India has long boasted a rich musical tradition, whether it’s classical or folk. However, for a long time, these have remained confined to auditoriums and rigid institutional settings. Meanwhile, a question pops up often: how does one make a sustainable living out of it?
Even as large concerts continue to draw audiences, a quieter shift has been underway. Across cities, intimate baithaks and mehfils are finding a footing, offering audiences a more personal, immersive way to engage with music and culture. From living rooms to thoughtfully curated venues, these gatherings are redefining not just how performances are staged, but how they are experienced.
Among the early movers in this space is IBTIDA - Ek Mehfil, founded by CEO Anubhav Jain and curator Tanvi Singh Bhatia.
In a conversation with THE WEEK, the duo talk about the idea behind IBTIDA, the evolving audience for such formats, and why intimate mehfils are striking a chord today.
Edited excerpts:
What was the idea behind starting IBTIDA - Ek Mehfil?
It was born from the realisation that cultural experiences lacked the depth and presentation to create meaningful connections between artists and audiences.
When we started IBTIDA- Ek Mehfil in 2019, we sensed a clear shift. There was a growing community of people who wanted to move away from large-scale concerts and spectacle-driven gigs. They were seeking something more intimate, which allowed for real closeness, both with the artist and the moment.
At the same time, we wanted to provide a platform to artists where they could step away from large productions and reconnect with their craft in a more personal way.
“What we identified as a significant gap in India was not talent, but presentation. Our artists—especially in the classical and traditional spaces—were not being showcased with the care, context, and aesthetic they deserved. Culture was often confined to auditoriums or institutional settings, lacking a certain refinement in how it was experienced,” they say.
How has the audience’s response evolved since your first mehfil in 2019?
The response to IBTIDA has evolved beautifully over time.
In fact, today, what truly stands out is the audience itself. There’s a quiet attentiveness, a deep sense of respect for the artist and the experience. There have also been these smaller, more intimate shifts that feel just as significant.
In the early days, even something like offering gajras was unfamiliar. People, especially men, were hesitant to wear it. It felt outside their comfort zone. But over time, that changed. Today, it’s something people look forward to.
Also, we’re seeing more and more younger people stepping into these spaces, engaging with culture in a way that feels both personal and contemporary. This evolution has been rewarding to witness.
In a landscape that already has concerts, where do you place IBTIDA? Do you see a gap in India’s music and cultural landscape you’re looking to fill?
IBTIDA was born out of a conscious move away from scale. The idea was to create spaces where the audience doesn’t just attend, but truly experiences.
What we identified as a significant gap in India was not talent, but presentation. Our artists, especially in the classical and traditional spaces, were not being showcased with the care, context, and aesthetic they deserved. Culture was often confined to auditoriums or institutional settings, lacking a certain refinement in how it was experienced.
We’re seeing a rise in intimate mehfils and baithaks across India. Why do you think this format is resonating right now?
What we’re seeing now is a clear shift. There’s a growing preference for quieter, more intimate experiences—spaces where people can feel closer to the artist, and to each other. Audiences today are seeking depth over scale, emotion over spectacle. In many ways, the mehfil format is resonating more than ever because it answers that need.
How do you curate your artists? And are there artists you’re still hoping to bring into this space?
Curation begins with the story not the artist. Every edition starts with a theme, a narrative, a mood. The artist is decoded from that. We never build around availability or popularity. Story first. Artist second. Always. And we go deep. It is never a brief and a set list. It is weeks of conversation about what they want to say and what this particular audience needs to receive. As for who we are hoping to bring in, we have barely scratched the surface.
Discovery artists who need this platform. Forgotten songs that have never met a modern audience. So much of India’s musical inheritance that has simply not had a room worthy of it.
What is your vision for IBTIDA?
Preservation, restoration, and revival of tradition & culture will always be the core
We want to rethink how Indian culture is experienced—moving it away from conventional formats and into something more immersive, refined, and emotionally resonant.
And eventually, the goal is to take IBTIDA onto the global stage, not just to showcase India to the West, where there is already appreciation, but to strengthen that pride and visibility within the Asian and global community at large.
