When a Ghazal Took Flight: Anupam Kher’s Musical M…

Air travel usually offers two things: cramped legroom and questionable sandwiches. But for Anupam Kher, his recent flight delivered something far more melodious—a real-time ghazal concert at 35,000 feet. As he settled into his seat expecting a routine journey, fate placed beside him singer-composer Prithvi Gandharv, and suddenly the cabin transformed from aircraft to auditorium.

 

According to Kher’s gleeful social media post, meeting people from “businessmen, foodies, snooties, writers, chatterboxes” to bona fide artists is the best part of traveling. But discovering that your seatmate is a ghazal singer in an era dominated by auto-tuned heartbreak anthems? That’s like getting a business-class upgrade for the soul. Kher, a lifelong admirer of traditional ghazals, was especially thrilled that Gandharv preferred timeless melodies over “so-called today’s songs.”

 

Prithvi Gandharv—known for his work on Netflix’s Bandish Bandits and over 800 performances worldwide—did not disappoint. With the quiet hum of the engines as percussion, he delivered a heartfelt rendition of Ghulam Ali’s beloved classic “Chupke Se Dil Dai De.” Passengers got an unexpected treat, and Kher got a musical memory he rushed to share with his 25 million followers.

 

As Kher beamed into the camera, praising Gandharv for bringing back the soulful charm of a centuries-old art form rooted in Persian poetry and Indian classical ragas, it was clear the moment meant more than entertainment. It was a reminder that beauty finds us in the most ordinary places—even between seat 14A and 14B.

 

In a world racing toward fast beats and faster trends, an in-flight ghazal felt like a gentle pause. And thanks to this serendipitous encounter, thousands online got to enjoy that pause too—no boarding pass required.

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