Kabhi surkhi se likhta hoon, kabhi kajal se likhta hoon
Main dil ki baat jazbon ki hari konpal se likhta hoon,
Main tera naam jab likhta hoon apne dil ki takhti par
Gulab-o-mushk se, Zamzam se, Ganga jal se likhta hoon.
Under the shadow of the mighty Charminar, as the sun dipped and the streets came alive with tourists, hawkers and hagglers, a different evening of Dakhni, shayari, and love was unfolding just a minute away. Sitting quietly beside the Sardar Mahal, the newly restored heritage cafe Kaapi and Karam hosted the inaugural edition of its monthly series Mehfil-e-Kaapi on July 19, Sunday.
Inside the upper gallery- a space designed for cultural gatherings- the team of Siasat.com assembled with poetry enthusiasts, heritage lovers, and literary connoisseurs to witness journalist and author FM Saleem and acclaimed poet Sardar Saleem live in action. It was the perfect stage for an evening where coffee, culture and verses shared the same table.
Mehfil-e-Kaapi takes on a journey through verses
True to his role as a literary historian, FM Saleem gestured toward the Charminar framed in the background to remind the audience that the spirit of poetry in the Deccan is as old as the city itself. He traced the region’s rich poetic lineage back to Hyderabad’s founder, Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, a monarch who was a poet at his core.
He then carried the narrative forward into the Asaf Jahi era, pointing out how the city’s rulers had a long love affair with poetry. From the pioneering legacy of Mah Laqa Chanda Bai to the revolutionary socio-political verses of Makhdoom Mohiuddin, Saleem wove a vivid tapestry of the voices that built the Deccan’s literary floorboards.
Bringing this historical arc into the present, he brought Dakhni poetry onto the stage with his own playful lines:
Khulla rakh ko darwaza, main kitte din se rasta dekhun
Bhool ko kab to tum bhi ek din mere ghar ku aana ji.
Breakup kaiku, patchup kaiku, ulte seedhe kaaman kaiku
Phir ko phir ko aana hai to chhod ko kaiku jaana ji.
Having set a rich historical stage, Sardar Saleem took over with his deep, romantic verses. He started by saying, “Kavitha manavta ki maatra bhasha hai (Poetry is the language of humanity).” His soul-stirring rendition of classical Urdu ghazals held the room in awe:
Yeh dharti, yeh gagan, yeh dasht, yeh dariya mohabbat hain
Mohabbat karne waale ke liye har jah mohabbat hain,
Mohabbat yeh nahi izhaar kardena mohabbat ka
Kisi ko chupke chupke chahte rehna bhi mohabbat hain
A new living address for Hyderabad’s culture
The packed house underscored a growing hunger across the city for spaces where Dakhni culture and heritage can be experienced in a live setting. Kaapi and Karam is trying to satiate that hunger with its thoughtfully designed space.
On the ground floor, Kaapi and Karam functions as a fast-casual, self-service tiffin counter where visitors drop in for hot filter coffee, dosas, thalis and Delhi-style chaat.
Step upstairs, however, and the usual Old City chatter gives way to an air-conditioned gallery. Minimally decorated with local artwork, it is designed specifically to host history talks, book readings, and art workshops. It is a cultural space that has been missing from the oldest part of Hyderabad.
“Hyderabad has never been short of poets. What it has occasionally been short of is somewhere for them to be heard over something better than instant coffee,” said Neel Sharma, marketing head. “Kaapi & Karam settled that question rather emphatically as the house was full, Dakhni was flowing, and Charminar, minutes away, seemed to be listening in. This is not a one-evening flourish. Mehfil-e-Kaapi is here to stay, and the poets and connoisseurs of this city now have a monthly address.”
With Mehfil-e-Kaapi set to return as a monthly series, one thing has become abundantly clear: while Charminar remains the city’s stone anchor, just a few steps away, its living culture will continue to be written. One mehfil at a time.
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