once Upon India — one that’s thoughtful, inclusive, and soulful.