Fuljhuri Sisters: A sarod duet of inherited artistry and legacy

In a cosy drawing room surrounded by musical instruments — sarod, tabla, ektara, guitar, esraj, harmonium — sit two young sisters, Ilham and Isra Fuljhuri Khan, their calm smiles reflecting confidence. 

Known to many as the Fuljhuri Sisters — or the Sarod Sisters — on social media, the two embody a legacy shaped by perseverance and passion. Born into a family with six generations in Indian classical music, they carry a living tradition of rhythm and melody. 

Ilham Fuljhuri Khan is the elder sister, and Isra the younger. Their shared middle name, Fuljhuri, comes from their grandfather, Ustad Fuljhuri Khan, a legendary esraj player and recipient of the Independence Award in 1979.

Nurtured by their father, Md Ilias Khan, a tabla maestro, and their mother, Supriya Akhtar, a singer, the sisters took to the sarod (a stringed wooden instrument known for its deep, resonant sound) almost before they could walk.

When they perform together, their music seamlessly blends precision and emotion — telling a story of how inherited artistry blossomed into personal mastery through dedication.

As if their journey began from the womb

Isra's musical instincts appeared early — at just one and a half, she would crawl out of bed every morning and start playing a small harmonium beside it. "That's when we knew music was in her," says elder sister Ilham Fuljhuri Khan.

Ilham began learning tabla from her father, Ilias Khan, at age three. Both sisters learned singing from their mother, Supriya Akhtar. At seven, Ilham had her first sarod lesson with their uncle, Ustad Yusuf Khan, a noted sarod player.

In 2015, when Ilham was seven and Isra five, the Bengal Foundation held a workshop in Dhaka featuring Indian maestros. Their mother enrolled them in a sarod class, much to their father's concern. To support his daughters, he joined too — marking the family's musical journey with the Bengal Foundation.

From September 2015, Ilham and Isra began formal sarod training at Bengal Parampara Sangeetalay under Pandit Tejendra Narayan Majumdar, Padma Shri awardee and one of India's top sarod maestros. He held monthly intensive sessions until the Covid-19 pandemic. Now, the sisters occasionally train online and are both senior scholars at the school.

Music runs deep in their family. 

Their grandfather, Ustad Fuljhuri Khan, was a legendary classical musician. His maternal grandfather, Fakir Aftab Uddin Khan, a tabla and violin player, helped pioneer the Maloya genre of music. His brothers were Ustad Ayet Ali Khan, posthumously awarded the Independence Award in 1984, and Ustad Allauddin Khan, guru to Pandit Ravi Shankar – an Indian Sitar virtuoso.

For six generations, their family has contributed to Indian classical music, even helping shape the modern form of the sarod.

When music becomes the curriculum

Ilham is now preparing for her HSC exams from Dhaka City College, while Isra studies in Class 10 at Motijheel Government Girls' High School. Unlike most children who balance studies with extracurriculars, their lives have revolved around classical music from an early age.

Their daily sarod classes at Bengal Parampara Sangeetalay in Khilkhet—far from their Rampura home—ran from 10am to 6pm. Their mother, Supriya Akhtar, would take them there every day. Often, classes extended to 8pm or 9pm, especially when Pandit Tejendra Narayan Majumdar visited from India for intensive sessions.

"We hardly had a typical school or college life," Ilham says. "Bengal Foundation became our home and our school." 

Despite missing many academic classes, their schools supported their musical journey, and both sisters managed to maintain strong academic performance, with help from teachers and friends.

Interestingly, neither has pursued music competitions, believing talent can't be measured by rankings. Still, when a friend submitted Isra's name to the National Children's Competition last year, she reluctantly participated — despite being unwell — and won gold.

Performance: From Rabindra Sarobar to recording studios

Ilham and Isra made their stage debut at the 2016 Bengal Classical Festival at Dhaka's Army Stadium, performing alongside legends like Vidushi Girija Devi, Ustad Ashish Khan, and Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia. 

At just eight and six, Ilham and Isra impressed audiences and media alike—Isra being the youngest performer, while 86-year-old Girija Devi was the oldest.

They returned the following year and have since become regular performers in classical music events. From the Chhayanaut Pure Music Festival and Dhaka Lit Fest to Joy Bangla Concert and Dhaka Makers, the sisters are now familiar faces on stage.

They've performed at events hosted by the embassies of the UK, Switzerland, and Turkey, and appeared in programmes at Dhaka University, Jahangirnagar, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, and BRAC University. 

Their collaboration with rock band Chirkutt began with the band's 20th-anniversary concert and continues today. 

They also performed at this year's Pohela Boishakh celebration at Rabindra Sarobar.

Beyond the capital, Ilham and Isra have played across rural Bangladesh, receiving warm responses even from audiences unfamiliar with classical music. 

They've recorded in top studios like Arnob's Karkhana and contributed sarod pieces to TV dramas, films, and commercials.

Strings that sing, but don't come cheap

Classical music practice is expensive. Ilham and Isra's sarods cost around Tk3.5 lakh to Tk4 lakh each. The instrument has 23-26 strings, which need to be imported from India. 

Maintaining them is difficult, as the wooden instruments are sensitive to weather and require long tuning sessions before performances.

Though they haven't faced embarrassing moments on stage, logistical issues from organisers have caused occasional troubles. The sisters feel classical musicians in Bangladesh still lack proper respect and fair pay, and their hard work often goes unrecognised.

Ilham said that classical music programmes rarely air on TV now, unlike before, when channels like BTV and Channel i regularly featured such shows.

Isra dreams of music departments in every university, teaching both singing and classical instruments up to postgraduate levels. She hopes to study music abroad and return home.

While songs need language, classical music transcends it, which explains its global appeal — though many in Bangladesh still struggle to appreciate it fully.

Ilham and Isra aim to open a music school, travelling nationwide to hold workshops and nurture young talents passionate about music and the arts.