‘A dream finally coming alive’: Papon launches Apne Khilaaf from new ghazal album
Papon has launched Apne Khilaaf as the first track from his upcoming album Mehfilz with Papon. The release opens a long-planned project aimed at bringing ghazals closer to contemporary listeners.
- Jun 03, 2026,
- Updated Jun 03, 2026, 2:31 PM IST
- The June 2 release introduces a series blending music, poetry and storytelling
- Its video uses a living-room setting to recreate a traditional mehfil
- Meiyang Chang and Pankaj Tripathi appear among the small audience
Singer Papon has released Apne Khilaaf, the first track from his upcoming album Mehfilz with Papon, marking the beginning of a project that aims to present ghazals in a contemporary format.
Released on June 2, the song introduces listeners to the larger Mehfilz with Papon series, which blends music, poetry and personal storytelling. The music video adopts an intimate living-room setting designed to recreate the atmosphere of a traditional mehfil, with Papon performing live before a small audience that includes actors Meiyang Chang and Pankaj Tripathi, among others.
Announcing the release on Instagram, Papon described the project as a long-held aspiration. “For a long time, I wanted to create a space where music, poetry, and emotions could come together in their most honest form. Mehfilz with Papon is that dream, and Apne Khilaaf is its very first offering,” he wrote.
Speaking about the album, Papon said the project had been years in the making and was deeply rooted in his personal experiences with mehfils. “This project has truly been a dream for me. I have been working on it for a very long time, and it feels surreal that it is finally coming alive,” he said.
He added that mehfils had played a significant role in his musical journey since his younger days and that the emotional connection inspired the concept behind the album. “Every part of it is extremely personal to me,” he said.
The song has been composed by Papon, while the lyrics have been written by lyricist Irshad Kamil. Reflecting on the collaboration, Papon said the two had discussed the concept long ago and sought to make the ghazals accessible to modern listeners.
“We consciously decided to keep the wordplay simple while retaining the beauty and writing techniques of ghazals,” he said, adding that the album explores contemporary emotions surrounding love and relationships. According to Papon, the aim was to create songs that would resonate across generations.
Apne Khilaaf is the first release from the album, with more tracks from Mehfilz with Papon expected to follow in the coming weeks.
