Delhi-based researcher and documentary filmmaker Yousuf Saeed’s fascination with renowned poet Amir Khusrau proved to be a self-invigorating experience. After helming a series of movies on Khusrau, Saeed became greatly interested in Sufism, classical music, history and related themes. He was so deeply impressed by the talented artiste, that he wanted to explore his heritage and applied for a fellowship in Pakistan. Saeed stayed there for eight months to pursue his research and filming. Though he began interviewing musicians and scholars about Khusrau, he was intrigued by the course of classical music post 1947 in Pakistan. That was how his 2005 film Khayal Darpan was conceptualised.

Khayal Darpan shows musicians speaking nostalgically about the pre-independence era when people from all over the subcontinent flocked to Lahore to hear the finest vocalists