KARACHI: An insightful workshop-cum-interview of the inimitable sitar player Ustad Ashraf Sharif Khan Poonchwala set the tone nicely for the World Culture Festival on Tuesday evening.

The ustad was in conversation with Ahsan Bari. Answering the first question about his background he said although he belongs to the Poonch gharana, his family is linked to Ustad Vilayet Khan.

“My paternal grandfather was the student of Imdad Khan. My father Sharif Khan was the student of Inayat Khan. All through the centuries, sitar, singing and dhrupad have been played in our family. I belong to the ninth generation, and when it comes to sitar playing, fourth or fifth,” he said.

He said he comes from the Poonch gharana because his grandfather was the musician in Raja Hari Singh’s court in Poonch. The grandfather used to play the surbahar. “The gharanas are usually associated with your city or village. But in my opinion, it is all about your musical identity, that is, what is beautiful [in terms of music] in your gharana.”

Responding to another question, Ustad Ashraf Sharif said there’s no escape from the riyaz (practice). “There’s no alternative to it. You have to do it, no matter what.”

After the chitchat, the ustad played the sitar for the students present in the hall.

An exhibition titled Fading Boundaries curated by Farrukh Shahab, Umaina Khan and Jamal Ashiqain also opened at the council’s Café d’Art on Tuesday.

The screening of a Pakistani film, The Glassworker, also garnered attention on Tuesday.

Published in Dawn, December 3rd, 2025