Sometime during the mid-1970s, when Ustad Vilayat Khan was approached by the then National Centre for the Performing Arts chairman Dr Narayan Menon for an exhaustive recording session to document his artistry, he didn't take to the idea immediately. "It was only during a social gathering when Khan sahab heard Dr Menon reject somebody's proposal of making these archival recordings of Hindustani classical music [an ongoing project at the NCPA at the time] available for commercial use, that he said to me, 'Yeh Dr Menon theek aadmi lagte hain,'" recalls Arvind Parikh, the sitar maestro's senior-most disciple.

The Ustad went on to give his nod for 30-hour long interview-based recordings during 1976-79, which are now part of the organisation's archives. Guided by Parikh, the sessions document Khan's journey in his own words, interspersed with demonstrations that don't just offer insights into Khan's style, but also those of his illustrious family members including his father Inayat Khan and grandfather Imdad Khan, both celebrated sitar and surbahar players of their time.