A nippy 1930’s December night. A quaint Lucknow bylane resounds with a sonorous of Sarangi escaping the arched ornate windows of an old house. Its soul-stirring strains are serenaded by the roar of ‘wah wah’ from ardent connoisseurs huddled up for the mehfil. The dusty scent of the narrow muddy lane, the smell of old wood from the tanga, the animalic odour of the seasoned stead patiently awaiting the passenger to get off with a pleasant khuda hafiz only to trot away into the settling mist… ..it’s all in a whiff! From the sherwanis of indulgent Nawaabs and the legendary classical ustads that enlivened their courts, to Yves Saint Lauren T-shirts of strapping Gen Zs, the whiff has come a long way, thanks to the passion of young HR professional turned perfumer, Delhi-based Nabeel Khan. His flagship attar oil Al Aswad bottles it all. A gilt-edged melange of a rich creamy saffron, damask rose, natural Mysore sandalwood oil and high quality aged Indian Oudh, it remains a favourite among young Indians yearning to return to their olfactive roots.
BACK TO BASICS
In a market saturated with clones of exorbitant branded French perfumes, Khan, through his endeavour Imperiale Perfumery, offers a whiff of freshness. “I too was a fan of French perfumes since college. Attending French language classes with French notes on my clothes was exhilarating”, he shares. However, after discovering natural scents like Rooh Khus ( vetiver), sandalwood and oudh, a soulful connection emerged. “Rooh’, Arabic for soul. That’s the essence of natural and traditional scents”, he smiles. Nabeel Khan’s offerings bear a distinct mark of authenticity, reflecting a deep insight into Indian and Arabic traditions. After the onslaught of delayed monsoons and winter around the corner, many of them provide the perfect profiles to celebrated the season.
TALES OF TWO TRADITIONS
While French or ‘western’ perfumery has cast a global spell on humanity’s collective olfactory sensibilities, the east is endowed with a treasure house of traditional scents that date back centuries. “We Indians, across generations, have grown up with fragrances like sandalwood, rose and saffron. They are an inseparable part of our culture. No matter how obsessed young Indians may be with synthetic clone fragrances, there is the inherent magic about traditional scents that is etched in our collective consciousness”, Khan explains. A few years ago, his infatuation with traditional and natural scents inspired him to experiment. His Shamam a Supreme , a take on ‘Shamama’, the world’s oldest (Indian) winter scent warms the spirit with its marriage of indigenous spices over a sandalwood base. Al Kaabah, a recreation of the scent around the holy Kaabah in Mecca, is an energetic black musk, a relaxing camphor and delicate florals. Honing his nose towards crafting traditional scents that appeal to young Indians, a hot favourite among Gen Z’s is Khan’s Porte Du Paradis, French for ‘doorway to heaven’ It embodies a viscous Kashmiri saffron, Cambodian oudh , gentle roses and a sensuous white musk that encompasses the atmosphere with a subtle scent bubble. With wedding bells resounding across the country, his Bait Al Maamur is scenting many a mandap-bright Indian roses embellished with Indian oudh from assam, sandalwood and saffron.
PURE IS PERFECT
In a market ruled by superficiality, it takes gumption to move away from the stranglehold of synthetics and bottle nature’s very own olfactive gifts. “It’s the difference between plastic flowers and real ones. Age and culture no bar, none can resist the soulful intoxication of walking through a garden of blooming flowers”, Khan says. While his smooth, refreshing
Rooh Khus cools wearers across India during scorching summers, his collection of rare, artisanal oudh oils from India and Cambodia are sought after. “Oudh is one of the world’s most ancient and exotic scents. Its unpretentiously earthy, rugged, leathery profile is irresistible. Even a swipe of oudh oil on the skin is a spiritually enriching experience”, he explains. Although it is remains fashionable to wear ‘oudh’ labelled scents, few truly know its essence. He gleams, “I personally guide my customers through my natural scents. Oudh invariably gets them addicted. Like a sapling emerging from barren soil, India is witnessing a gradual advent of oudh lovers”.