Yes, I was at Mr Rahman’s magnificent ‘Jai ho’ concert held in Pune on 31 May, Sunday! With over 70 musicians, dancers, gymnasts, well, this is one show whose sheer magnitude and production values leave one awe-struck! The huge screen in the background projecting videographics in sync with each song, the multi-level stage and Mr Rahman’s presence made for a highly intoxicating evening!
Hariharan, Sadhana Sargam, Roop Kumar Rathod, Rashid Ali, Raja Hassan and a plethora of other singers enthralled the 45,000 + crowd.
The highlight of the evening per my opinion, was the Master on the piano even as Hariharan sang ‘Tu he re’……embellishing it with spontaneous ‘harkatein’ (ornamentation)! His rendition left me with a lump in my throat!
The concert was held in aid of the Lata Mangeshkar Medical Foundation. Didi, Ushaji, Hridaynathji, Adinath and Baiju were there in full strength. Mr Rahman’s humility shone brightly as Didi showered praises on him and congratulated him for having brought glory to the country vis-à-vis the Oscars! She began in Marathi and swiftly switched to Hindi explaining the maestro’s inability to understand Marathi. Head bowed, he quickly and shyly spoke into the microphone, “I understand’! When asked to say something, Rehmansaheb, as Didi referred to him, softly said ‘lets get on with the music’!
The talent and caliber of each artiste present on stage left the audiences asking for more, not wanting the evening to end… Fortunate were those present!
My sincere gratitude to Deepakji who had conceptualized the show and granted me a vantage seat. The mammoth task of conceptualizing something of this scale, requires a very different bent of mind….’a beautiful mind’! Thanks Deepakji!
I left the Balewadi stadium with a great sense of pride stemming from Mr Rahman being a son of the soil to which I too belong!
I had just watched a ‘Visionary’ in action!!!
lucky u Geethaji..wow..:-)
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