The fourth edition of Jashn-e-Rekhta will begin from today, i.e. December 8. Celebrities such as lyricist Javed Akhtar, actors Waheeda Rehman, Nandita Das and Nawazuddin Siddiqui, and filmmaker Imtiaz Ali will grace the occasion.
Hindustan Times has quoted founder Sanjiv Saraf as saying “Its credibility and appeal has reached a level where people look forward to connect with the festival. We have come some way… when we were not known, it was bit of a challenge to get people to accept our invitation… The festival is curated to bring forward genres and art forms that Urdu lends itself to. And, it’s a blend of popular, intellectual, musical, artistic events, which everyone likes.”
Dastangoi by Nadeem Shah and Shankar Musafir, and a performance by Seven Eyes — Tanya Wells (UK) & Paulo Vinícius (Brazil) are the major attractions. The event will conclude with a Qawwali by Nizami Bandhu.
Bollywood playback singer Shilpa Rao will also perform on December 10. Rekhta Bazaar which showcases handicrafts, antiquities from Old Delhi, and a wide range of books in Urdu, Hindi and English languages, is another highlight of the event.
A food festival Aiwan-e-Zaiqa will offer Hyderabadi, Awadhi, Kashmiri and Mughlai cuisines, and popular foods of Old Delhi during the cultural fest.