Featured image courtesy: Taqi Abbas

Often in Bengaluru, whenever I missed a slice of my hometown, I found comfort in cooking shahi tukda or slipping into my Chikankari saree from the vibrant lanes of Lucknow. In my quest to stay rooted and connected to the city, I began following several Instagram pages from Lucknow. Through them, I experienced glimpses of the city’s zaayaka (flavour) and the joy of virtual Ganjing, never letting myself forget what makes me love Lucknow — its rich history, Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb (a beautiful fusion of cultures), and, of course, the food!

That’s when I stumbled upon a page called ‘Lucknow Uncovered’. As I explored it further, I realised that the Lucknow it portrayed went beyond books and everyday nostalgia. It felt a deeply personal tribute to the city’s heritage, not just by someone who has lived it, but by someone who is a part of it.

Video after video, my admiration for his work only deepened. And as I planned my homecoming in April, I knew I had to tell this story with The Better India.

A post shared by Taqi Abbas (@lucknowuncovered)

After a month-long wait, I finally sat down with 28-year-old Taqi Abbas, the visionary behind Lucknow Uncovered. Through our conversation, I began to understand what drives him to voice the ‘unsaid’ stories of Lucknow and what it takes to start content creation from scratch, given that his first video went live in 2023.

The journey of a storyteller rooted in legacy

The idea of Lucknow Uncovered wasn’t born overnight. It was carefully thought out and deeply refined in a heart that wished to show something new, yet old, and when one belongs to a family whose past is steeped in rich layers of history, preserving that legacy becomes an act of love, carried out with deep care and sensitivity.

Taqi shares, “I come from a Nawabi background, and our family home is called Asafi Mahal. Growing up, I witnessed several film shoots right inside our house. The area we lived in was known as the ‘Entertainment Kothi’, or as it’s called locally, Chaman Wali Kothi. After 1959, due to some family disputes, Asafi Mahal, which originally included a few other kothis (homes), was divided, and my father and his eldest brother inherited Chaman Wali Kothi.”

As a child, Taqi would often watch film crews set up and shoot at his place. And when he stumbled upon a past that later defined his present, it is what we see today — a movement started by one, but loved by many.

Digging into a family archive, finding his individuality and the city’s soul

“I was in grade 11, and one day, in my family archives, I found photographs of Rekha ji, Farooq Shaikh ji, and the cast of Umrao Jaan. That discovery deeply intrigued me. Later, watching the film and recognising scenes shot inside my own home sparked a curiosity in me.”

He told us that over the years, scenes from films and shows like Mirzapur were also shot in their house.

“When I began my bachelor’s in mass communication, we were encouraged to explore the city with cameras and document what we saw. During those photo walks, I became fascinated by the people and the stories that lived within Lucknow’s streets.

But content creation was never the first option. “After college, in 2014, I was shooting and making videos for various exhibitions and independent clients. I also worked on some write-ups for books,” Taqi shares.

The waves of COVID-19 gave many people time to pause and reflect. Within the four walls where others were exploring new ways to be productive, an idea was quietly brewing in Taqi Abbas’ mind.

He further states, “In 2019, during the early wave of COVID-19, screen time increased, and I noticed a flood of content online about Lucknow’s culture, food, and heritage. But many of these stories lacked authenticity. Brand shoots weren’t happening either. After a lot of thought, I finally decided to start Lucknow Uncovered. But even then, it didn’t fully take shape until late 2023.”

© The Better India