Name: Ustad Zakir Hussain: The Way Forward
Start: 2026-03-27T19:00:00+05:30
End: 2026-03-29T19:00:00+05:30
Location: Sunder Nursery: Delhi

More than just a tribute, ‘The Way Forward’ seeks to remember Ustad Zakir Hussain’s pioneering contributions to the world of rhythm by bringing together master percussionists and admirers from around the globe. Each evening of the festival will feature performances curated by three of Ustad Zakir Hussain’s closest musical collaborators, Pt. Yogesh Samsi, Ranjit Barot and Anantha R. Krishnan and an exhibition of image works by Dayanita Singh. In addition to this there will be screenings of films made by his daughter Anisa Qureshi and by Sumantra Ghosal, a talk by Mujeeb Dadarkar, and a special set dedicated to Ustad Zakir Hussain’s contribution to songs from the golden era of music in Indian Cinema by Chitrahaar Live, led by Pavithra Chari.

Dayanita Singh’s special exhibition of image works, dedicated to honouring his life and legacy form the visual foundation of this event. Over a span of four decades, she has created an extensive and intimate photographic archive of Ustad Zakir Hussain, capturing his images on stage, in green rooms, with family and in interaction with other stalwarts of Indian classical music. She considers him her Guru particularly in how his musical sensibilities impacted her photography.

The three-day programme has been conceptualised by MT Aditya Srinivasan, who toured extensively with Ustad Zakir Hussain and interacted closely with him as both a recording and live engineer, particularly with the iconic bands Shakti and Triveni

‘The Way Forward’ is an ode to Ustad Zakir Hussain’s unparalleled genius, as much as it is an exploration of how the imprints he left on different generations of rhythm explorers continue to find form.

Day-wise Schedule -

DAY 1

5:30 - 6:00 PM

Shraddhanjali to Ustad Zakir Hussain by Dayanita Singh, Ranjit Barot, Pt. Yogesh Samsi and Sridhar Parthasarathy

6:00 PM- 6:45 PM

Travelling with Zakir Hussain

A talk by Dayanita Singh

7 PM: Amphitheatre

Taal Vandana

Curated by Pt. Yogesh Samsi

Performers: Pt. Yogesh Samsi, Aman Hussain, Garima Arya, Shravan Samsi, Shubham Ugale, Yashwant Thitte, Yashwant Vaishnav

Pt. Yogesh Samsi will bring forth the priceless parampara (tradition) of the Punjab Gharana as passed down by his Guru, Ustad Allarakha Khan, the father of Ustad Zakir Hussain. Ustad Zakir Hussain enriched the tradition with his unparalleled creative genius, ultimately changing the intellectual trajectory of today’s tabla. Through this humble offering, Samsi will highlight these contributions in a celebration of their lives.

DAY 2

5 - 5:40 PM: Sunken Garden

Film Screening by Anisa Qureshi

5:45-6:45PM: Sunken Garden

Stories of Zakir

A talk by Mujeeb Dadarkar

7- 7:45 PM: Amphitheatre

Saaz by Chitrahaar Live led by Pavithra Chari

A tribute to Ustad Zakir Hussain`s immense contribution to songs from the golden era of music in Indian Cinema by Chitrahaar Live, a performance outfit dedicated to curating and performing memorable and iconic retro film songs.

8 - 9:30 PM: Amphitheatre

Dhruvatārā

Curated by Ranjit Barot

Performers: Ranjit Barot, Sridar Parthasarathy, Kalanilayam Satheesh, Sadanam Anoop, Anandapuram Sajeev, ‘Bihu’ Mukerjee, Anna Rakita, Apoorv Petkar

Ustad Zakir Hussain and his music transcended tradition and broke all boundaries. He continues to be the constant, the guiding light, our dhruvatārā – with a legacy that even now shows us the endless possibilities that exist in the world of music. Ranjit Barot’s tribute performance seamlessly draws together the traditions of Hindustani, Carnatic, Jazz, Sufi and Afro Latin music, with a formidable ensemble of musicians.

DAY 3

5 - 6:45 PM: Sunken Garden

Film screening of The Speaking Hand by Sumantra Ghosal (followed by Q and A)

7 PM: Amphitheatre

Mellow Rhythms

Curated by Anantha R. Krishnan

Performers: Anantha R. Krishnan, Charumathi Raghuraman, Ramana Balachandhran, JB Sruthi Sagar, Rahul Vanamali, with a special Bharatanatyam performance by Shobana Chandrakumar.

A high-energy live performance that showcases the wide imaginative range of the mridangam. Modern yet deeply rooted, the performance draws inspiration from Indian art traditions and features some of the finest maestros of music and dance.