Interview | Vocalist Avanti Patel Pays Homage to the Women of Ghazal and Thumri, Who Sang Inspite of Silence

By the time Avanti Patel steps onto the stage at the Royal Opera House Mumbai on June 7, she will have already done what few in today’s music scene attempt: excavate, honour, and reimagine a forgotten archive of Indian musical history. Her production, O Gaanewali – Celebrating the Women of Thumri, Dadra, and Ghazal, is more of a cultural resurrection. If you’ve ever leaned in to the melancholy of a ghazal, swayed to a thumri without knowing why, or felt a twinge of guilt for forgetting who Begum Akhtar was, this is your antidote.

A finalist from Indian Idol Season 10 and a classically trained vocalist, Avanti didn’t stumble into this project through a lightning bolt of inspiration. “O Gaanewali didn't come from a spark,” she tells ETV Bharat, “It was a slow burn.” Raised on the timeless voices of Shobha Gurtu, Begum Akhtar, Nirmala Devi, and Lakshmi Shankar, Avanti wanted to not only sing their songs but also wanted to revive the lives behind them. That intention gave birth to this meticulously researched, musically rich, and narratively ambitious live production. At its core, O Gaanewali is a gentle push against patriarchy. The word itself “gaanewali” once used dismissively for courtesans and women performers, is here turned on its head.

Avanti says, "We’ve had our share of backlash for using this term. But it literally just means 'a woman who sings.’ Why should there be shame in that? To me, it represents strength, resilience, and above all, surrender to the art form."

She’s not alone in this reclamation. Sharing vocal duties is Rutuja Lad, a fellow disciple of Padmashri Vidushi Dr. Ashwini Bhide Deshpande. The two carry a formidable lineage that stretches back to Shobha Gurtu herself through Sarla Bhide, adding depth and authenticity to the music they perform. They’re backed by a powerhouse trio: Akshay Jadhav on tabla, Apoorv Petkar on harmonium, and Sandeep Mishra on sarangi (a crucial instrument in recreating the ambience of 19th-century kothas).

Singers Rutuja Lad and Avanti Patel (By special arrangement)

“The sarangi is essential,” Avanti says. “It grew to prominence in kothas, and many of its players trained the baijis in the nuances of thumri. We wanted to be as close as possible to that original sound not for nostalgia, but for truth.” That pursuit of sonic and historical truth meant Avanti spent nearly a year researching the social and political contexts in which these women lived. She dove into books like Tawaifnama and essays by scholars such as Veena Talwar Oldenburg and Madhur Gupta. “Almost every story surprised me," she says. “These women were survivors.” Survivors of what? In a word, patriarchy. Many of the women celebrated in O Gaanewali faced ostracisation, exploitation and moral policing. Yet their music endured sometimes despite, and sometimes because of, their outsider status.

“It’s unfortunate how relatable their struggles still are,” Avanti admits. “As women musicians today, we’re still navigating the same landscape in a lot of ways. This show is the least we could do to bring their contributions to light.”

That light will shine brighter on June 7, when the first track from O Gaanewali Session 1 EP, Muddat Hui Hai Yaar Ko, officially drops during the concert. The ghazal, originally penned by Mirza Ghalib and immortalised by Iqbal Bano, was selected after two listening sessions with a group of 20 listeners. “I had lost objectivity,” Avanti confesses. “But everyone unanimously picked this song to launch the EP. I trusted their instincts.”

While there's no overarching narrative arc to the staggered EP release, the idea is to build a digital repository of not just music but memory too. Videos and behind-the-scenes moments from rehearsals and performances will be shared online. The goal is simple: to create a digital baithak where the audience feels like part of a growing, living community. That’s exactly what O Gaanewali is: a living show. Avanti is quick to point out that the script and musical repertoire are never fixed. “We keep adding and changing things. That’s how we keep it alive. That’s how we learn.”

Avanti Patel (By special arrangement)

This elasticity also allows the show to remain intimate. Performed in a mix of Hindi and English, with songs like Chha Rahi Kali Ghata and Aye Mohobbat Tere Anjaam Pe Rona Aya making previous appearances, each concert feels like a new experience. “We have audience members who keep coming back,” Avanti reveals. “They want to relive that feeling, that quiet in the storm.” As someone who straddles classical training and the more commercial world of Bollywood (and reality TV), Avanti doesn’t believe in binaries. “If you’re trained with a certain perspective, you can sing many styles,” she says. “I grew up listening to jazz, soft rock, British pop… and of course, Bollywood is a part of all our childhoods.” What matters to her isn’t genre, but intention. And that intention is clear when you watch her perform: to connect.

Still, she’s humble about her role in a so-called cultural resurgence. “I don’t know if there’s a resurgence of thumri or ghazal," she shrugs. "But I do think people are trying to cut through the noise. Social media has created this fatigue, and people want something that feels slower, deeper, more present.” She’s noticed, for instance, that during O Gaanewali performances, very few people are on their phones. “As an artist, that’s a rare and precious gift.”

Jaldi 5 With Avanti Patel

1. A thumri that always makes your heart ache: Najaria Laage Nahi Kahin Aur by Shobha Gurtu
2. A ghazal that feels like a personal anthem: Woh Jo Hum Mein Tum Mein Qarar Tha Tumhein Yaad Ho Ke Na Yaad Ho by Momin Khan Momin
3. One artist you’d love to collaborate with on a future ‘O Gaanewali’ edition? Momin Khan, he plays the sarangi
4. A book or film that shaped your understanding of Hindustani music and women’s contributions to it? Tawaifnama by Saba Dewan
5. Finish the sentence: “O Gaanewali is...” a journey

Where: Royal Opera House, Mumbai (tickets available on Ticket Khidakee)

When: Saturday, June 7, 2025 | 7.30 pm

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