Listen with Irfan

Aur Hawa Chup Rahi "और हवा चुप रही"
a poem by Iftekhar Arif, Persian translation by Ali Bayat , English Translation by Brenda Walker/Voice Sher Tookhi/Curation Irfan/

Disclaimer: Request related to Copy Right : "Some contents are used for educational/entertainment purpose under fair use. Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non- profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favour of fair use." IF ANY COPYRIGHT OWNER FIND THEIR CONTENT IN THIS AUDIO THEN PLEASE KINDLY CONTACT ME BEFORE GIVING STRIKE OR DO SOMETHING, EITHER I WILL REMOVE THIS AUDIO OR WILL GIVE YOU CREDIT.'

Back Ground Music : Courtesy PixaBay tomomi_kato-wind-flow-438286

Sound Effect: Courtesy PixaBay kalsstockmedia-passing-by-wind-breeze-sound-313808

Photo: Chat GPT AI

Cover : Irfan

The Handsomest Drowned Man in the world, by Gabriel Garcia Marquez / Voice Sher Tookhi/Curation Irfan/

Duniya ka sub se khubsoorat gharqaab Aadmi , translated in Urdu from English by Inaam Nadeem

Disclaimer: Request related to Copy Right : "Some contents are used for educational/entertainment purpose under fair use. Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non- profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favour of fair use." IF ANY COPYRIGHT OWNER FIND THEIR CONTENT IN THIS AUDIO THEN PLEASE KINDLY CONTACT ME BEFORE GIVING STRIKE OR DO SOMETHING, EITHER I WILL REMOVE THIS AUDIO OR WILL GIVE YOU CREDIT.'

Photo: Chat GPT AI

Cover : Irfan

Sahab | Dilip Kumar | Text Javed Siddiqi | Voice Sher Tookhi /

I am delighted to present some of the sketches from the book Mere Mohtaram, a compilation of three works-Roshandan, Langarkhana, and Ujale- written by the esteemed Javed Siddiqi.

The narration is voiced by US based my dear friend, the passionate bibliophile, cinephile, and an art aficionado Sher Tookhi.

I have curated this recording to make the book accessible to those too who are not well-versed in reading Urdu. No copyright infringement is intended. All rights belong to the original owners, and this post is shared for the greater good, with no commercial interest involved.

Cover : Irfan

Credit to the Photo on Cover goes to the Photographer.

A song written by Shashi Kant Singh and created with the music and vocals by him only. Copyright/Shashi Kant Sing

Curated by Irfan

"ये मेरी नई और भोजपुरी कंपोजिशन है, पिया परदेसी बिना...

मैं क्षेत्रीय बोली के गीतों जैसे अवधी, भोजपुरी आदि पर एक प्रयोग कर रहा हूं। बड़े लंबे समय से मैं देख रहा हूं कि हमारी क्षेत्रीय बोली के गीतों का कंपोजिशन ऐसे किया जा रहा है, जैसे यह जाहिलों और गवारों का ही गीत हो, या सौत के बेटे को किसी ने उबटन और काजल लगाया हो।

इसीलिए इन गीतों को दूसरी बोली वाले तो क्या सुनेंगे, खुद इन्हीं बोली के लोग इन्हें नहीं सुनते। आखिर क्या वजह है कि पंजाबी और हरियाणवी समझ में ना आने के बावजूद भोजपुरी क्षेत्र में पंजाबी और हरियाणवी सुनी जाती है? हमारे गीतों में ऐसी क्या बुराई है जो दूसरे क्षेत्रों में तो छोड़ो, हमारे ही क्षेत्र के संपन्न वर्ग में नहीं सुनी जाती, जबकि शास्त्रीय गायन के सभी कंपोजिशन हमारी क्षेत्रीय बोलियों में ही हैं, जैसे, का करूं सजनी आए ना बालम, आयो कहां से घनश्याम, मोहे पनघट पे नंदलाल छेड़ गयो रे, चदरिया झीनी रे झीनी.. ?

मैंने गायन शैली में शालीनता भरी है, प्रयुक्त वाद्य यंत्रों और उनके वादन के तरीकों में थोड़ा परिवर्तन किया है, थोड़ा क्लासिकल टच देने की कोशिश की है।"

Cover: Irfan

Curated by Irfan/

With my professional roving audio recorder in hand, I recently tried to capture the living soundscape of Delhi.

Not just the obvious noises of the streets- inside the metro trains, vendors calling, distant traffic, footsteps- but also the quieter, intimate sounds of indoor spaces where life unfolds in softer tones.

Cities are not only seen; they are deeply heard.

This modest recording is an attempt to listen to Delhi as it breathes between the outside world and the inner rooms we inhabit. I hope these fragments of sound evoke the many moods of this restless city.

Cover: Irfan

What happens when a city-dweller’s heart belongs to the jungle? 🌿

In this podcast series, I present an immersive voiced narration of the entire book Junglemunn Ki Diary written by Kabir Sanjay. Through this audiobook-style podcast, listeners will travel into the intimate reflections of a nature lover living within the contradictions of urban life.

The book speaks to countless city residents who deeply love trees, forests, plants, and the idea of living closer to nature-yet find themselves trapped in demanding routines, consumerist pressures, and the relentless pace of modern existence. With honesty and irony, the author calls himself and many like him “Nimophilists”- people who are emotionally drawn to greenery and forests but often struggle to act fully on that love.

Written from lived experiences of the past and the paradoxes of the present, Junglemunn Ki Diary is both tender and thought-provoking. It raises an emotional yet powerful argument about our relationship with the environment and gently nudges us to become more sensitive to the ecological challenges around us.

🎧 Episode 1 begins this journey- entering the diary of a nature lover whose thoughts mirror the quiet longing many of us carry for forests, rivers, and the living world beyond concrete cities.

If you care about nature, urban life, and the inner conflict between the two, this series may resonate deeply with you.

Cover: Irfan (Using Book Cover desiigned by Mahesh Verma)

I am delighted to present some of the sketches from the book Mere Mohtaram, a compilation of three works-Roshandan, Langarkhana, and Ujale- written by the esteemed Javed Siddiqi.

The narration is voiced by US based my dear friend, the passionate bibliophile, cinephile, and an art aficionado Sher Tookhi.

I have curated this recording to make the book accessible to those too who are not well-versed in reading Urdu. No copyright infringement is intended. All rights belong to the original owners, and this post is shared for the greater good, with no commercial interest involved.

Husain's photo on cover by Pradeep Chandra

I am delighted to present some of the sketches from the book Mere Mohtaram, a compilation of three works-Roshandan, Langarkhana, and Ujale- written by the esteemed Javed Siddiqi.

The narration is voiced by US based my dear friend, the passionate bibliophile, cinephile, and an art aficionado Sher Tookhi.

I have curated this recording to make the book accessible to those too who are not well-versed in reading Urdu. No copyright infringement is intended. All rights belong to the original owners, and this post is shared for the greater good, with no commercial interest involved.

Dharmendra: The Towering Jat Who Conquered Afghan Pathan Hearts – A Childhood Tribute from Ahmad and Sher Tookhi/ Introduction and Curation Irfan/Soundtrack Courtesy Saregama/

Last year, Dharmendra—or as we say, Dharam Prahji—who was known as the He-Man of Hindi films, bid farewell to this world at around 90 years of age.

Coming from a typical village in Ludhiana, Punjab, Dharmendra never formally learned acting anywhere and relying on his innocent face and well-built body, he played all kinds of roles in more than 300 films.

Without worrying about wins or losses, he worked as if acting was his labor and continued working in films until his last breath.

On this chequered board of flops and hits, he left behind moves that film lovers across the Indian subcontinent will always remember.

Ahmad and Sher Tookhi, brothers born in Afghanistan and living in America for the past 40 years, have paid tribute to Dharam Ji by refreshing memories related to the film culture of Afghans, drawing from their childhood recollections.

One end of these memories starts from the era of 1955, connecting to their uncle and father, while the other end trails off into their own boyhood until 1983—that is, until they left Afghanistan.

How a towering Jat like Dharmendra becomes a companion in the imagination of towering Afghan Pathans is not rocket science to understand.

It is the shared expanse of common values between the two countries, personal beliefs, character strengths, love for justice, and hearts beating with love.

The passion that Sher Tookhi has for films, books, music, and languages is becoming rare these days. You have already heard many of his recordings here, and in the coming days, this series will expand even further—I am fully confident of that.

For now, stepping aside from between you and Sher Bhai, I take you, with the support of Dharam Prahji, to Afghanistan—where Sher spent his childhood, and why he never wants to return there again?

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Cover: Irfan

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KK Roy, former President Student Union University of Allahabad/ Conversation recorded in Hotel Yatrik, Allahabad on 22 December 2025