The charm lies in the difference between Hindustani and Carnatic

How the two traditions engage with composition and improvisation in their own distinct ways

Going by the names of the two major traditions of Hindustani music — Khayal and Dhrupad — Carnatic music might be called ‘Kriti’ after the dominant musical form in practice. Or, at an earlier period, ‘Pallavi’. The compositional form that is primarily used in Khayal, the genre, is khayal. Similarly with Dhrupad and dhrupad. That a genre of music takes the name of a compositional form is intriguing.