The Music Room

  • Tuesday, Nov 17

Showtimes updated on Tuesday evenings
Legend
OCOpen Captioned
Special Content
35mm
SFSensory Friendly
Cinema Studies

The Music Room

Featuring Q&A and Live Musical Performance from Hidayat Husain Khan

Satyajit Ray’s classic film The Music Room was composed by legendary sitar player Vilayat Khan. His son and student Hidayat Husain Khan will join us on stage for a Q&A followed by a live musical performance.

With The Music Room (Jalsaghar), Satyajit Ray brilliantly evokes the crumbling opulence of the world of a fallen aristocrat (the beloved actor Chhabi Biswas) desperately clinging to a fading way of life. His greatest joy is the music room in which he has hosted lavish concerts over the years—now a shadow of its former vivid self. An incandescent depiction of the clash between tradition and modernity, and a showcase for some of India’s most popular musicians of the day, The Music Room is a defining work by the great Bengali filmmaker.

"A wonderful tale of pride and the fools it makes of men."
Edward Guthmann, San Francisco Chronicle
"A rapturous treasure trove of Indian classical music and dance—and a tale of the reckless passion that they can inspire."
Richard Brody, The New Yorker

SPECIAL EVENTS

Q&A with musician and son of The Music Room

Q&A with musician and son of The Music Room's composer Hidayat Husain Khan

Tuesday, Nov. 17 2026, 7:00

  • Music has been the language of Hidayat Husain Khan’s life from the very beginning. Born into one of India’s most distinguished musical families, Hidayat is a seventh-generation exponent of the Imdadkhani–Etawah Gharana and the son and disciple of the legendary sitar maestro Ustad Vilayat Khan. Growing up surrounded by music wasn’t simply an education—it was a way of life. Every lesson carried not only technique, but also the responsibility of preserving a tradition that has inspired generations of musicians around the world. Today, Hidayat continues that legacy with a voice that is uniquely his own. Deeply rooted in Indian Classical Musician yet open to meaningful artistic exploration, his performances bridge tradition and contemporary expression without compromising the integrity of either.

Tickets: $20 (members), $25 (nonmembers)

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This film is part of the following initiatives:


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