Abdi: A Quintessential Lakhnavi Qissago
A prominent lawyer by profession, Mehmood Mehdi Abdi has turned memory into a medium
In Muzaffar Ali’s ‘Gaman’, Ghulam Hasan (played by Farooq Sheikh) drives his taxi through the bustling, overwhelming streets of Mumbai when he finds himself trapped in a massive crowd during a Ganpati procession. The air is thick with the rhythmic, heavy beating of traditional drums (‘dhols’). The sound evokes memories of the rhythmic chest-beating of ‘matam’ during a Muharram procession in his native village in Uttar Pradesh. The scene signifies that while Ghulam Hasan may have physically departed from his village, his soul remains rooted there.
This, in many ways, is also true of Mehmood Mehdi Abdi. A quintessential Lakhnavi, he has been living in Mumbai for more than three decades yet has never truly left Lucknow. The city continues to beat in his heart.
In an age of fast reels and fleeting trends, Mehmood Mehdi Abdi is doing something quietly radical - he is asking people to pause, listen and remember. Through his popular ‘YouTube’ channel ‘Culture Bazaar’, Abdi has emerged as one of the most recognisable contemporary voices chronicling Lucknow’s fading stories, language and lived culture.
Born and raised in the old quarters of Lucknow, Abdi grew up surrounded by conversations steeped in tehzeeb - the gentle etiquette, humour and grace the city is famous for. Stories flowed freely in family gatherings, neighbourhood baithaks and street corners. Long before he became a content creator, Abdi was a listener, absorbing the rhythms of Lakhnavi zabaan, the wit of elders and the layered history hidden in the city’s galis (alleys).
A prominent lawyer by profession, Abdi has turned memory into a medium. On ‘Culture Bazaar’, he dons the role of a modern-day qissago - narrating tales of old Lucknow, its nawabs, everyday characters, forgotten customs, food habits and linguistic quirks. His videos are neither hurried nor flashy. Instead, they unfold like conversations, delivered in an unhurried, intimate tone that mirrors the city he represents.
What sets Abdi apart is his command of language. Switching effortlessly between Urdu, Hindi and colloquial Lakhnavi, he brings alive expressions that are slowly disappearing from daily use. For many viewers - especially younger generations and diaspora Lucknowites - his videos are not just entertainment but lessons in cultural inheritance.
Abdi’s work goes beyond nostalgia. He consciously documents oral histories, stories that rarely make it into textbooks or archives. Whether he is explaining the difference between dastangoi and qissagoi, narrating the quirks of old neighbourhoods or reflecting on shared cultural and spiritual traditions, his approach remains inclusive and reflective.
His growing influence has not gone unnoticed. Abdi has been featured in national newspapers and invited to cultural forums and storytelling sessions in Lucknow and beyond. In some instances, he has also contributed articles himself, translating his spoken storytelling style into written narratives that explore hidden shrines, forgotten figures and everyday spirituality in the city.
Despite his popularity, Abdi remains grounded in purpose. He often reiterates that Lucknow is not just a place but a sensibility - one that teaches patience, respect, humour and coexistence. Through ‘Culture Bazaar’, he is archiving that sensibility for a digital generation.
Recently, Abdi has given printed forms to his facility for oral storytelling by publishing ‘Dupatte Aur Chand Kahaniyan’, a collection of Hindi short stories. In this book, Abdi weaves small, everyday incidents into narratives filled with mirth, humour and quiet sorrow, recalling the style of the late R. V. Smith, celebrated for chronicling the tales of old Delhi.
In a world racing ahead, Mehmood Mehdi Abdi is gently looking back - not to resist change, but to ensure that Lucknow’s soul is not lost in the noise.
