Mumbai: A packed Jio World Garden in Bandra Kurla Complex witnessed a memorable evening on Saturday as the illustrious students and some of the greatest voices of our time came together on one stage to pay tribute to classical and semi-classical vocalist, Padma Vibhushan Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan.

The Haazri 2026 evening saw legends such as A.R. Rahman, Hariharan, Sonu Nigam, and Shaan sharing the stage in a once-in-a-lifetime coming together, not as stars, but as shaagirds (disciples) united in their ‘haazri’ to their beloved Ustad on his fifth barsi (death anniversary).

Rahman opened the evening with a soul-stirring Sufi set that instantly transformed the venue into a space of prayer and surrender. He moved audiences with Kun Faya Kun, Khwaja Mere Khwaja, and Arziyan, before joining the Mustafa brothers (Qadir Mustafa, Murtuza Mustafa, and Rabbani Mustafa) and the Ustad’s grandsons (Faiz Mustafa and Zain Mustafa) for a deeply moving rendition of Aao Balma and Piya Haji Ali.

The evening unfolded seamlessly under the thoughtful curation and organization of Namrata Gupta Khan and Rabbani Mustafa Khan, Ustad Sahab’s daughter-in-law and son, who have quietly and consistently carried his legacy forward with grace, dignity, and devotion under their brainchild, NR Talent and Event Management.

Shaan brought warmth, nostalgia, and sheer joy to the evening with Main Hoon Don, Chand Sifarish, and Om Shanti Om. He also sang a beautiful rendition of Khan Sahab’s ghazal, Chale Aao.

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Hariharan followed with melodies that have shaped generations, including songs like Tu Hi Re, Roja, Bahon Ke Darmiyan, and Yaadein, each song received with thunderous applause. Sonu Nigam closed the musical arc with an emotionally charged set featuring Pardesiya, Kal Ho Naa Ho, Abhi Mujh Mein Kahin, and Sandese Aate Hain, leaving the audience visibly moved.

The night saw the presence of several distinguished guests from the worlds of cinema, culture, and music, including Smita Thackeray, Babil Khan with mother Sutapa Sikdar, Shefali Shah, Ronit Bose Roy with Neelam Bose Roy, Kritika Kamra, Adarsh Gourav, Kavita Seth with son Kanishk, Neha Dhupia, Vishal Jethwa, Akshay Oberoi with his family, Shweta Tripathi, Javed Jaffrey, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, Raju Singh, Sherley Singh, Reshma Merchant, Shibani Kashyap, Prachee Shah Pandya, Paras Chhabra, Sonnalli Seygall, and Raai Laxmi, among many others.

In a moving moment, Ustad Sahab’s family—his sons and daughters—felicitated the legendary artists on stage.

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About Padma Vibhushan Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan

Khan, born on March 3, 1931, in Badayun, Uttar Pradesh, belonged to the Rampur-Sahaswan Gharana and came from a family of legendary musicians. He had been associated with the Hindi film industry, and as a teacher, he had trained several noted playback and classical singers.

He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1991, followed by the Padma Bhushan, the third-highest civilian award of India, in 2006, and the Padma Vibhushan (the second-highest civilian award) in 2018. In 2003, he was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, the highest Indian recognition given to practicing artists by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy for Music, Dance, and Drama.

Some of his students are renowned singers in the field of Indian playback singing, including Asha Bhosle, Geeta Dutt, Hariharan, Shaan, Sonu Nigam, and Sagarika Mukherjee; his sons: Murtuza, Qadir, Rabbani, and Hasan; and his grandsons: Aamir and Faiz. Khan passed away in Mumbai on January 17, 2021.