Anjas Mahotsav:
Jalso Rajasthani Ro

Professor Sadique is a polyglot and an eminent literary critic. He has worked extensively on modern Indian literature with a special reference to modern and Progressive Writers Movement in Urdu. He is one of the well-known critics of Dakhni Urdu. He is also a poet and a translator and his own poems have been translated into multiple Indian languages. At present, he is engaged in a creative representation of the lives of Mirza Ghalib and Ameer Khusro.

Piotr Kłodkowski is a famous Polish Indologist and an author of many books on Indian culture and contemporary issues. During 2009-2014, he served as the Ambassador of Poland to India and has an excellent understanding of the intellectual life of India. One of his recent works is a research on the famous Urdu poet, Muhammad Iqbal. He speaks fluently in Urdu and Hindi.

Producer, writer, journalist and broadcaster, Pervaiz Alam is a professor and dean based in Gurgaon. He is the award-winning director of the immensely popular BBC radio-drama series in Hindi called, Life Gulmohar Style. The series, which dealt with gender issues like equality and sex-selective abortion reproductive health and violence, was broadcasted by more than fifteen FM Networks across India. Pervaiz has worked as a senior broadcast journalist with BBC World (Television) where he produced programmes like India Business Report, Mastermind India and HARD talk India, amongst others.

Anirudh Deshpande is an associate professor, Department of History, University of Delhi. He has to his credit several publications including The British Raj and its Indian Armed Forces, 1857-1939, British Military Policy in India 1900-1945: Colonial Constraints and Declining Power, Class, Power and Consciousness in Indian Cinema and Television, Issues in Twentieth-Century World History, The First Line of Defence–Glorious 50 Years of the Border Security Force. A former Nehru Memorial Museum and Library Fellow, Deshpande has published numerous papers in acclaimed journals.

Shakeel Azmi is an acclaimed poet and film lyricist from Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh. He has written songs for popular movies such as ‘Lucknowi Ishq’, ‘Ishq Ke Parindey’, ‘and Haunted – 3D.’

Roli Barua is a renowned Ghazal singer who got her formal Hindustani Classical training from her first guru Pandit Bhagwan Dayal Srivastava from Lucknow Gharana at the age of 12 years. She received her MA and MPhil degrees in Vocal Music from Delhi University. As a freelancer, she has performed off and on stage for different agencies including the central and the state government. Barua is also a regular singer for the AIR and Doordarshan.

Asma Mirza is a professional social worker and a de-addiction counsellor. Besides writing documentaries, she has also been translating literary texts from English to Urdu. She has also worked as an RJ and an independent TV Producer.

An academician for last twenty-five years, Shahina Tabassum has more than twelve scholarly books to her credit. Her works as a translator have been published by Sahitya Akademy, Jnanpeeth, Central Hindi Directorate, National Book Trust and National Council for the Promotion of Urdu Language. Tabassum has also worked as an Anchor and an interviewer for Doordarshan Urdu TV channel and has received awards from the Urdu Academies of Delhi and U. P.

Abu Bakr Abbad is a distinguished Urdu academic. He acquired his religious education at the famous Deoband seminary and university education at Aligarh Muslim University. After acquiring his doctorate degree, he worked there before moving to Delhi University. He is the author of Mumtaz Sheerin: Naqid Kahani-kaar, Fiction ki Talaash Mein and Tanqeed se Pare.

Moinuddin Jinabade is a Professor at the Centre of Indian Languages, Jawaharlal Nehru University New Delhi. He worked towards producing a critical study of Diwan-e Ajiz Aurangabadi and published six critical books. Jinabade is known as an important short story writer and literary critic in Urdu. He is also known among the literary circles for his book Ta’beer.

Zakia Mashhadi is a critically acclaimed Urdu fiction writer. After studying at Lucknow University, she worked at the Population Research Centre and taught psychology at Loreto College, Kolkata. She has published six collections of short stories, apart from other books of fiction in translation.

Ashutosh Dayal Mathur has been teaching Sanskrit at St. Stephen’s College, Delhi University for more than three decades. His doctoral dissertation on medieval Hindu law was published by Oxford University Press in 2006. Mathur is keenly interested in theatre and has also been a Sanskrit theatre actor. He has also presented news on radio and written nearly a hundred short humorous pieces.

Faridoon Shahryar is the content head at bollywoodhungama.com. His popular talk show–Talking Films–where he interviews top Bollywood celebrities, is widely followed by Hindi cinema lovers across the world. He received the prestigious iO’ Choice Awards for best journalist in 2013. His English poetry has found a place in literary magazines in India and abroad.

Dibang is a senior TV journalist and a news anchor who has worked as an editor for multiple news channels like NDTV India and Aaj Tak. He formerly hosted daily prime-time show Jan Man and weekly show Press Conference on the Hindi news channel ABP News. A member of the debate panels running on the channel, he is rated among the best Hindi anchors in the industry today. Dibang also anchors the first-ever hour-long Hindi debate show, Muqabla on NDTV India which also won the Best Talk Show Award.

An acclaimed Hindi writer, Abdul Bismillah is best known for his short stories and novels about life in rural communities. He was a professor in the Dept. of Hindi at Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi. He also taught Hindi in Warsaw and Moscow. His most acclaimed novels include Jheeni Jheeni Beeni Chadariya and Mukhda Kya Dekhe Darpan Mein. His collection of stories Raf Raf Mail has been translated into French as Raf Raf Express. Bismillah is also a recipient of the Soviet Land Nehru Award.

Purushottam Agrawal is an academic who has worked primarily on text-centered criticism and historiography of medieval and early modern Hindi poetry. Apart from the above, he is a public intellectual advocating democratic values in the Indian political and cultural space. He is a visiting professor at the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, New Delhi. Agrawal has also conducted seminars at El Colegio De Mexico, Mexico City on “Issues in Historiography of Indian Literature” and “Gandhi’s critique of Western Modernity”.

Born in Chandpur, Bijnor, Shakeel Jamali acquired an interest in poetry at a young age. Some of his ghazals have been sung by Altaf Raja. He is a well-recognized face in the Urdu literary circles both as a poet and an anchor. His collection Dhoop Tez Hai and Katore Mein Chand have received remarkable attention from serious reading circles.

Renowned Urdu poet Waseem Barelvi worked as an Associate Professor and Head of Urdu Dept. at Bareilly College. He also held the position of Vice Chairman of the National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language. A recipient of several national and international awards including the Firaq International Award, his outstanding work has been published in literary magazines worldwide. His ghazals have been sung by celebrated singers from the Indian film industry.

Farhat Ehsas is one of the most prominent names in contemporary and post-modern Urdu poetry. He worked as the editor of literary supplement of the prestigious Urdu daily, Qaumi Awaz. Apart from contributing commentaries on current affairs for All India Radio and BBC Urdu, he has also been associated with two reputed research journals in English and Urdu published by the Zakir Hussain Institute of Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi. He is currently associated with Rekhta Foundation.

Shehpar Rasool is a professor of Urdu at Jamia Millia Islamia, a Central University in New Delhi. A poet and critic of eminence, he has to his credit two collections of poetry Sadaf Samandar and Sukhan-siraab. Chasm-e Ddauraan and Paimaana-i-Sifaat are his books in prose. He is currently the Vice Chairman of Urdu Akademy, Delhi.

Iqbal Ashhar is an eminent Urdu language poet born in Delhi, having a regular presence at mushairas. He is the author of the famous poetical composition Urdu Hai Mera Naam, Mein Khusro ki Paheli. He is also known for the mystical touch he imparts to his poetry.

Born in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, Malka Naseem grew up in a family of literary connoisseurs. She began her experiments with poetry at a young age. In a fairly long literary career, she has published as many as six collections of poems that also include Dopahar Ka Safar and Seep Mein Samandar.

Madan Mohan Danish is recognized as one of the most talented poets of the younger generation of Urdu poets. Within a short period of time, his work has been appreciated by critics and admirers alike. Danish picks up contemporary issues of society and configures them into his poetry. His collection of poetry called Agar has helped establish his reputation as a poet of remarkable worth.

Subhan Asad has established himself as a respectable upcoming Urdu poet. He lives in Moradabad and works as a teacher.

Vipul Kumar is one of the youngest Urdu poets. He has chosen to practice Ghazal writing which he is doing with remarkable competence. By profession, Kumar is a software engineer but he is also passionate about art and literature.

Nupur Sharma is a Writer as well as Radio & Video Broadcaster who has worked in India, the UK, Dubai and more recently the US. She has degrees in History and Mass Communication from College of Jesus and Mary, Delhi University and MCRC, Jamia Millia Islamia respectively. She has also studied Radio at the Cardiff University, UK and Screenwriting at the New York Film Academy. Her areas of creative inquiry include: Urdu, Punjabi & South Asian English literature and poetry, New Media and Connectivity, Spirituality etc

Manoj Santoshi is an Indian film actor, writer and music director. He is known for the films, Aagey Se Right (2009) and Overtime (2012). He worked as a music composer for the Kannada film, Care of Footpath – 2, which has its Telugu version as Maanja. Santoshi is the producer of a very popular TV serial called Bhabhi Ji Ghar Per Hain.

Balram Shukla is a professor of Sanskrit at Delhi University. He writes poetry in both Sanskrit and Persian and also translates Persian poetry into Sanskrit using the same poetic metres. He has been awarded the Badrayan Vyas Award for Sanskrit in 2013 by the President of India. He has authored six books.

Atika Farooqui is an anchor, poet and creative director of Rishtey Cineplex (Viacom 18). She has over fifteen years of experience and has helped redefine television anchoring and on-air presentation. Her knowledge of Urdu, together with Hindi and English, is one of her remarkable assets. The television programme Saas Bahu Aur Saazish is one of her many popular shows. Her Urdu and English poetry is received with much aplomb on the Internet.

Naghma Sahar holds the degrees of M. A. (Geography) from Delhi School of Economics and M. Phil with focus on gender and nutrition studies from JNU. She has been a UGC JRF scholar with specialization in rural development. A multilingual journalist, she is a senior editor and anchor with NDTV. Sahar is also a senior fellow at ORF and tracks India’s neighbourhood—Pakistan and China—alongside other geopolitical developments in the region. She hosts ORF’s weekly video series India’s World.

An Indian writer and storyteller, Syed Sahil Agha specializes in the oral tradition of storytelling known as Dastangoi. His book Dastan-e-Hind, a collection of his dastans (stories) and Indian folktales, has been performed successfully by various artists around the globe. He has also written the script and dialogues for a DD Urdu programme – Ghalib Umrao Begum. He has also been the recipient of multiple awards.

Kanupriya is an exceptional storyteller who has been working for Radio for the past twelve years. She takes keen interest in literature, culture, heritage, languages and various art forms. She learnt Urdu from Rekhta Urdu Learning Programme (RULP) and considers this experience as one of the turning points in her personal and professional life.

Dr. Siraj Ajmali, an alumnus of Delhi University, is an associate professor at the Department of Urdu, Aligarh Muslim University. He has been the president of The Literary Club from 2001 to 2009 and again from 2012 till 2015. Besides being a prolific writer and the patron of Urdu language, he is an orator who defines excellence each time he graces the dais.

Shamim Hanfi is a renowned Urdu critic, playwright, columnist, and connoisseur of art. A leading force behind the modernist movement in Urdu literature, he made his mark first with his Jadeediyat ki Falsafiyana Asaas (Philosophical Foundations of Modernism). This was followed by a number of his works which stand him in good stead now. Two of his more prominent works include Jadeediyat Aur Nai Shayari and Nai Sheri Riwayat. In 2015, his poetry collection Aakhiri Pehar ki Dastak was published by Rekhta Books. Hanfi resides in New Delhi and supports many literary societies and organizations such as Ghalib Academy, Anjuman Taraqqi Urdu Hind, Ghalib Institute, and Rekhta Foundation.

Anisur Rahman, formerly a professor of English at Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, is currently Senior Advisor at Rekhta Foundation. He has worked and published in the areas of postcolonial, translation, comparative and Urdu studies. His most recent publications include Earthenware, a collection of his English poems, and Hazaaron Kwahishein Aisi: The Wonderful World of Urdu Ghazals, a selection Urdu ghazal in English translation from the sixteenth century to now. Rahman has been a Shastri Fellow at the University of Alberta, Canada as well as a Visiting Scholar at Purdue University, USA.

Kashish Mittal is a Hindustani classical vocalist and an IAS officer. He is an ‘A-Grade’ artiste of the All India Radio & Doordarshan, representing the ‘Agra Gharana’.
Kashish was eleven years old when he gave his first recital at the Harivallabh music festival. An IIT graduate and Punjab State Awardee for Art & Culture, Kashish has performed at prestigious music festivals across the country.

Harish Trivedi, formerly a Professor in the Department of English, Delhi University, is a widely celebrated scholar of post-colonialism, comparative and translation studies. He has authored Colonial Transactions: English Literature in India, co-authored Literature and Nation: Britain and India (1800-1990), and edited/co-edited The Nation Across the World, Postcolonial Translation: Theory and Practice, Interrogating Postcolonialism: Theory, Text and Context, and Inter-Disciplinary Alter-natives in Comparative Literature. He has lectured widely in India, USA, UK, Canada, and Australia.

A well-known Urdu critic and academician, Sadiq-ur-Rahman Kidwai is a former dean of the School of Languages, Jawaharlal Nehru University. Currently, he is the secretary of Ghalib Institute, a renowned educational and cultural institution in Delhi. Kidwai is also a member of the Goethe Society of India. In 2010, he was awarded the prestigious Padma Shri by the government of India.

Kausar Mazhari is a professor in the Department of Urdu at Jamia Milia Islamia New Delhi. He is a distinguished poet and critic, apart from being a novelist. He has a number of publications to his credit which include a translation of Kahlil Jibran and an edited volume of Urdu Ghazals after the 80s. His major critical works include Jurat-e-afkaar, Jadeed Nazm Hali se Meera Ji Tak, Qirat aur Muqalama and Irtisaam. He has also published monographs on Fayez Dehlvi and Waheed Akhtar, in addition to his poetry collection Maazi ka Aainda and his novel Aankh Jo Sochti Hai.

Asad Zaidi, born in Rajasthan, has made Delhi his home and has lived there for the last thirty-five years. His three books of poems include Behnein Aur Anya Kavitain, Kavita ka Jivan, and Samaan Ki Talash. Zaidi has edited a number of collections including Das Baras: Hindi Kavita Ayodhya Ke Baad. His interests lie in education, literary criticism, occasional social commentary and publishing.

Manoj Santoshi is an Indian film actor, writer and music director. He is known for the films, Aagey Se Right (2009) and Overtime (2012). He worked as a music composer for the Kannada film, Care of Footpath – 2, which has its Telugu version as Maanja. Santoshi is the producer of a very popular TV serial called Bhabhi Ji Ghar Per Hain.

Sharib Rudaulvi is a prominent Urdu literary critic. He served as an Urdu faculty member at the University of Delhi. Beginning his career as a poet, he later turned towards literary criticism. His works include Marasi-e-Anees Mein Dramai Anasir, Gul-e-Sad Rang, Jigar: Fann Aur Shakhsiyat, Afkaar-e-Sauda, Mutala-e-Wali, Maasir Urdu Tanqeed, and Tanqeedi Mubahis.

Mehr Afhsan Farooqi is a faculty member at the University of Virginia, USA. She specializes in the literary culture(s) of northern Indian languages, particularly Urdu and Hindi. She is drawn to translation, literary modernism, intersections between religion and literature, history and art history. Farooqi is currently engaged in conducting two major research projects on Mirza Ghalib. she also writes a bi-monthly column for the Dawn’s Sunday Magazine.

Ali Ahmad Fatmi has been a distinguished Urdu academic. An author of fifteen books, he has also been the editor of Naya Safar, a prestigious literary journal. He is a widely travelled scholar and has made distinguished presentations both nationally and internationally. He is a noted scholar of Progressive Writers Movement and has made definite contribution to the studies of writers associated with this movement.

Satyanarayana Hegde is a lawyer by profession and a literary theorist by persuasion. He is interested in comparative literature, especially with reference to Sanskrit, Persian and Urdu literary cultures.

Khurshid Akram is a famous writer from Kolkata. Some of his published works are ‘Ek Ghair Mashroot Muafi Nama’, ‘Pichhli Peet Ke Karnay’, and ‘Andaz-e-Nazar Mera.’

Iqbal Majeed is a major Urdu fiction writer and the author of a trend-setting novel Namak. He taught for over a decade before joining the All India Radio at Bhopal. He belongs to the group of writers who came into prominence in the ’60s. Majeed has also written a number of theatre scripts, radio documentaries and features. The Urdu Academy of Delhi awarded him the Bahadur Shah Zafar award for his overall contribution to Urdu literature

Ratan Singh is one of the senior-most fiction writers in Urdu. He published three novelettes, six collections of short stories, and an autobiography. He has also translated nine books from other languages into Urdu, apart from authoring books in Punjabi. In recognition of his contribution to Urdu literature, Singh was awarded Farogh-e Urdu Adab Award, Doha (Qatar).

Warsi Brothers constitute a famous group of musical performance who made their mark in the genre of Qawwali. They are the recipients of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award and are renowned for their intense performances in traditional Sufiana Qawwali, Ghazal, Thumri, Bhajan and Classical Bandish performed in classical style.

Sudhir Chandra is a historian who has been primarily engaged in understanding the nature of modern Indian social consciousness. Currently, he is working on the interplay of religion, culture, and nationalism. Besides teaching at Melbourne University, Aligarh Muslim University and Jamia Millia Islamia in New Delhi, Chandra has been associated as a visiting professor/fellow with major Indian and international institutions worldwide. He has been an Associate Fellow at IAS-Nantes since 2013.

Rashmi Agarwal is a distinguished classical singer who specializes in Sufi and Ghazal singing. She has been awarded the Best Female Singer in numerous award functions and has paid tributes to celebrated Urdu artists like Begum Akhtar, Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Kaifi Azmi and many others through her devotional and spiritual music.

Vishal Bhardwaj is a renowned Hindi Film director who has given several hits like Makdee, The Blue Umbrella, Ishqiya. He has also created film adaptations of Shakespeare’s tragedies in films like Omkara, Maqbool and Haider. This National award winner is also an Urdu poet and has established his worth with a collection of his nazms and ghazals in his book- Nude: Poem.

A well-known face in Urdu literary festivals- Darain Shahidi is one of India’s finest Dastangoi artists. A journalist, political commentator, anchor and storyteller, Shahidi has previously worked for the top media networks in the country including NDTV, Star News, ESPN, and Star Sports. Apart from his successful professional life, he has enthralled audiences with his way of Dastangoi at many literary festivals like the Islamabad Literature festival, The Lucknow Literature festival, and several others.

Askari Naqvi is a trained vocalist and performer. Having received his training in music from Pandit Amit Mukherjee of the Indore Gharana, he inherited the art of Soz-khwani from his family and took to performing at a very young age. Along with Soz, Naqvi performs Dastangoi in Urdu, a traditional form of storytelling. Naqvi is also a practicing human rights lawyer.

Danish Iqbal is a prominent Delhi-based professor of mass communication at Jamia Millia Islamia. He is a playwright, performing artist, arts and culture administrator, and a culinary expert. He is the recipient of multiple national awards, including the prestigious Mohan Rakesh Samman.

A lyric soprano and a renowned opera singer of India, Kabuki Khanna was a distinction holder in her opera class at Trinity College of Music, London. She has performed all over the world and shared a stage with well-known artists in the world of opera such as Richard Strokes and Marco Balderi, among others. Apart from this, she has worked as a voice coach at various institutes like National School of Drama and Delhi School of Music.

A Padma Shri recipient, Malini awasthi is a popular folk singer in Awadhi, Bhojpuri, Thumri and Sufi genres. She has been a regular performer at various music festivals including the 2013 Kumbh Mela. She has also given her voice to Bollywood movies like Agent Vinod and Dum Laga Ke Haisha among others.

The Wadali’s- Padma Shri Puran Chand Wadali & Lakhwinder Singh Wadali will enthrall the audience with their soulful Sufi music at the 5th Jashn-e-Rekhta 2018; taking forward the legacy established by Wadali Brothers , after the unfortunate demise of Shri Pyarelal Wadali, the younger one of the Sufi set.

Gopi Chand Narang is a major Urdu critic, theorist, and linguist. He was decorated with the prestigious Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri by the Government of India and Sitara-i-Imtiaz (Star of Excellence) by the Government of Pakistan. His works have brought him several other laurels also, some of which include the Mazzini Gold Medal from Italy, Amir Khusro Award from Chicago, Ghalib Award, the Canadian Academy of Urdu Language and Literature Award, and the European Urdu Writers Society Award. The Sahitya Akademi conferred on him its prestigious Fellowship in 2009. Narang has also authored books in Hindi and English. His book on Ghalib was published recently by OUP.

Azhar Iqbal is a name widely recognized and followed in the world of Urdu poetry and literature. He is regularly featured at prominent Urdu/Hindi language festivals and Mushairas, including Jashn-e-Rekhta. Azhar’s ghazals are immensely popular among Urdu poetry lovers, and his unique style of presentation is appreciated by all. He is a noted commentator of Urdu and is the founder of the Harfkaar Foundation which works for the promotion of theatrical art forms based on Urdu/Hindi literature.

Shamsur Rahman Faruqi is a distinguished Urdu critic, poet, fiction writer, translator, theorist and a noted lexicographer. His works span over different genres, from literary history and criticism to poetry and fiction. Faruqi’s novel Ka’i Chaand the Sar-e Asmaan, written in 2006, has been hailed as a masterpiece of Urdu fiction. An English translation of this work called Mirror of Beauty was published in 2013. This famous Urdu critic who has done an in-depth research on the eighteenth-century poet Meer Taqi Meer has re-contextualized this major Urdu poet of all times. Faruqi is justifiably credited with the retrieving Dastangoi which had remained in limbo as a forgotten style of fictional narrative.

Five times National Award winner and Padma Bhushan Awardee- Shabana Azmi is among the finest actresses of Indian cinema, also known for her engagement in social work centering around women’s rights. Internationally, she’s been bestowed awards like Taormina Arte Festival (Italy), Chicago International Film Festival and L.A. Outfest.

The Shree Shraddha Ramlila is one of India’s leading theatre repertories, well-known for performing the theatrical acts of Ramayana. It has distinguished itself for blending the Urdu-Hindi socio-literary registers and making appeal to larger audiences. The fine nuances in its script come from the founders of this group who migrated to India from Pakistan following the Partition. The uniqueness of this group lies in the fact that they were the first to introduce female artists to portray the female characters of the epic- Ramayana.

Aasif Sheikh has become a household name owing to his comic roles in hit TV shows like Yes Boss, Hum Log and most recently Bhabhi Ji Ghar Par Hain where he plays a hilarious character as Vibhuti Narayan Mishra. He has been active in the television and film industry for over two decades and has won several awards over all these years.

RJ Sayema is the host of the longest running retro show of India- ‘Purani Jeans’, being broadcast on Radio Mirchi. She has pioneered in bringing the short stories of Manto on Radio. Her interest in Urdu poetry is evident from some of her recitals of Nazms and Ghazals.

Shruti Pathak is a famous playback singer who has given her voice to movies like Dev D, Fashion, Anjaana Anjaani and most recently Baaghi 2. Apart from these, she has performed in all the seasons of Coke Studio India and written lyrics like Payaliya (Dev.D) and Shubhaarambh (Kai Po Che).

Gayathri Asokan, a prominent Malayali playback singer and composer, is well trained in singing Bhajans and Ghazals. In 2003, she won the State Award for the best playback singer for the movie Enthee Nee Kanna. She has also travelled with Sri Sri Ravishankar ji, her spiritual master, for concerts in India and abroad. She has shared the stage with Shankar Mahadevan, S Janaki Hariharan, and recordings with eminent classical singers like Pandit Jasraj and Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia. Gayathri also experiments with other genres like jugalbandis.

Sonam Kalra is a famous singer-songwriter and founder of the music band, The Sufi Gospel Project which blends elements of spiritualism through poetry, prayer and music. She has performed at the prestigious Sydney Opera House and at the MTV Coke Studio. Sonam has gained popularity with her fusion music where she combines gospel and Sufi music, thus bridging differences often associated with religion.

Morari Bapu, better known as the Ram Charit Manas Kathakar, conducts religious and spiritual talks and programs all over the world including the United States and the United Kingdom. With followers all over the world, Bapu has conducted over 800 Kathas/spiritual gatherings most of which are based on Tulsidas’s Ramcharitmanas.

Kanishk Seth is the son of popular Sufi singer- Kavita Seth. This young artist has already created quite a stir with albums like Chail Ki Hawa, Aane Ko Hai Khaab and Chashm-e-Mast. As of late, he has been touring Indian cities like Shimla and Nagpur with his soulful music.

Dastangoi, a 16th-century Urdu storytelling art-form, would have died a slow death had it not been for the efforts of Mahmood Farooqui. A historian, writer and performer, he has also co-directed the much-feted film, Peepli Live. This acclaimed writer received a lot of commendation for his first book, Besieged: Voices from Delhi 1857, published by Penguin.

Jaaved Jaaferi is one of the most loved artists in the film industry, having worked as a dancer, comedian, impressionist, voice over artist in a number of Bollywood movies over more than two decades. Apart from his interests in acting and dancing, he also holds a special place for Urdu poetry in his heart. His roles in Dhamaal, 100 Days, Salaam Namaste, and 3 Idiots were appreciated among a cross-section of movie lovers.

Kumar Vishwas is a celebrated Hindi and Urdu poet who has recited his poetry widely in India as well as in USA, Singapore, Japan, and Dubai. Most recently, he has edited a book on famous Urdu poet Jaun Eliya entitled Main Jo Hoon Jaun Eliya Hoon. Well-known for his Ghazals and other poetical compositions, his poetry recitation takes the audiences on a new high.

Annu Kapoor is a renowned Indian actor and television presenter. He has been in the entertainment industry for over three decades and has been visible on film and TV screens, apart from reality game shows. He is best remembered for hosting the show Antakshari. Winner of the 2016 Dadasaheb Phalke Excellence Award, this multi-talented actor also has shown his keen interest in Urdu language and poetry all through his career as an artist.

Javed Akhtar needs little, if any, introduction, an eminent scriptwriter, lyricist, and poet with a rich literary lineage. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2007 and Sahitya Akademi Award in Urdu in 2013 and has been a regular performer in all the editions of Jashn-e-Rekhta.

Ustad Iqbal Ahmed Khan is a custodian of Delhi Gharaana. He is well-celebrated for his rich voice in classical and semi classical music. In a career spread over four decades, he has performed widely in India and abroad. Belonging to a family of musicians, Ustad Ahmad Khan is also a music composer and an active promoter of Amir Khusro’s works in the domain of music.

The Nooran Sisters — Jyoti Nooran and Sultana Nooran — are famous musicians trained in the traditional field of ‘Sufi Music’. They are well-known for their performances of the Sufi song Allah-Hoo at CokeStudio@MTV. In 2014, they won the Female Vocalist of the Year award for the song Patakha Guddi from Bollywood movie- Highway. They are greatly appreciated by expatriate Indians who regularly attend their concerts in USA, Canada and other countries.