For 20 years, the idea has lived within Papon. When he finally began working on Mehfilz with Papon, it took eight years of him — the songs, collaborating with lyricist Irshad Kamil, and giving a new interpretation to ghazals. With three of its songs released, the singer and composer sits down for a chat with mid-day to break down why he felt the urge to popularise ghazals among the youth. 

Excerpts from the interview.