Fueled by a deep passion for uncovering the lost world of Tawaif culture, Chandra Chakraborty set out on a journey through Delhi, Agra, Lucknow, and Banaras, searching for musicians and remnants of this fading tradition. She walked through the crumbling courtyards of once-thriving kothas, where echoes of music and poetry had long been replaced by the sounds of demolition. Many of these historic homes, once the heart of refined artistry, are now making way for towering apartments and bustling shopping complexes.
Her journey led her to the final resting place of Begum Akhtar, a legend whose voice once mesmerised generations. Though the grave has recently been refurbished and placed under the care of the Indian government and a a board of trustees, it remains hidden in obscurity-its significance lost amid the passage of time.
What struck her most, however, was the collective amnesia that had settled over Lucknow and Delhi. Young people in Lucknow had never even heard of Begum Akhtar, and in Delhi those who still knew of the Tawaif culture hesitated to speak of it-perhaps out of discomfort, stigma, or sheer detachment from a history that was once inseparable from India's artistic soul.