Mani Kaul, a leader of the new generation of Indian filmmakers, has always used classical Indian music as a metaphor for the artistic style of his films, which include Uski Roti (A Day's Bread) and Duvidha (Two Roads). Critic Shanta Gokhale writes, “Classical Indian music is to Mani the purest artistic search. The alaap or slow unfolding of a raaga (melody) to get its innermost swaroop (form), is its finest expression....” Mani Kaul devotes his newest film, Dhrupad, to music itself. An avant-garde documentary, Dhrupad is a delicate exploration of a form of Indian classical music that is infinitely intricate, at once fascinating and mesmerizing. Kaul focuses on the legendary Dagar Brothers, who perform on voice and instruments, and occasionally stop to discuss their music. Just as in discussing his filmmaking Kaul refers continually to music, in his film about music he draws a metaphoric link between the classical art he is filming and other arts, including architecture, popular dance, and, of course, cinema. Dhrupad was a hit of the 1983 New York Film Festival.