Khayal Darpan
A Mirror of Imagination
Media Reviews on Khayal Darpan
Past and forthcoming screenings
Technical details
Musicians and scholars featured in the film
FAQ's about the film (answered by the filmmaker)
A documentary film exploring the classical music traditions
of urban Pakistan: A journey by an Indian filmmaker
In a quest to explore the impact of India’s Partition on the classical music traditions of South Asia, Delhi-based filmmaker Yousuf Saeed spent about 6 months in Pakistan in 2005. After traveling in Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad - interviewing musicians and scholars, attending music concerts, and observing the teaching of music in various institutions, Yousuf not only documented some of the surviving practitioners and patrons of classical music, but also raised many vital questions, about cultural identity, nationalism, legitimacy of music in Islam, Pakistan's popular culture and its affairs with India, and the survival of classical music itself in South Asia. This quest has resulted in a musical documentary film, Khayal Darpan, featuring some well-known as well as many lesser known but talented musicians of Pakistan.